Virtual Reality Point-and-Click Adventure Review: Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin

Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is a Virtual Reality game with a story that takes place directly in the middle of Psychonauts and Psychonauts 2.

The game takes place directly after the end of Psychonauts on the mission to rescue Lili's father, the leader of the Psychonauts. The plane they are on goes down while flying over the Rhombus of Ruin due to an abundance of psylirium, a radioactive material that is mentally disorienting to most psychics.

Because Razputin Aquato is a powerful psychic, he is able to mostly overcome the effects of psyliryum, making him the only person who can uncover the plot behind the leader's disappearance as well as to save his fellow Psychonauts and his girlfriend Lili.

It is one of the best uses of virtual reality that I have played so far since it sticks to the strengths of the concept while avoiding the pitfalls of the current technology. To reduce the possibility of motion sickness, the game can be played while sitting. It plays like a point-and-click adventure game where the motion of your head acts like a cursor, while there are text prompts for objects with which you can interact. 

The story is also told in a fantastic way that makes complete sense why Raz would be seated as he serves as your eyes and ears. You can use many of his psychic powers to manipulate the environment as well, with many powers from the original Psychonauts making their return. There are many characters that make their return as well, including one that fleshed out a larger backstory than they were given in the original game.

The music and art style was a big part of what made the original Psychonauts so appealing, and Double Fine did a fantastic job capturing the spirit of the original in both respects. The opening has my favorite song in the franchise so far, as it is a James Bond-style spoof complete with over-the-top female vocals. You can also move your head around to view the credits in virtual reality which was a nice touch. The rest of the game retains that spirit as well.  There aren't as many areas to play around, so there isn't as much of a vast difference in art styles between the real world and the mental worlds, but they all adhere to the aesthetic set by the original game.

Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is a fun virtual reality point-and-click adventure take on the world of the Psychonauts. The voice acting, art style, and music are all great and adhere to the style of the previous game. The story is also fantastic and ties the virtual reality aspect into the story well. It's a shame Double Fine hasn't released a version of the game without the headset requirement, but if you have a PlayStation 4 and a PlayStation VR or a Windows computer with a VIVE or Oculus headset it is well worth playing.

Final Verdict:

4½ out of 5

VR Point and Click Adventure: Batman: The Animated Series - View Master Experience Pack

Mattel brought back their iconic View-Master in a fun way. The View-Master VR viewer is a virtual reality device for smartphones. It adheres to the Google Cardboard standard and adds a button on the side of the device that functions like the lever that changes slides on the classic toy. There were several experience packs released for the device, including one based on the classic Batman: The Animated Series television show from the 1990s.

Batman is voiced by the original voice actor who sadly passed away in 2022, Kevin Conroy. He needs help with his missions so he gives the player access to a prototype Batwing. This Batwing contains elements that bridge the current and future Batman as it has elements of Batman: The Animated Series as well as Batman Beyond. Batman has equipped a method to control the Batwing remotely and uses a holographic video monitor to communicate. This monitor is used by Batman and  Alfred Pennyworth to talk to the person seated inside.

The object of the game is to choose locations and solve puzzles put in place by several of the villains from the series. Several actors reprise their roles from the series including Mark Hamill as the Joker, Tara Strong as Batgirl, and Loren Lester as Robin. Some actors replaced those from the series, but they all perform their roles well. Andrea Romano, the long-time series voice and casting director, voiced the Batcomputer. Tara Strong voiced Harley Quinn, a role she has played in other media. The versatile Maurice LaMarche played three characters, Alfred Pennyworth, Commissioner James Gordon, and the Riddler.

Because it is virtual reality, the player has the ability to look 360 degrees as well as up and down. The best part of this was the classic intro, which could now be seen in multiple directions while still appearing like the 2D art from the show. The Batwing interior art is also well done and it does have the look of the show, despite using 3D graphics. The performances of the actors from the show are animated in two dimensions on the holographic screens of the Batwing. This works well, and the art and animation match that of the series. The voice actors nail their roles making it feel like an episode from the show.

Batman: The Animated Series - View-Master Experience Pack is a fun point-and-click virtual reality adventure. The click part is apt, as locations and puzzle solutions are entered by looking at a spot until it is highlighted and pulling down the View-Master lever to choose the appropriate option. As it is aimed at children, the puzzles aren't difficult. However, the fact that it uses art and animation from the classic series as well as many of the same actors, it is also fun for older folks who are fans of Batman: The Animated Series.

Final Verdict:

4 out of 5

Batman: The Animated Series: Pilot Review

MultiVersus Season 1 (Open Beta) Review

Psychonauts In The Rhombus of Ruin Coming To PS4 VR

One more Double Fine game was revealed at the PlayStation Experience.

If you wondered what happened after the end of Psychonauts, you'll now get your answer in the form of Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, the PlayStation VR game, coming to PlayStation 4 next year. You'll finally be able to take part in the rescue mission mentioned at the end of the first game, bridging the story gap between the original Psychonauts and the forthcoming sequel, which you can still back over at Fig, if you haven't already.

You can view the trailer embedded above, or directly here.