For anyone who played the original Xbox and PlayStation 2 classic, the long-awaited sequel to 2005’s Psychonauts is easily one of the most anticipated video games to release this month. And as of today, fans will have a better idea of what the latest adventure for Razputin Aquato and the rest of the Psychonauts will sound like on August 25.
Composer Peter McConnell and the Double Fine team just released a 6-minute “Psychonauts 2 Musical Tour,” with SPIN getting an exclusive first peek at it. Throughout the video, snippets of McConnell’s score flow from one to the next as images of Psychonauts 2‘s various environments and characters set the tone for what to expect. As those who played the first game and/or 2017’s VR exclusive, Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, may have guessed, the soundtrack shows off a wide range of genres and tones that vary significantly from one setting to the next.
“What could be a bigger subject to score than the human mind?” McConnell told SPIN. “Psychonauts 2 gave me a universe of personalities and moods to explore with an equally wide range of musical styles, using everything from symphonic orchestra to intimate folk group, jazz ensemble and psychedelic rock n’ roll band. The Psychonauts 2 score is over 3 hours of music recorded in Melbourne, Nashville and San Francisco — plus tracks laid down in Seattle, Oakland, Beijing, L.A., Orlando, Door County, Wisconsin and my own studio. I got to take the original Psychonauts themes to places I never would have dreamed, add brand new themes and record everything with an amazing cast of musicians.”
“Peter and I have worked together for 30 years and I know he can do any musical style, which comes in handy in a game like Psychonauts 2,” added Tim Schafer, founder of Double Fine and the game’s director. “We have levels set in hospitals, casinos, psychedelic rock concerts, a culinary game show, and inside a bowling shoe, and the soundtrack covers them all without missing a beat.”
Check out the official “Psychonauts 2 Musical Tour” video below.
