Psychonauts 2 Includes Toggleable Invincibility, Devs Insult Fans on Twitter
When it comes to making game’s accessible, Xbox has got it on lock, with their Xbox Adaptive Controller allowing for control schemes that every single player can use. This allows for the ability to play games without the original handheld method of controls, perfect for gamers who are physically disabled or gamers who are unable to use a regular controller.
It seems like Double Fine is aiming to make their game more accessible as well, introducing an Invincibility mode, which allows for the player to not die while playing the game. While this sounds like a good idea, it’s gotten some of the community upset with the developers.
Invinsible With the Flick of a Switch
The truth about the invincibility mode is that the mode is not something like the “Luigi Mode” in New Super Mario Bros. U, where Luigi will complete the level for you. It’s a toggleable ability that players can choose to turn on. Whether or not they choose to turn on the mode is entirely up to them.
If players want to complete Psychonauts 2 without the mode, they don’t have to turn it on; however, it’s there for those who want to.
The issue lies not within the toggle itself, but the response to some of the community who think that making the player invincible removes the challenge from a game, combining this with the response from Double Fine.
Double Fine posted on Twitter stating, “If you beat Psychonauts 2 with the invincibility toggle on, you still beat P2.”
As a disabled individual, I find this inclusion frankly insulting. A shitty invincibility toggle isn't a way to make playing the game easier despite our condition, it's just making the game play itself like we're incapable of doing that on our own. Please look into real solutions
— Rain. (@IdkNtm1) July 13, 2021
This caught the ire of some of the fans of the game, who claimed that based on Double Fine’s logic, watching a let’s play of the game is still considered beating it, as playing with the toggle on removes any challenge from the game.
While accessibility is something that all companies should strive for so that all players can enjoy their game, making the game impossible to lose is a whole other ball game. Winning means that losing is a viable option for the player. If the game is impossible to lose, the player isn’t winning anything.
For example, if the person writing this article was to make a review of the game and completed it with the toggle on, despite the fact they’re completely capable of finishing the game without it, are they doing the reader of said review service of giving all the information about the game? Or by playing the game without the ability to lose, are they losing critical information about the gameplay and the game’s difficulty, making the review worthless?
Regardless, a lot of players take pride in completing games on the hardest difficulty, and those players share the same sentiment in regards to the inclusion of an invincibility mode in Psychonauts 2.
Another comment on the original post from Double Fine came from Twitter user @IdkNtm1, who said, “As a disabled individual, I find this inclusion frankly insulting. A shitty invincibility toggle isn’t a way to make playing the game easier despite our condition, it’s just making the game play itself like we’re incapable of doing that on our own. Please look into real solutions”
Double Fine Mocks Doubters on Twitter
Only two minutes after the original post about Psychonauts 2 from Double Fine, they posted this in response to the backlash from the community, “uh, excuse me I beat Sword Guy Serious Time on a no-hit hard mode and if didn’t do that I don’t respect you. and like, can you even comment on things if you’re not diamond six rank in shooty mcBlam? I don’t think so” cool bud. you’re soooo cool!”
This caught even more ire from fans, as the message was aimed at players critical of the option. This passive aggressive response from the company was the final straw for many, as they felt that the company themselves didn’t care about what they thought about the game.
This sparked more outrage from the community, with one user @Makusendere quote tweeting with, “‘Everyone should be able to enjoy games’ If this is what you’re saying, why are you passive-aggressively insulting people who take pride in playing games the hard way? Enlighten me”
Another user, @IcoloSky called out some hypocrisy from the developers, stating, “You made an achievement in the Grim Fandango remaster that requires you to play the whole game with tank controls. The “right” way.”
Regardless of what anyone may think of Double Fine’s response to their detractor’s, passive-aggressively making comments about their core audience is not the way to do things, and can only spell contempt for their company by the people they’re trying to sell the game to. While the game may be something that many players are looking forward to, the implication that Double Fine doesn’t think highly of their most passionate audience isn’t going to help them sell copies of the game to them.
The phrase “All Press is Good Press” never rang truer in the climate of online discourse today. Regardless, Psychonauts 2’s invincibility mode aims to make the game fun for everyone, and that aligns with the amazing work Xbox has done to bring gaming to people who might not have been able to play it for themselves otherwise.
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