I hope you’ve had a chance to dive into the sands of Dubai with us for last month’s TA Playlist feature, Spec Ops: The Line. As we wrap up November, it’s time to reveal which game topped our December 2024 TA Playlist poll.
Looking back over the Playlists for 2024, each team member picked a game or two they felt deserved another spin in the spotlight. ManicMetalhead went with the 2017 platforming adventure Cuphead and the unique open-world “ShARk-PG” Maneater. BetaSigX20, on the other hand, chose the intense survival horror sequel Alan Wake 2 from 2023. ChewieOnIce put forward the action-packed Psychonauts 2 from 2021. The competition was fierce, with the results coming down to the last minute. After a tense showdown, the final TA Playlist pick for 2024 is… Psychonauts 2!
Released by Double Fine and published by Xbox Game Studios in 2021, Psychonauts 2 hit the gaming scene a whopping 16 years after the original captivated audiences in 2005. In this title, you step into the shoes of Razputin “Raz” Aquato, a skilled acrobat and budding psychic, who’s finally achieved his ambition of joining the elite Psychonauts organization. But things aren’t smooth sailing: their leader hasn’t been quite right since being rescued from a kidnapping, and there’s a traitor lurking among them. Get ready for a whirlwind of thrills, humor, and mind-bending antics as you help Raz navigate tricky situations, unravel devious plots, and take down a villainous psychic nemesis.
Psychonauts 2 resonates well with the TA Community, scoring a remarkable 4.48 out of 5 rating. Out of nearly 178,000 tracked players, about 9% have managed to finish every nook and cranny of the game. Expect to spend 25-30 hours unlocking all 57 achievements, though CitrineWorm138’s walkthrough might just speed things along for you. And if you haven’t played it yet, it’s available on every tier of Xbox Game Pass.
This poll was one for the record books. Psychonauts 2 and Alan Wake 2 were neck and neck throughout, constantly trading places at the top without ever gaining a definitive lead. Meanwhile, Maneater and Cuphead kept things interesting in third and fourth place but never quite caught up.
You can earn your TA Playlist badge by unlocking any achievement in Psychonauts 2 this December or by leaving a thoughtful comment in the Spoiler or Spoiler-Free threads starting December 1st.
A quick note on the forums: We’ve changed how forum participation badges are managed. In the past, this was an automated process, but it didn’t give us enough time to weed out posts that were just trying to nab a badge. Now, we’re manually handling these checks to ensure everyone contributes meaningfully. So, if you’re partaking through forum posts, your badge might take a tad longer to appear, but as long as your contribution is genuine, it’ll be there in a day or two.
Since implementing these changes, we’ve noticed a significant drop in frivolous posts. A heartfelt thanks to everyone who’s taken the time to enrich our discussions with meaningful comments about our game of the month. It’s all about the conversation here at TA Playlist, and we truly value your involvement each month!
