2005 was an eclectic and exciting year for games, with influential titles like God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, Splinter Cell, Resident Evil 4, and last, but not least, Psychonauts. Each one of these games hold a legacy today, but not all of them were a success upon their release. 16 years ago Psychonauts was released to critical acclaim, but was a commercial failure. Today, however, the game has reached cult status, and now has a sequel on the way.
Psychonauts was the debut title from Double Fine, a studio led by LucasArts veteran Tim Schafer -- the mastermind behind Grim Fandango and Full Throttle. While Psychonauts was not an initial success, it has steadily grown in sales over the years thanks to re-distribution on current gen consoles, giving the game a second wind in 2011.
In 2019 Microsoft acquired Double Fine, and now most of its titles are available on Game Pass, with the most recent entry being Psychonauts. In this video, Kurt Indovina revisits Psychonauts 16 years later, and regales as to why it’s even a miracle that we’re getting a sequel in the first place.