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Psychonauts 2

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Approaching completion of Gameplay and Reception rewrites; original text taken from this diff copied below for my convenience.

Development

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"How Psychonauts 2 Approaches Trauma, Therapy And Empathy" – Kotaku.[1]

In an early game scene, Hollis tells Raz to focus on "only one unfathomable fear at a time".[1] Schafer noted this line was written in the later stages of development and reflected contemporaneous world attitudes of fear and uncertainty. He noted that lines from the game that discuss "peaceful protests" were written some time before protesting became a topical issue.[1] Schafer hoped Psychonauts 2 would expand on some of the original game's mysteries. For one, he wanted the game to explicate the curse condemning the Aquato family to die in water. A treatment of Cruller's characterization developed during the original game was expounded in Psychonauts 2, which explores the origin of Cruller's multiple personalities. New story trajectories developed for the game were integrated into the overarching Psychonauts lore. The team decided Raz's relegation to an intern at the Psychonauts would allow a more interesting character progression. Schafer cited the young protégés in Jet Li films and their earnest impetuosity as inspiration for Raz's personality. He compared the coming of age theme explored in Raz's characterization to that of Broken Age's Shay Volta, as both characters must perceive their responsibilities. Schafer hoped to avoid writing parallels between himself and Raz, as well-made characters should "get their own voices".[1] Schafer felt that delving into a villain's mind elicits a sense of empathy toward them, as the player is enlightened of their circumstance. Schafer opined that the role of the Psychonauts is not to "fix" people, but to help them through their personal struggles.[1] He felt that Psychonauts 2 communicates this ideal with more sophistication than its predecessor. He noted that to circumvent the ethical concerns of invading one's mind, Raz is given informed consent, except in an emergency, by the characters whose mind he enters. He felt the action is presented as "wellness check" and hoped the game could stimulate discourse around mental health issues.[1] He felt that understanding the human condition helped Psychonauts 2 balance comedy with an empathetic portrayal of the issues. Because of the large interim between Psychonauts 2 and its predecessor, the team replayed the original game to critique its themes.[1]

"Psychonauts 2's mental health approach: Handle with care" – Gamesindustry.biz.[2]

The exploration of mental health was inspired in part by a college class Schafer took on dream psychology. The class taught him that dreams could be self-revelatory, and that the metaphorical imagery of one's dreams is innately poetic. Much artistic inspiration for the levels' themes was taken from the team's personal experiences with mental health issues. Schafer opined that drawing from real-world experience authenticated the game's depiction of these themes. He felt the nuance of the original game's mental health exploration was merely serendipitous, and wanted Psychonauts 2's writing to take a more proactive approach. In the original game, Schafer noted, Raz often lacked caution when entering characters' minds, but that in Pyschonauts 2 he gains informed consent to do so, except in emergencies. The team consulted mental health nonprofit organization Take This about their depiction of mental health issues; they hoped counsel from an external body would help negate insensitivity in their exploration of these themes.

"Psychonauts 2 is the story of Double Fine growing up" – Polygon.[3]


Reception

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Ars Technica[4]

Electronic Gaming Monthly[5]

Eurogamer[6]

Game Informer[7]

GameSpot[8]

GamesRadar[9]

Gaming Bolt[10]

Guardian[11]

IGN[12]

Hardcore Gamer[13]

Kotaku[14]

Polygon[15]

Pure Xbox[16]

Telegraph[17]

Video Games Chronicle[18]

Ars Technica's Sam Machkovech,[4] Electronic Gaming Monthly's Josh Harmon,[5] Eurogamer's Edwin Evans-Thirlwell,[6] Game Informer's Andrew Reiner,[7] GameSpot's Kurt Indovina,[8] GamesRadar's Josh West,[9] Gaming Bolt's Shubankar Parijat,[10] Guardian's Keza MacDonald,[11] IGN's Tom Marks,[12] Hardcore Gamer's Kyle LeClair,[13] Kotaku's Zack Zwiezen,[14] Polygon's Ewan Wilson,[15] Pure Xbox's Daniel Hollis,[16] Telegraph's Dan Silver,[17] Video Games Chronicle's Jordan Miller,[18] all reviewed the game.

