Video game graphics have been steadily improving over the years, but sometimes better graphics are not the best choice for a game. There are certain games where realism is to the detriment of the game's quality. One example is 2005's Psychonauts and its upcoming sequel Psychonauts 2. While the new game has received some criticism for its graphics, the developer's choice in art style and visuals seems to be for the best.

The original Psychonauts is a platformer developed by Double Fine Studios that follows a young boy named Raz as he joins a summer camp for psychics. There, he discovers a hidden threat in the camp and must save his new friends by entering their minds to help them overcome trauma. The game boasted an art style that avoided the realistic and instead embraced the cartoonish, and the development team embraced the weird and strange ideas they came up with.

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There are many reasons that a game might choose to go down this stylistic route. In the case of Psychonauts, it has to do with the game's lore and world. Raz must enter his friends' minds to help them. The look of the game allows each of the different minds to be represented in a variety of ways and isn't constrained by the need to adhere to the realistic. However, having the actual characters look normal in comparison to the world would be too jarring for most players and would actually make it harder to lose themselves in the game.

Psychonauts Key Art

A good example of this can be seen in EA's upcoming game Lost In Random. This follows a young girl as she tries to escape a massive board game-inspired dungeon with her dice companion. The game boasts a style that is reminiscent of Tim Burton's animated films. If the game used realistic graphics over a more stylized approach, it would be more disturbing to players.

Psychonauts 2 focuses on themes of mental health, empathy and respect -- topics are difficult to convey properly at the best of times, especially with a cast of children and an audience made up of all ages. Such topics have to be approached with caution and with care so that they are represented with accuracy and respect. Psychonaut's art style allows the developers to do this because of how unrealistic it looks. Using a more cartoony style allows Double Fine to portray aspects of mental health in a way that is recognizable without focusing on the literal. It can use more subtlety in both the level and character design to portray what's necessary.

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psychonauts characters at camp

For instance, a level using bubbles to contain Raz's movement could show the difficulty people sometimes encounter when struggling to move forward. The art style also allows the developers to blend more humor into the game's situations in a way that feels natural instead of insincere. Double Fine even took the time to bring in mental health experts to review the game to ensure the final product wouldn't cause undue mental strain or perpetuate harmful stigmas around mental health.

Psychonauts 2 is a game that appears to deal with complex topics that affect many people in the real world. Double Fine's choice to keep to a more stylistic art design is, ultimately, a good one. While some gamers care more about graphics than anything else, that isn't the only way for a game to achieve greatness, and the cult success of the original proves there is a place for titles that choose a different path.

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