Double Fine, developer of Psychonauts 2, has consulted with a psychologist to ensure it represents issues surrounding mental health as tastefully as possible. Psychonauts 2 is set to release sometime this year, serving as the long awaited sequel to the beloved 2005 platformer. The franchise's core concept revolves around entering the minds of other people and exploring their memories and fears.
The original Psychonauts was Double Fine’s debut game, and ever since, fans have been desperate for an official follow-up. Over the years, Double Fine has released iOS and virtual reality titles for the series, but a true sequel has been a long time coming. CEO and creative director at Double Fine Tim Schafer has expressed desire to expand Psychonauts many times over the years. Acquisition of the studio by Microsoft in 2019 seems to have given Double Fine the help it needed to finally make Psychonauts 2 a reality.
The Psychonauts series is about Raz, a boy with the ability to enter others’ minds. Consequently, many of Psychonauts 2’s worlds and gameplay elements serve as manifestations of and metaphors for mental functions. This leads to mental and emotional health serving as recurring topics. Game Informer recently interviewed Dr. Raffael Boccamazzo, a clinical psychologist who helped make sure mental health is tackled appropriately in Psychonauts 2. Boccamazzo works with many developers to show mental health topics in a “hopeful and helpful” light. According to Boccamazzo, Double Fine did a “better job than most” in this department.
When it comes to representing and personifying mental health conditions the way Psychonauts 2 does, it’s important to consider the audience’s interpretation. Boccamazzo pointed out how “the idea of someone with mental health challenges always being violent” is all too common in most forms of media. In statistical reality, Boccamazzo said, “People with serious mental health challenges are more likely to be victims than victimizers.” Schafer touched on this as well, telling Game Informer, “When you’re representing anything in a game that’s sensitive, it’s about basing it in our reality instead of stereotypes.”
Double Fine is attempting to ensure Psychonauts 2 lives up to the promise of the original. Some of the biggest complaints about the first game are set to be fixed in Psychonauts 2, and Schafer and his team appear to be putting significant effort into multiple aspects of the project, including its depiction of mental health. After more than 15 years, Psychonauts 2 is almost here, and the more information that comes to light, the more there is to be excited about.
Source: Game Informer
