"(Also, and I know this is heresy, I couldn't finish the much lauded Psychonauts back then either)" I really loved Psychonauts, but... I've tried several times

"(Also, and I know this is heresy, I couldn't finish the much lauded Psychonauts back then either)" I really loved Psychonauts, but... I've tried several times to replay it and I have a really hard time with it, because even as someone who loved it, the first 5-10 hours is a slog. There's this incredible premise under the game, and if you get to the point they start using it, it's pretty good, but they really frontloaded a whole lot of levels that are basically "Yeah, I mean, sure, this is nominally taking place inside of someone's head and is all like psychic and freaky and psychological & shit but actually it's just a completely standard 3D platformer". And not that great of one. And those levels just go on forever, with hardly any fun elaborations or anything. I tend to get to the lungfish, right where at least the game gets interesting (though I don't think it truly lives up to its premise until the Milkman level, which IIRC is next), and gas out from all the slog. I hope for the sequel they sat down in the early design session and had some serious discussions about what did and did not work in the first game.