Psychonauts 2

Psychonauts 2 is a single-player, 3D action platforming game. The game continues the story of Razputin “Raz” Aquato, a young psychic who has finally joined the international espionage organization known as the Psychonauts. Shortly after his initiation, Raz becomes involved in an investigation to uncover a mole within headquarters and prevent the resurrection of Maligula, a powerful psychic from the organization’s past.

The player controls Raz in a story-driven adventure that moves between real-world hub areas and the inner landscapes of various characters’ minds. Each mental world serves as a unique level, designed around the fears, memories, and personalities of its host. Progress through these surreal environments reveals new details about the conspiracy facing the Psychonauts and the struggles of the individuals Raz is trying to help. Outside the minds, players explore the Motherlobe headquarters and surrounding areas, interacting with fellow interns and agents while discovering side quests and secrets.

Gameplay combines platforming, combat, and puzzle-solving. Raz performs acrobatic maneuvers such as double jumps, dashes, rope swings, and rail grinds, while also wielding psychic abilities. Returning powers include telekinesis, clairvoyance, pyrokinesis, and levitation, while new abilities such as Mental Connection allow Raz to grapple thought bubbles and alter a character’s associations. Enemies are manifestations of negative emotions, like Censors, Regrets, and Bad Ideas, each with different attack patterns. Combat blends melee strikes with psychic powers, which can be assigned to controller buttons for quick use.

Progression is tied to collecting figments, emotional baggage, half-a-minds, and memory vaults hidden in each level. These contribute to raising Raz’s PSI rank, which grants intern credits for upgrading abilities. Collectible PSI cards and challenge markers further increase rank, while in-game currency can be spent on items or on “pins,” modifiers that alter Raz’s abilities or add cosmetic flourishes. Health is measured by brains, and PSI energy powers psychic attacks, both replenished through pickups scattered across levels.

Between story missions, players can explore hub areas, interact with NPCs, and complete optional platforming challenges. Side quests provide rewards such as items or resources and expand background details about characters and locations. Exploration also reveals hidden collectibles and minigames. Although the story follows a fixed structure without branching paths, dialogue and character interactions provide humor and context for Raz’s journey.

The levels emphasize thematic variety, each representing the host’s unique state of mind. One features a dentist’s nightmare filled with oversized teeth, while another combines a hospital and a casino to reflect compulsive behavior. Boss battles serve as climactic encounters, requiring the use of Raz’s psychic abilities and environmental features to succeed. Some stages temporarily shift mechanics, introducing rhythm sequences or alternate perspectives to keep gameplay varied.

Psychonauts 2 runs in third-person perspective with automatic saving across all versions. Completed levels can be revisited once new powers are unlocked, allowing players to collect missed items. The title supports full controller mapping and accessibility settings, and although the story is linear, the design encourages thorough exploration and mastery of Raz’s abilities.