Why Psychonauts 2’s most unethical mechanic epitomises its sensitive side (contains spoilers)

When Psychonauts 2’s protracted introduction is over and Raz begins his internship in earnest, it tutorialises a new ability that comes with a playful new mechanic, one that immediately sets our minds racing as we imagine it powering a range of puzzle concepts. It’s a brilliant idea, the kind some developers might build an entire game around. Yet within the hour, Double Fine shocks us by doing something we’re not sure we’ve seen before – or not like this, at any rate. Having taught us how to use this ability, it almost immediately takes it away. Permanently.

To dig into why, we need to explore the story behind it, so if you’re hoping to go in cold, look away now.

The second mental world in the game belongs to Hollis Forsythe, usually the Psychonauts’ second-incommand, but promoted to temporary head while Truman Zanotto is incapacitated. Frustrated by her safety-first approach, which he believes is holding him and his fellow interns back, Raz seizes upon the chance to change her way of thinking using his new Mental Connection power. Linking two thoughts – ‘money’ with ‘risk’ – he transforms her environment (a neurological hospital) into a casino. Rather than, as Raz imagines, encouraging her to take chances on these young recruits to make the organisation more profitable, he’s saddled her with an addiction to gambling. Naturally, Raz is horrified and sets about fixing it, which partly involves further use of the mechanic to convince gamblers that walking away from a slot machine is wiser than persisting in the hope of breaking even. This, at least, appears to be a much more helpful use of his power.