GOTY 2021: Best Story – Psychonauts 2
It’s easy to dismiss story as something that isn’t a crucial part of video games, after all some of the all time greats contain next to no narrative. But the right story in the right game can create something magical, and 2021 has more than proven that.
Life is Strange: True Colors told an emotional story of loss, It Takes Two showcased relationships and parenting in a whole new light, and The Forgotten City used time mechanics to develop characters and narrative in new and interesting ways. Of all the games this year though, the one with the most surprisingly effective story was without a doubt Psychonauts 2.
The original Psychonauts was full of colourful characters and hilarious writing, but the actual narrative was never really the highlight. In its sequel Double Fine weren’t content with making another charming platformer, and instead told a story of the struggles of its characters, the history of the Psychonauts, and ultimately of overcoming your emotional baggage.
Set immediately after the events of the first game, Raz is flung into his first adventure as a full fledged Psychonaut intern when it becomes immediately apparent that he’ll be doing more than making coffee. With an ancient evil awakening and your long suffering mentor in need of help, it’s up to you to uncover the root of the incoming danger and jump into a few minds along the way.
It’s in these brain-based worlds where you first realise that Double Fine have a message about mental health they wanted to include in Psychonauts 2. In the setting of the mind of someone who, like all of us, has some emotional baggage, it only makes sense that mental health issues would be a part of the game. Enemies represent these real world issues, like Anxiety, Regret and Doubt, and need to be tackled to proceed through your host. How you deal with these problems is really clever, as your arsenal is creatively implemented to mirror how to overcome these hurdles in day to day life. A big scary panic attack can only be damaged by using your time power to “slow down and take a breath”. It’s beautifully handled, and more thoughtful than you’d expect from a 3d collectathon platformer.
What’s perhaps most impressive about Psychonauts 2 though is that it doesn’t let the mental health elements of the game define it. You’d expect a game about anxiety, loss and panic attacks to be a po-faced affair, but Psychonauts is still charming, mostly lighthearted and often hilarious. Psychonauts 2 is at its core not a game about mental health, it’s a game about a psychic child going on a radical adventure that happens to respectfully touch on the emotional issues and needs of its characters.
It’s also worth remembering that Psychonauts 2 is a sequel, and one that continues the story of a beloved cast of characters with absolute mastery. Beginning the game mere moments after the ending of the first was an incredibly bold decision, but with an entertaining recap and a fantastic intro level you’ll feel like you never left. Characters you know and love like the wacky genius Ford Cruller, your love interest Lilly and even Raz himself are explored in far more detail, with back stories fleshed out and relationships developed in a heartwarming manner.
Many of the new characters you meet are members of the original Psychonauts, who after making a huge mistake that cost them one of their members and closest friends went their separate ways. As you need to unite them to overcome the threat of Maligula, you’ll need to dive into their brains and help them confront their demons from the past. One member Bob is just feeling isolated, and when exploring his brain you begin on a literal desert island. Helping all of them through their issues was as touching as it was rewarding, and probably my favourite part of the game.
Even the villains in Psychonauts 2 are just people who are suffering. Dealing with the emotional pressure of horrendous situations has made them become something they don’t want to be, and by confronting them you can show them that isn’t the only way forward. Some of the final moments of the game are the most impactful as you discover that you aren’t just facing a cartoon bad guy, and Double Fine absolutely sticks the landing and delivers the rare feat of a fantastic ending.
Psychonauts 2 is a game about the issues we all face in life, people in pain, and how we can overcome issues with the help of others, it just happens to be wrapped up in a colourful world full of psychic children and bacon jokes. It isn’t often that such an emotionally resonant story can be told with such comedy and whimsy, but the fact that Psychonauts 2 does just that is why it’s our Best Story of 2021.
Special mention goes to Life is Strange: True Colors, Tales of Arise, It Takes Two, and The Forgotten City.
