Psychonauts 2 has taken the cult classic Psychonauts franchise and forced it back into the gaming industry's attention. The game has been well-received by critics and could be nominated for a few game of the year awards at the end of 2021.
Like its predecessor, Psychonauts 2 puts an interesting spin on the platforming genre with its emphasis on psychic powers. The franchise's psychic themes don't only affect Psychonauts 2's story and lore, they also play a significant part in the gameplay. Protagonist Raz has a range of psychic powers available to him from the start of the game, with a few more to unlock throughout the adventure and a plethora of upgrades to choose from.
What Are Psi-Powers And How Are They Upgraded?
Psi-Powers are Raz's psychic powers and abilities. Psychonauts 2 has nine different categories of Psi-Power, each with a Base Power and three upgrades.
To upgrade Psi-Powers, players need to earn Intern Credits and increase Raz's rank. There are multiple ways to increase this rank, such as collecting Emotional Baggage, finding Figments, obtaining PSI Challenge Markers, and completing side quests.
Here is a full list of Psi-Powers and their in-game descriptions (Xbox controls):
|
Psi-Power Type |
Base Power |
Upgrade 1 |
Upgrade 2 |
Upgrade 3 |
|
Melee |
Base Power: Press X while on the ground to punch, and while airborne to ground pound. |
Dodge Attack: Press X while dodging to execute a Dodge Attack. |
Slap Happy: Get in an extra attack with your melee combo. |
Shockwave: Add a radial shockwave to your ground pound that damages and pushes enemies back. |
|
Telekinesis |
Base Power: Lift objects to carry or throw. |
Extra Mustard: Fling objects with increased force to deal more damage. |
Sleight of Hand: Cooldowns between TK plucks are shortened. |
Swift Lift: Objects that are stuck in place are plucked faster. |
|
PSI Blast |
Base Power: Blast concentrated beams of psychic energy from your mind to cause damage. |
Overcharge: Hold to chard your blast for a bigger explosion upon release. |
Mind Mag: Gain an additional blast before having to recharge. |
Chain Brain: On impact, bursts into smaller PSI Blast projectiles that do less damage. |
|
Pyrokinesis |
Base Power: Conjure fire with your mind to inflict damage over time. |
Bonfire: Pyrokinesis burns a larger area. |
Slow Cooker: Pyrokinesis damage duration is increased. |
Tres Bon Fire: Pyrokinesis burns a MUCH larger area. |
|
Levitation |
Base Power: Move more quickly and jump higher from the ground, or summon in the air to slow falls. |
Wrecking Ball: Your Levitation ball will damage enemies if you slam into them at high speeds. |
Pouncy Ball: Hold X to compress your Lev Ball, then release to bounce high in the air. |
Levastation!: Increases the devastation of Wrecking Ball attacks. |
|
Clairvoyance |
Base Power: See through the eyes of other people and animals to reveal new details. |
Lasting Gaze: Revealed hidden objects stay visible longer. |
Mental Block: Take no damage for a brief period when entering Clairvoyance. |
Limitless: Your powers are no longer restricted by cooldowns. |
|
Mental Connection |
Base Power: Grapple between thoughts to make connections. |
Sucker Punch: Dishes out a free knuckle sandwich to incoming grappled enemies for bonus damage. |
Think Fast: Cooldowns between enemy grapples are shortened. |
Dark Thoughts: Connect to Dark Thoughts to reach previously untraversable areas. |
|
Time Bubble |
Base Power: Manipulate time to slow-moving objects and enemies. |
Quick Time: Decrease cooldowns between Time Bubbles. |
Time Zone: Time Bubble affects a large area rather than a single target. |
Overstay: Increases Time Bubble duration. |
|
Projection |
Base Power: Summon an Archetype to distract enemies and help with puzzles. |
Medi-Pal: Your Archetype has a healing presence that slowly restores mental energy. |
Two-Ply: Your Archetype can take twice as much damage. |
Paper Cuts: Enemies take damage when they melee attack your Archetype. |
Which Psi-Powers Should Be Upgraded First?
Regarding which Psi-Powers to upgrade first, it should be pointed out that personal preference plays a significant factor. Depending on the person's playstyle, particularly in regards to combat and item collecting, exactly how beneficial each power and upgrade is will vary. Still, there are a handful of Psi-Powers that most players will greatly benefit from upgrading early on.
Melee
Melee is the first Psi-Power listed in Psychonauts 2, which is no coincidence as it's also the most fundamental. Action-platformer Psychonauts 2 has plenty of combat throughout its campaign, with numerous enemies and bosses that will put up a challenging fight. Therefore, Melee is a great choice for upgrading first, as its benefits will be felt throughout the game.
One of the best things about the Melee power is that all three of its upgrades are highly beneficial - particularly the final upgrade, Shockwave, which is very handy when crowded by enemies.
Levitation
Levitation is another fundamental Psi-Power in the game, as it's one of Raz's main forms of movement. For starters, the Wrecking Ball upgrade is a great tool to have, as it turns the form of movement into an effective combat weapon. The so-called Pouncy Ball upgrade is also a great option to have, as it allows Raz to bounce higher in the air, letting players access previously inaccessible areas that usually have a generous amount of collectibles.
Pyrokinesis
The Pyrokinesis Psi-Power is also a great choice for upgrading early, as its upgrades take it from being fairly ineffective in combat to one of Raz's most devastating weapons. With all three upgrades unlocked, Raz's Pyrokinesis ability will go from creating a small, rather pathetic fire around him, to creating a frightening dome of firey death.
Effectiveness in combat is the main reason to upgrade Pyrokinesis, though its upgrades also make the power excellent for finding hidden items. The Tres Bon Fire upgrade will engulf all surrounding destructive objects in flames, letting Raz collect the hidden items tucked inside.
Avoid Upgrading Clairvoyance
On the flip side of the best powers to upgrade, it's worth mentioning that for most players and playstyles, Clairvoyance is the least beneficial Psi-Power to upgrade. The power can offer some interesting insight into a character's inner thoughts and also helps with finding Psitanium, but its benefits ultimately feel like an unnecessary investment, especially when there are so many other methods for earning Psitanium efficiently.