Double Fine’s Psychonauts 2 was a clear labour of affection; a game title developed with a reverence for that original Psychonauts, along with a need to re-engage a now-adult audience in a whimsical and surreal world. Your way to making this connection has become well on show, with the launch of Double Fine PsychOdyssey, a brand new 22-hour documentary charting the development of the critically-acclaimed Psychonauts 2.
The documentary was reportedly seven years within the making, and charts everything of development from the beginning, towards the award-winning end. There are 32 episodes as a whole to chew through, each clocking in around an hour or so, and they’re really worth diving into if you’re a Double Fine or Psychonauts fan.
You can check out the bite-sized trailer for the series below, to get a sense of the depth and scope of the project, which was developed by Double Fine Productions and 2 Player Productions:
Notably, the series is designed to celebrate Psychonauts 2 – but it doesn’t be put off by the bad. Even in a clip, developers can be seen criticising elements like level design, and talking to the brilliant pressure that plagued every developer around the Double Fine team.
In a voiceover, one developer tearily talks of only relying on faith within the development of the sport – raising issues with other members of Double Fine, who appear frustrated with progress. The Covid-19 pandemic also played in to the development cycle, which is depicted clearly within the documentary.
This is notable, as even though many game developers faced issues with the Covid-19 pandemic, it's rarely been depicted in an in-depth documentary like this. ‘I guess among the obstacles for game dev must have been biblical,’ one developer says from the circumstances.
In the final, triumphant moments of the trailer, Double Fine’s Tim Schafer is seen presenting on a stage, finally unveiling Psychonauts 2 to the planet – a contented ending faced with lots of emotion. This journey is clearly on show within PsychOdyssey, and should elevate the narrative over each of the documentary’s 32 episodes.
You can check out the entire PsychOdyssey documentary online now, with every episode focussing on one facet of development – from funding, public reveals, and bittersweet lows, to bringing the game towards the masses. It’s an outrageous trip, and a wonderful all-access glimpse at how game development works.
