![]() Thankfully, they’re all addressed with the same charm and care seen in Compton’s Cookoff.Ģ021 overall was an excellent year for platformers. You may connect with Compton’s Cookoff as much as I did, or you prefer another stage that resonates with your personal experiences. Tim Schafer’s masterful writing gives the dark topic levity without taking away from the message. Compton’s Cookoff does seem like a nightmarish scenario for anxious people, but you’ll constantly be chuckling at the excited-to-die ingredients’ quips as you cook them and the funny responses from the judges. ![]() ![]() Psychonauts 2 got me to step back and reflect on those complicated feelings and experiences, and it does so in a witty but respectful way. The act of creating something and presenting it to your peers is a nerve-wracking experience, as is embracing friends and family when you feel nervous and overwhelmed.Ĭompton’s emotional struggles are also reflected in his character design. Now, looking back over the last 12 months, it’s still clear to me that Psychonauts 2is the best game of 2021.Īs someone who has dealt with bad anxiety for most of my life, I empathized with Compton’s struggles, even if they played out extraordinarily. Seeing how developer Double Fine discussed anxiety with wit, empathy, and clever gameplay mechanics quickly captured my heart. When you beat them, you’ll truly feel a sense of relief like Compton, who then chooses to help Raz and venture back out into the world.Ĭompton’s Cookoff was what made me fall in love with Psychonauts 2. It’s a stressful scenario that initially stuns Compton, but he’s eventually inspired to describe each dish to the judges and then help Raz defeat them in the boss fight that ends the level. Players will get nervous as they look for the right ingredients and the right areas to prepare them, putting the player in Compton’s headspace. This is the only part of Psychonauts 2with a strict time limit. Players then platform around this cooking show set, preparing each ingredient before combining them into one meal. Initially, Compton is too anxious to do anything, so Raz has to help him, and Compton’s mental health issues are quickly reinforced through gameplay. These dishes are then presented to judges, who are hand puppets based on his friends Ford Cruller, Truman Zonatto, Otto Mentallis, and Hollis Forsythe. Compton is tasked with cooking sentient ingredients that are eager to die into dishes under a strict time limit.
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