Like it or not, I have to give Psychonauts 2 one thing: it uses its medium better than almost any other video game of the last decade.

You spend a large portion of the game psychically diving deep into people’s minds, battling their own intrusive thoughts and doubts in their unique mental landscapes. Gravity, perspective, and physics are all up for grabs, so you never know what’s coming.

I’ve played more meticulously realistic shooters than I can count, but this kind of unbridled creativity is always far more engaging. It’s a true pinnacle of what a video game can actually be in 2021.

The irony of that statement is that the first few hours of Psychonauts 2 feel like they’re from 2005. It’s the kind of 3D action platformer that’s been out of fashion for years, full of tricky jumps, crazy powers, hidden secrets, and collectible widgets. As a result, Psychonauts 2 is essentially its own HD remaster.