10 Video Games That Ignored The Industry (And Became TIMELESS)
3. Psychonauts 2
The industry - nay, the universe - really seemed to be telling developer Double Fine that they probably shouldn't make Psychonauts 2.
After all, the 2005 original was a beloved platformer but flopped hard enough commercially that it contributed to publisher Majesco Entertainment later exiting the business altogether.
Though director Tim Schafer repeatedly expressed his desire to develop Psychonauts 2, it simply seemed impossible - that is, until he acquired the rights to the original game and republished it, where it sold significantly more than on launch.
This, combined with a crowdfunding campaign and Microsoft acquiring Double Fine finally gave Schafer the resources to develop Psychonauts 2.
But there was no mistaking that the 3D platformer genre had largely died a death by the 2010s, and so the prospects were grim for a new game not in a majorly established franchise like Mario or Crash Bandicoot.
Psychonauts 2 aggressively stuck to its guns, refusing to deviate from the old-school gameplay and delightfully twisted execution of its predecessor, nor bloat itself out with modern accoutrements.
And Schafer ultimately had the last laugh, as the game released to strong reviews, while ending up Double Fine's best-selling game - an especially impressive result given that Psychonauts 2 also launched day-and-date on Xbox Game Pass.
Psychonauts 3 when, Tim?