Inside

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Researching and trawling through review commentary; original text taken from this diff copied below for my convenience.

Gameplay

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Inside is a puzzle platformer. The player character is an unnamed boy who explores a surreal and mostly monochromatic environment presented as a 2.5D platform game. The game is dark, with color used sparingly to highlight both the player and certain parts of the environment. The game is also mostly silent, with the exception of occasional musical cues, the boy's vocals, dogs barking, equipment and sound effects. The player controls the boy who walks, runs, swims, climbs, and uses objects to overcome obstacles and progress in the game.[19] The boy gains the ability to control bodies to complete certain puzzles, a mechanic that IGN's Marty Sliva compared to a similar mechanic in The Swapper.[20] At various points in the game, the player may discover hidden rooms containing glowing orbs. If all the orbs are deactivated during a playthrough, the player unlocks the game's alternate ending.[21]

The boy can die in various ways, such as being shot with a tranquilizer dart, mauled by dogs, ensnared by security machines, blown apart by shockwaves, or drown. As in the predecessor game Limbo, these deaths are presented realistically and are often graphic, but to a larger degree, earning the ESRB's Mature rating as opposed to Limbo's Teen rating. If the character dies, the game continues from the most recent checkpoint.[20]

Reception

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Inside received universal acclaim, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[22][24][25] Critics favorably compared the title as a worthy successor to Limbo.[39][40][41][42] The game was one of Polygon and IGN's most anticipated 2016 releases.[43][44] From previewing the game at E3 2016, IGN's Marty Sliva considered the title to be "Super Limbo", polishing and improving from Playdead's first game into the new title in the same manner that Nintendo had done for its previous games in bringing them to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.[20] Kirk Hamilton of Kotaku called the game an "evolution" on what Playdead has succeeded to do with Limbo.[45] Jaz Rignall of USgamer previewed Inside and wrote that it was one of the best puzzle platformers he has played, even better than its predecessor.[46]

