We’re now only a few weeks away from putting on iconic goggles and walking Raz through dangerous heads Psychonauts 2, Publish to Xbox consoles, PC, and with Xbox Game Pass on 08/25
Recently we shared the detailed recap of what happened in the original from Suggestive Gaming Psychonauts and Rhombus of the ruin – You can look it up here.
To better prepare you for the ranks of the psychonauts, we’ve also teamed up with The Leaderboard, providers of detailed storyline deconstruction and other gaming arcane.
First, follow Raz’s timeline from Day 1 at summer camp on this timeline:
Then delve deep into tradition with 107 facts:
Here’s how they put it all together:
Q: Could you walk us through the typical process of putting together a “107 Facts” video?
Ophelia: The first step in creating a 107 Facts video is to find resources. These can range from interviews and reviews to forums and videos. Interviews with developers are the most valuable source of information out there as they are often filled with facts that the public may have overlooked. Then we need to find video content to illustrate each fact.
It’s usually gameplay clips, cutscenes, or interview material from the developers. Sometimes additional photos are needed to provide context, such as a portrait of a person or an early drawing of a character. Finally, to loosen up the voice-over and improve the flow of the video, let’s add some sound-ups. They are short videos, usually from a cutscene, that relate to a fact just mentioned.
Q: How do you decide what to edit a “107 Facts” video?
Ophelia: To make it into a “107 Facts” video, a fact must be either funny, informative, useful, or interesting. Every fact has to add value to the video and entertain the viewer.
Q: Any facts about the Psychonauts franchise that you particularly notice? Are there any facts that surprise you?
Ophelia: There are so many random facts from Psychonauts, from the development stories to the in-game references when exploring your mind. The fact that Tim Schafer wanted an ostrich as the main character in the game surprised me. In the game, I liked the reference to reviews of “White Chicks” while fighting Jasper.
Q: How was it to play? Psychonauts and Psychonauts in the diamond of ruin for the first time? If you’ve played both titles before, what was it like revisiting them?
Preston: To play Psychonauts again a decade after first experiencing it, it was refreshing. A lot of platformer from the early to mid 2000s are not good in my opinion, however Psychonauts holds. I would say this is primarily due to his presentation; Psychonauts is obviously weird and absurd which helps keep the gameplay fresh due to the ever changing environments and powers available to Raz.
Q: Aside from just summarizing the core narrative, is there anything specific to look out for when creating a “timeline” video?
Preston: When creating a timeline video, I look for moments in games that are distinctive enough to be highlighted. By highlight I mean that I either focus on it via a sound-up or make a joke or a lamp shade in the script itself. Take the revelation that Linda and Mr. Pokeylope were / are in a relationship as an example: it’s not critical to the core narrative, but it’s fun and helps spice up the video. If I was just doing a plot summary, the timeline would be boring, which is why I’m looking for moments like this.
Q: Are you trying to strike a balance between using in-game scenes and using in-game dialogue? How about cutscenes versus in-game moments?
Ophelia: When choosing videos that go with the script, the most important thing is to show exactly what we are talking about. There is no specific relationship between cutscenes and moments in the game. In-game cutscenes and dialog are both useful for the sound-ups.
Preston: A balance between scenes and dialogue is important, although I prefer to use in-game scenes with our scripted VO (voice-over) rather than using in-game dialogue to keep the clips shorter. As for cutscenes versus in-game moments, I tend to use cutscenes in ‘timeline’ videos as they are key components of the narrative.
Q: Was there anything you noticed while putting the 107 Facts and Timeline videos together?
Ophelia: Psychonauts is filled with references to pop culture. There isn’t a single level or character without a full backstory, references to other games or films, and funny one-liners. There are also lots of fun facts about its evolution and what the game could have been.
Preston: I didn’t realize how airy the story is Psychonauts was before the timeline video was created. I remember in my mind Psychonauts for a deeper story compared to similar games of the time. But in retrospect, it’s pretty compact. That’s not to say the story is weak – on the contrary. The fact that Double Fine created such an impressive narrative while still being relatively short is a testament to the strength of the story and the characters.
Q: Are there any narrative threads that you hope will continue in Psychonauts 2?
Ophelia: In Psychonauts 2, I hope we learn more about the psychic six – or rather the seven. The relationship between Raz and Lili is cute too, so I’d love to see more of it! And I hope darts will make a cameo somewhere too!
Preston: For Psychonauts 2, I look forward to learning more about Raz’s family, especially his father’s relationship with clairvoyants and the psychonauts. And while I don’t expect her to show up again, I’ll be very happy when Linda comes back.
