–CEO of Double Fine Productions, Tim Schafer
Psychonauts: In the Rhombus of Ruin is a 3D puzzle VR video game developed by Double Fine Productions for the PlayStation VR on the PS4, and on Microsoft Windows, SteamVR, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift. It takes place between Psychonauts and Psychonauts 2. The game was released for PlayStation VR on February 21, 2017 and on April 19, 2018 for other VR Systems on PC.
Plot[]
Psychonauts In the Rhombus of Ruin takes place immediately after the ending of the first Psychonauts game. Razputin, Lili, Agent Nein, Agent Vodello, and Agent Oleander head off to investigate the disappearance of Lili's father, Truman Zanotto, in a jet. Raz uses Clairvoyance on Lili's Music Box that her Dad gave her in order to help locate him. Raz discovers that Truman is in an underwater laboratory that houses the Psychic material known as Psylirium, which is harmful to Psychics. Sasha, Milla, and Oleander deduce that Truman must be in the abandoned underwater Psychonauts facility located in the Rhombus of Ruin. Just as the jet approaches the Rhombus, it's suddenly brought down and crashes.
Raz wakes up strapped to a chair and notices that none of his allies are around. Using Clairvoyance, Raz travels around the facility using the eyes of whatever body he lands in. He discovers that Milla, Lili, and Sasha were victims of Psylirium exposure which causes them to hallucinate. Raz eventually saves them all by playing music to snap them out of their hallucinations. When Raz locates Oleander, he's forced to flood the room to make him stop singing. He gives Oleander a fake mermaid fish tail to allow him to swim. After pointing out the mutated fish guards, Oleander realizes that he likely knows who's in charge of the facility and warns Raz to run after hearing he's in a dentist chair. Just then, Dr. Loboto appears and states that he kidnapped Truman Zanotto on orders from another client whom he refuses to expose. When he turns around, Oleander sneaks in from below to hand Raz the Psychic Portal which Raz uses to go inside Loboto's mind.
On a boat, Raz has to help the sailor, First Mate Loboto, to find the compass needed to steer the ship and to fend off the attacks of the giant Monsto-Loboto. After defeating the Monsto-Loboto, Raz manages to go deeper into Loboto's mind to learn about his past through a Memory Vault called Little House in the Psyche. He learns Loboto was born a Psychic, but his parents were disgusted and reviled by his powers and they no longer considered him their son. They eventually sent him to a hospital to get a Lobotomy which removed his powers and caused his insanity. Raz discovers the compass in the mobile above Loboto's old crib and gives it to First Mate. After exiting Loboto's mind, Loboto's sanity is restored and he feels remorseful over everything he has done. He tells all of the guards to swim away and then sets the base to self-destruct before leaving. After Raz unlocks the restraints for the jet, the Psychonauts fly away with their mission accomplished, with Loboto secretly stowed away in the luggage compartment. Lili reveals to her father that Raz is her boyfriend, leaving him shocked.
Gameplay[]
Being a VR game, In the Rhombus of Ruin is not focused on platforming, like Psychonauts was, but instead takes a more puzzle-oriented approach using psychic powers such as Clairvoyance, Telekinesis and Pyrokinesis.
The gameplay primarily consists of teleporting between character's viewpoints with clairvoyance, and solving small-scale puzzles with TK/Pyro/Psy-blast. Due to a lack of world interaction, the puzzles are mostly button-based with hidden codes, though there are a couple of more complex puzzles involving TK.
Trivia[]
- Originally, Tim Schafer wasn't going to answer how Truman Zanotto was rescued believing that it wouldn't be as interesting as Raz entering Psychonauts HQ and seeing what it's really like. He changed his mind when he decided that would be too frustrating for the fans and he could make the rescue into a one mission game set in between Psychonauts 1 and 2.
- The soundtrack for the game was never officially released, although a fan-made tracklisting of the official music can be found here.
- The game's opening and closing theme songs are a tribute to the bombastic theme songs of James Bond spy movies. In particular, it resembles the theme to the film Gold Finger with its smooth, droning horns and its sultry female vocals.