It's been a long time between drinks for the original Psychonauts and the forthcoming sequel from Double Fine, Psychonauts 2, which will officially be the studio's first release as a wholly-owned Microsoft studio.

But don't let that huge gap fool you, this sequel doesn't feel years apart, even if the visual sheen, scope and scale, and general polish is telling you different. From a narrative and storytelling foundation, it's like there's been no time at all.

We not only managed to play a fair chunk of the game, but also had time with the devs at Double Fine, including with Tim Schafer himself.

Here's a snippet:

The whole game is a “what if Jhonen Vasquez and Pixar had a baby?” delivery of top-notch design and art-direction. Though those influences are only really added here so people not familiar with Scott Campbell’s art that got the whole tone underway in the first place (he also worked on Brutal Legend), know what they’re in for. Those names can be mentioned because they create a point of visual reference, but it’s a disservice to the package as a whole to suggest they influenced the world of Psychonauts at all. This is a fully realised IP that could transcend games in a heartbeat -- something we actually asked Tim Schafer about.

“Various people over time have brought that idea to us; Hollywood has come callin’ a few times,” he enthuses. “But it’s never worked out for one reason or another [and] we always just really focus on the games. I think games are cooler than movies anyway, so that’s where it naturally belongs.”

Click here for our complete hands-on preview and developer interview.