Psychonauts 2 trailer finally gives indie YouTuber Jack Black some work
Psychonauts 2 looks just as exhilarating and trippy as we hoped.
Double Fine Productions and Microsoft Game Studio are now partnering on Psychonauts 2, a sequel to the trippy and mind-bending cult classic platformer that just stole the show during Thursday's Xbox gameplay showcase.
It's been over a year since we've heard much about the game, but the wait was worth it. Perhaps the best feature showcased during the Thursday trailer is that it prominently features the up-and-coming YouTuber Jack Black, who voices a major character in the game and even does a bit of singing too.
The Wacky Trailer — The trailer sees Raz, the game's titular Psychonaut and protagonist, hop into a brain being stored in a jar so he can explore the inner workings of this mind. Things quickly turn weird and trippy though, as Jack Black, renowned for his YouTube channel Jablinski Games, starts singing. Raz is pulled into a world where the mind thinks it's performing for a massive crowd of adoring fans.
The trailer and visuals don't hold back from delivering a mind-bending and memorable world that looks like it's in the middle of an LSD trip. On the gameplay side of things, we do see Raz use a new power that allows him to slow down time and drive around a car called the "Feel Mobile." The mind Raz jumped into was clearly a bit disturbed, perhaps from a bit too much drug use, but Psychonauts 2 is showing what the inside of that person's mind would look like in its full, mad glory.
The Delay — Double Fine previously claimed that Psychonauts 2 was coming out in 2020, but today's showcase confirms that the game has slipped back into 2021. It would've made a great Xbox Series X launch title, but it's clear that Double Fine wants to polish this game more. PlayStation players don't have to worry though, as the game is also slated from PS4 as that platform was promised before Microsoft acquired Double Fine.
The Inverse Analysis — While the delay is pretty disappointing as I expected Psychonauts 2 to be an Xbox Series X launch title, it'll definitely be worth it if all of the game's worlds are as creative, colorful, and charming as this. Even in a show with a Halo Infinite gameplay reveal and confirmation of a new Fable, Psychonauts 2 takes the cake for having the most memorable trailer.
I can't wait to see the world this trailer teased as well as the other wacky locations that this game will have to offer. If you haven't already, I recommend going back and playing the original Psychonauts, which has since been ported to PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It's incredibly weird, fun to play, and should get you even more excited for Psychonauts 2.
Along with Everwild, Psychonauts 2 definitely puts a bit of color into what is typically a dark- and action-focused Xbox games lineup. Microsoft is clearly making a concerted effort to change that mentality with Xbox Series X, and Psychonauts 2 appears to be one of the games right at the center of it.
Psychonauts 2 will be released for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X sometime in 2021.
