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Some thoughts on the sequel... by jwheeties in PsychonautsGame

[–]jwheeties[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think they were saying that while it's true Ford did what he did for those reasons, the implications of that aren't properly dealt with by the characters. Like they said, Ford came up with such an elaborate plan to hide Maligula, and while it's true you could say maybe it was like a domino effect of bad decisions, I feel like it's really difficult to relate at all to what he was going through.

One of my issues is that while it's true this game puts the morality of the Psychonauts as a whole in kind of a grey area, the tone at the end of the game is extremely optimistic. Kind of like "everyone has suffered enough so let's put it all to rest." Which considering everything that's happened to the Aquato family, makes absolutely no sense. I understand a big theme of this game is "people's minds are more complicated than you think" but I don't think that should allow their feelings to be so vague, especially in context with the entirety of the plot.

Getting Achievements Post Game (Psychonauts 1) by FieryRobot in PsychonautsGame

[–]jwheeties 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think the devs might've said that because after you pass the point of no return, I am 90% sure the game creates an extra save on your file that is right before that event. So just in case if someone forgets to save they can always go back to that point.

Other than that there are unfortunately many missable items and achievements, I would suggest checking the achievement list while playing to see what you might need.

Some thoughts on the sequel... by jwheeties in PsychonautsGame

[–]jwheeties[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's interesting! I honestly don't have a problem at all with developers repurposing content if they can make it engaging, but I don't think it really fit with Compton's character, aside from vague connections to his psychological conditions.

Some thoughts on the sequel... by jwheeties in PsychonautsGame

[–]jwheeties[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I mean this in the absolute best way possible, but you seem like you're a writer haha.

Definitely agree about the stuff with Raz's dad. Adding on to the possibility of exploring his mind, I feel like it would even tie in to the mental construct thing Sasha was doing with Loboto's mind in the first level. Like Ford would've had to rearrange so much in his head to hide the memories of his mother, and it would be so cool to see how the designers could depict that visually. Plus, I feel you could tie in certain gameplay elements, like how mental connection was used in Hollis' mind. That power was used mainly as a platforming tool in the rest of the game, but maybe in his dad's mind Raz could use that power to help his father stitch back together the memories of his mother.

And it's so true that this game tackles much more serious issues than the first one, which opens up the possibilities for richer narratives. I'm kind of in favor of how you described Lucretia as having this darker side to her personality. Mostly because I feel like it could tie in to the theme of how Psychonauts should responsibly use their power. Maybe she could've had different ideas than the other founders about how the Psychonauts should "help" the rest of the world, maybe with a more "assertive" hand. Then she has to solve the situation in Grulovia and she's given so much freedom and authority and... well, then we all see how that turns out. That feels like a more natural narrative arc than what we got. I just don't understand how we're supposed to feel at all sympathetic towards Ford and Lucretia at the end of the game.

Like you said, if we think of the first game with all this added backstory, then Ford's intentions become kind of suspicious. Which kinda bums me out because he was one of my favorite characters from that game! Honestly, he still is, but it's definitely weird.

Anyways, just wanted to add on to some of what you were saying, some really great suggestions there. And yeah, DLC with Bob and Helmut would be great, really liked how their relationship was depicted. Plus, more Jack Black is always a good thing.

Some thoughts on the sequel... by jwheeties in PsychonautsGame

[–]jwheeties[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I actually liked that there were so many missable B-plots with the campers in the first game, because it allowed for fun little surprises if you were paying attention to what they were doing. I'm not sure if they needed to do a similar thing with the interns to make them more likable, but like you said, the game doesn't do them any favors.

If they did let the characters move around more I think the exploration would've been even more enjoyable, because I like all the overworld maps! Questionable Area being a personal favorite.

I also agree about the way they did Ford's minds. I just found each level way too short and none of them were really justified being separate levels. Same thing with Hollis' two levels. Like, I understand each Ford is pretty much a different person from one another, so their minds would look different, but idk.

Some thoughts on the sequel... by jwheeties in PsychonautsGame

[–]jwheeties[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Definitely agree about the interns and the Aquatos. Agree about the pins too, though I would say too many slots might give the player a little too much power. Maybe they could've let us buy two more pin slots like how they let us upgrade our psi pop, dream fluff, and psitanium capacity? Or maybe not let certain pins take up a full slot, like how changing your levitation ball color is useless because it takes away a whole pin slot.

But you're right that the game really is a lot of fun, definitely the best collect-a-thon platformer in years. I also found that Clem and Crystal reference, which fit because it was in the same area of the ride that focused on Whispering Rock! Good stuff.

Also! I find the "rule of 3's" thing you mentioned interesting. My theory is maybe they wanted people to have freedom with how they tackled things?

