Basic Braining Episode 5: Enemies

Hi folks! Heather here! This is my second attempt to write this post because my old computer exploded. Long story. But we're here with another episode of Basic Braining. We've been talking a lot about Raz's powers and gizmos but not as much about what you'll find inside different minds. That changes today as we talk about enemies.

Now, if you know the original game you'll remember the Censor. Their job is to stamp out thoughts and individuals that don't belong in a mind. They're back (and in a variety of sizes from tiny to burly) but we've also added a lot of new enemies too.

Here's a bit of a break down beyond the video:

Regrets are a flying enemy type that are mostly there to annoy you, if I'm being honest. They float around and carry weights that will absolutely get dropped on your head if you're not paying attention. Which is why they mix well into larger enemy encounters. Goods news: they're not too tough. Some PSI-blasts will deal with them but if you want added "oomph" you can try using TK to grab their weight and hurl it at whatever you want!

Doubts are slow and gross. These gunky gloop guys glomp around and leave crud on the ground that you don't want to step in. They're not too fast though and are very, very flammable. Pyrokinesis is a great option although it might take more than one blast in the early game; later on (if you've upgraded your pryo abilities) you'll be able to blast tons of them at once. It's the best way to deal with them; they'll catch on fire and the rest of their crud will catch on fire. This makes it possible to use Doubts to hurt other enemies.

The Judge seems like a mini-boss but you'll see him more than once. He is big, hits hard, and really hates you. If you let him smack you with his gavel, it will hurt a lot. Items like Dream Fluff, which can revive you if you lose all your health, can be helpful but the best thing to do is grab his gravel from him and hurl it back. One tip: don't you pyrokinesis against this fella. Just... trust me. It's a bad time.

Enablers suck. I'm just gonna say it. They're here to annoy you and make fight harder by buffing other enemies and giving them protective shields. You ever try to beat up a Burly Censor that's being boosted by an Enabler? Not great, Bob! A good option is to blast them from a distance but a better option is to either use Time Bubble to slow them down and get close or use a very special version of Mental Connection to root them in place. Have we talked about that yet? Hmmm...

Bad Moods are a bit like the Judge. Mini-boss adjacent. They're basically impossible to defeat unless you locate the cause of the bad mood. How do you do that? I'm not gonna tell ya! You'll see soon enough.

Bad Ideas are the other "bad" enemy and they're cut little demon cat pals with explosive lightbulbs that they love to hurl at you. Both in combat and in platforming. If they land in the ground, the act as mines. A good option is to toss them back or use Mental Connection to pull them towards you for a smackin' to the face.

Panic Attacks are definitely the hardest enemy in the game. They are fast, can teleport, shoot speedy projectiles, rush you down like some type of fighting game character. But there is a solution: Time Bubble is amazing at turning the tide against these enemies. Just be very afraid if you run into more than one of them at a time. But we'd never do that to you, right?

And unless I'm losing my own brain (which might have been placed in a jar!) that's all the new enemies. As we outline more about abilities and progression, you'll see that Raz has a lot of ways to deal with these baddies. Even the hardest mental challenge can be overcome. Panic Attacks fade away, Bad Moods can be worked out with friends, Bad Ideas can be blown the heck up. Wait... I lost track of the point. I suppose the point is that we hope these enemies are exciting and help bring a new dimension to combat and other challenges throughout your adventures in Psychonauts 2!