Jack Black Previews Psychonauts 2 Level From Xbox Games Showcase Reveal
Actor and gaming YouTuber Jack "Jablinksi" Black gave an exclusive first look at the Psychonauts 2 level that debuted at the Xbox Games Showcase in July. The showcase's gameplay trailer showed off the new level, one of the game's songs sung by Jack Black, and a new character also played by Black.
Jack Black has said before that he is a fan of Double Fine games, and a friend of designer Tim Schafer, so it's no surprise that he would get an exclusive first look at the game. Black has been involved with Double Fine games in the past, having voiced the lead role in the early 2000's cult classic heavy metal game Brutal Legend. Black is also on the record praising Schafer's work, and referring to him as the Tim Burton of video games.
Now, Black dives back into the game's world to give players a closer look at what Psychonauts 2 has in store. He recently uploaded an exclusive Psychonauts 2 preview to his YouTube gaming channel, JablinksiGames. Black starts in a dark room with the mote of light character from the most recent trailer floating before him. The ball is known as the "Mysterious Stranger" and is voiced by Black. The video quickly becomes meta as Black leads the character he voices to discover what its former existence was. The orb of energy not knowing who he is makes sense, as the gameplay trailer revealed that the world Black is exploring is inside the mind of a disembodied brain. The video continues with Black traversing the level, showing some of its different mechanics and puzzles along the way.
The level Jack Black explores is a colorful psychedelic wonderland that feels like a 1970s band's tour poster come to life. Black references the psychedelic nature of the level in his video stating, "Something tells me that Tim Schafer did some mind-expanding drugs at some point on his journeys." Schafer even appears in the video to chat with Black, who asks if the goal of the level was to depict a psychedelic experience, which Schafer seems to confirm.
Jack Black's gameplay video gives a very quick look at what players can expect, and even references that the video only shows a small portion of his cameo in the game. Based on this latest preview and the previous gameplay trailer, Psychonauts 2 looks like it could surpass even its cult classic predecessor. Black also mentioned that the last round of recording for the game took place remotely, which could signify that the game's production is close to wrapping up. The game is set to release at some point in 2021, and until then, Psychonauts fans are being held over with whatever bits and pieces are given by Double Fine.
Source: JablinskiGames/YouTube