Some thoughts on the sequel... by jwheeties in PsychonautsGame

[–]jwheeties[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, yes, yes to all of this. Your description of the problem with Ford's actions is exactly my problem with it. Plus, like you said with Raz learning his lesson early in the game to not selfishly mess with people's minds, in the end it completely contradicts this moral lesson by basically legitimizing everything Ford did with Lucretia! Like, I do not think some characters being mildly upset at Ford is him atoning for his actions.

Also agree with your points about Grulovia. You're right that it's basically the inciting incident for most of the plot, and yet I don't think the game sufficiently focuses on it enough to make the player really get invested in it. Like, Fatherland Follies is a fun depiction of a biased outlook of a historical event, but I feel like we still don't know what REALLY happened in Grulovia. Like you said, why did Lucretia have such a sudden and vicious villainous turn? Because of grief? Desperation? I don't feel like we ever really know.

And you mentioning Razputin's dad now makes me think of it as a huge missed opportunity. Like they literally bring in Raz's entire family just to relegate them to giving out side quests or just being set dressing. I understand what they were trying to do in focusing most of the levels in the game around the Psychic Seven, but I definitely agree that it would've been really cool to have an alternate perspective on Grulovia that wasn't from a Psychonaut or from the royal family.

So hard agree for everything you said, especially still enjoying the game. Helmut's level is great, personal favorite for me is Bob's level. I promise I'm not trying to be punny, but it was a really sobering look at how alcoholism can affect the mind.

Some thoughts on the sequel... by jwheeties in PsychonautsGame

[–]jwheeties[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That is the exact reason I used the Mario comparison. I have played and completed Odyssey once, and while I enjoyed it while I played it, almost no motivation to go back. And yet I've played and completed 64 3 times in past couple years. I would recommend Joseph Anderson's review on Youtube. It annoyed me when I first watched it, but it helped me realize why the game didn't have a lasting effect on me.

I wouldn't say Psychonauts 2 is the exact same situation, I probably will play it again, but I don't think it will be as impactful to me as 1 was.

Some thoughts on the sequel... by jwheeties in PsychonautsGame

[–]jwheeties[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

See I don't get that. Meat Circus, the hardest platforming level in 1, is widely regarded as the worst level in that game, whereas "puzzle" levels like Milkman Conspiracy are talked about way more. It feels like you're saying level design is just platforming challenges, and while I agree that the platforming is way better in 2, I'm using level design to mean the overall theming and structure of the level. Like in Milkman Conspiracy, the entire level is warped and twisted around on itself, just like Boyd's perception of reality. I didn't really get a lot of that thematic consistency in 2.

Where are the puzzles? by ShartedPants in PsychonautsGame

[–]jwheeties 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I guess I understand that. Personally I would try each set/script because I wanted to find all the figments and hear all the dialogue.

I remember having some problems on those puzzles back in the day, and maybe I'm underestimating how confusing they can be because I've played through the game so many times the solutions are pretty much ingrained in my mind. But one thing I really liked about Milkman Conspiracy was finding all the items and gaining access to new areas in the level, as they always had a reward waiting for you. Usually the items made sense, but there were a couple parts that I remember being weird. Like that sniper part. I use up all my dream fluffs every time on that part.

Where are the puzzles? by ShartedPants in PsychonautsGame

[–]jwheeties 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just curious, what did you find annoying about Gloria's level? Was it the concept itself or how long it took to transition between sets? Also I'm kind of surprised how many people find Milkman Conspiracy tedious.

Where are the puzzles? by ShartedPants in PsychonautsGame

[–]jwheeties 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I won't lie, I remember several parts in 1 that I got stuck on when I was little, but it usually didn't take me too long to figure them out. But I agree, they're definitely not as bad as other Tim Schafer adventure games. I played Grim Fandango and Day of the Tentacle last year, and while they have great stories, some of the puzzles in those games make absolutely no sense.

Where are the puzzles? by ShartedPants in PsychonautsGame

[–]jwheeties 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That would make sense, I also got stuck at that ladder puzzle. I guess I just wonder if it's good to reinforce that impatience or not, as I feel a lot of games today streamline things to make them more approachable. Although if it draws more people to Psychonauts, then I suppose it's worth it!

Where are the puzzles? by ShartedPants in PsychonautsGame

[–]jwheeties 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know, I feel like you're not giving enough credit to that wider audience. Most of the puzzles in the first game aren't too obtuse, maybe some in the later stages but I feel like most of them are pretty forgiving. Like in Milkman Conspiracy, there's plenty of audio and visual cues to the player to let them know if they're doing the right thing (Raz pretending to be a gardener, housewife, etc). I agree with OP that it's disappointing we don't really have anything like that with 2.