I hope you’ve had the chance to dive into the sandy adventures of Dubai with us for November’s TA Playlist featuring “Spec Ops: The Line.” But as the month winds to a close, it’s time to reveal which game took the crown in the December 2024 TA Playlist poll.
For December, we took a nostalgic route, reflecting on this year’s Playlists, letting each team member pick a favorite game they thought deserved a revival. ManicMetalhead leaned towards the 2017 hit, Cuphead, known for its challenging run-and-gun platforming, alongside Maneater, the quirky open-world “ShARk-PG.” On the other hand, BetaSigX20 championed the spine-chilling survival horror Alan Wake 2 from 2023, while ChewieOnIce rooted for the compelling 2021 action-adventure, Psychonauts 2. This poll was as tight as it gets, right up to the finish line. And capturing the final victory for 2024 is… Psychonauts 2!
Psychonauts 2, crafted by the talented team at Double Fine and brought to life by Xbox Game Studios in 2021, arrived a full 16 years after the original burst onto the scene in 2005.
The game tells the story of Razputin “Raz” Aquato, a nimble acrobat and gifted young psychic, who finally fulfills his dream of joining the Psychonauts, an elite international psychic espionage group. However, things aren’t all rosy. Their revered leader has been acting off ever since a traumatic kidnapping, and a traitor lurks within the headquarters. As Raz, players embark on an immersive journey through allies’ and enemies’ minds alike, dodging dangers and unraveling mysteries to stop a dangerous psychic enemy.
The TA community has showered Psychonauts 2 with love, giving it an impressive score of 4.48 out of 5. With almost 178,000 gamers giving it a go and a dedicated 9% (about 16,000 players) completing it, it’s no small feat! The game boasts 57 achievements, which players can typically conquer in 25-30 hours. Thanks to CitrineWorm138’s walkthrough, you might even shave off a few hours. Best of all, Psychonauts 2 is accessible across all tiers of Xbox Game Pass.
This was one of the most exciting polls I’ve seen in ages. Psychonauts 2 and Alan Wake 2 were neck-and-neck, constantly exchanging leads, with neither ever claiming more than a vote or two advantage. Meanwhile, Maneater and Cuphead kept close in third and fourth but never quite caught up to the frontrunners.
To snag a TA Playlist badge for December, just unlock any achievement in Psychonauts 2 or drop a substantive comment in the Spoiler or Spoiler-Free threads when they open on December 1.
On forums: we’ve tweaked how we award participation badges. It used to be automatic, but it left little room for moderators to weed out non-substantive “badge only” comments. Now, it’s a manual review process, so expect a slight delay in badge appearances. But no worries, as long as your post holds up, your shiny badge will hit your profile within a day or two.
Since cracking down on hollow posts, we’ve seen a big drop in their numbers. Huge thanks to everyone who’s upped their game and contributed meaningful chatter about our monthly picks. TA Playlist truly thrivesthanks to all your passionate discussions. Looking forward to seeing you join the conversation next month!