Much like for Limbo, several publications have included Inside on their lists of the greatest video games of all time.[47][48][49][50][51][52][53]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Verhoeven, Paul (August 24, 2021). "How Psychonauts 2 Approaches Trauma, Therapy And Empathy". Kotaku. G/O Media. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021.
  2. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (October 7, 2021). "Psychonauts 2's mental health approach: Handle with care". GamesIndustry.biz. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022.
  3. ^ Diaz, Ana (July 19, 2021). "Psychonauts 2 is the story of Double Fine growing up". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Machkovech, Sam (August 23, 2021). "Psychonauts 2 review: An early, easy nominee for 2021's game of the year". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on August 23, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Harmon, Josh (August 23, 2021). "Psychonauts 2 review". Electronic Gaming Monthly. EGM Media, LLC. Archived from the original on August 23, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (August 23, 2021). "Psychonauts 2 review - a feast for the wandering mind". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; May 26, 2022 suggested (help)
  7. ^ a b Reiner, Andrew (August 23, 2021). "Psychonauts 2 Review – Well Worth The Wait". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on August 23, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Indovina, Kurt (August 30, 2021). "Psychonauts 2 Review -- Mind Over Matter". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021.
  9. ^ a b West, Josh (August 23, 2021). "Psychonauts 2 review: Double Fine's psychodyssey defies all expectations". GamesRadar+. Future plc. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; September 2, 2022 suggested (help)
  10. ^ a b Parijat, Shubhankar (August 23, 2021). "Psychonauts 2 Review – Raz and Shine". Gaming Bolt. Archived from the original on August 24, 2021.
  11. ^ a b MacDonald, Keza (August 25, 2021). "Psychonauts 2 review – a surreal adventure that's unashamedly itself". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021.
  12. ^ a b Marks, Tom (August 23, 2021). "Psychonauts 2 Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021.
  13. ^ a b LeClair, Kyle (August 23, 2021). "Review: Psychonauts 2". Hardcore Gamer. DoubleJump Publishing. Archived from the original on August 23, 2021.
  14. ^ a b Zwiezen, Zack (August 23, 2021). "Psychonauts 2: The Kotaku Review". Kotaku. G/O Media. Archived from the original on August 24, 2021.
  15. ^ a b Wilson, Ewan (August 23, 2021). "Psychonauts 2 Review: a Freudian adventure with a flood of joyous ideas". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on August 23, 2021.
  16. ^ a b Hollis, Daniel (August 23, 2021). "Psychonauts 2 Review". Pure Xbox. Nlife Media. Archived from the original on August 23, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Silver, Dan (August 23, 2021). "Psychonauts 2 review: surreal sequel to mind-bending cult classic is a magical mystery tour de force". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on August 23, 2021.
  18. ^ a b Middler, Jordan (August 23, 2021). "Review: Psychonauts 2 is one of the most memorable platformers in years". Video Games Chronicle. 1981 Media Ltd. Archived from the original on August 23, 2021.
  19. ^ Rignall, Jaz (June 13, 2016). "Xbox One Inside is a Superlative Platform Puzzler". US Gamer. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  20. ^ a b c Sliva, Marty (June 13, 2016). "E3 2016: Inside is Super Limbo in the Best Possible Way". IGN. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  21. ^ Hillard, Kyle (June 29, 2016). "How To Find All Of Inside's Hidden Rooms And The Alternate Ending". Game Informer. Archived from the original on July 12, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  22. ^ a b "INSIDE for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  23. ^ "INSIDE for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  24. ^ a b "INSIDE for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  25. ^ a b "INSIDE for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  26. ^ Makedonski, Brett (June 28, 2016). "Review: Inside". Destructoid. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  27. ^ "Inside". Edge. No. 296. Future. September 2016. p. 120.
  28. ^ Carsillo, Ray (June 28, 2016). "Inside review". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Archived from the original on July 16, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  29. ^ Hillard, Kyle (June 28, 2016). "An Engaging Interactive Nightmare – Inside – Xbox One". Game Informer. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  30. ^ Paras, Peter (June 28, 2016). "Inside Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  31. ^ Newhouse, Alex (June 28, 2016). "Inside Review". GameSpot. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  32. ^ Sullivan, Lucas (June 28, 2016). "Inside review". GamesRadar. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  33. ^ Shoemaker, Brad (June 28, 2016). "Inside Review". Giant Bomb. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  34. ^ McCaffrey, Ryan (June 28, 2016). "Inside Review". IGN. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  35. ^ Kelly, Andy (July 7, 2016). "Inside review". PC Gamer. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  36. ^ Robinson, Nick (June 28, 2016). "Inside Review". Polygon. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  37. ^ Hodapp, Eli (December 14, 2017). "'Inside' Review – Try, Die, and Try Again". TouchArcade. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  38. ^ Orry, Tom (June 28, 2016). "Inside Review". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  39. ^ Dolan, Christian (June 28, 2016). "Inside Review". Eurogamer. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  40. ^ Peckham, Matt (June 28, 2016). "Inside Review". Time. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  41. ^ Kohler, Chris (June 28, 2016). "Inside Review". Wired. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  42. ^ Webster, Andrew (June 28, 2016). "Inside is an incredible, unsettling adventure from the creators of Limbo". The Verge. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  43. ^ "Ooooh pretty – The games of 2016". Polygon.com.
  44. ^ Chloi Rad (January 1, 2016). "32 Games to Keep on Your Radar in 2016". IGN.
  45. ^ Hamilton, Kirk (June 13, 2016). "The Limbo Crew's New Game INSIDE Is Utterly Fantastic". Kotaku. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  46. ^ Cite error: The named reference USgamer: Superlative was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  47. ^ "Edge Presents: The 100 Greatest Video Games of All Time". Edge. August 2017.
  48. ^ "Top 100 Video Games of All Time". IGN. 2019. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  49. ^ "Top 100 Video Games of All Time". IGN. 2018. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  50. ^ Hayward, Andrew (September 27, 2017). "Stuff's Best Games Ever: The 50 greatest games of all time". stuff.tv. Archived from the original on October 15, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  51. ^ Polygon Staff (November 27, 2017). "The 500 Best Video Games of All Time". Polygon.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  52. ^ "The Top 300 Games of All Time". Game Informer. No. 300. April 2018.
  53. ^ "The 100 Greatest Video Games of All Time". Slant Magazine. June 8, 2018. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.

References

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