Verdict

It Takes Two excels in so some ways, not solely as a reliable and interesting co-op platformer, but additionally as an endearing and considerate story concerning the realities of marriage, parenting and what it takes to maintain a relationship. Outside of 1 scene that feels tonally conflicted with the remainder of the sport, and a few occasional dips within the high quality of voice performing, It Takes Two is a triumph that shouldn’t be missed.

Pros

Well informed narrativeEngaging and continually altering gameplayJaw-dropping surroundings

Cons

The scene with Cutie the elephantOccasionally lower than stellar voice performing

Key Specifications

Review Price: £24.99Launch Date: March 26, 2021Developer: HazelightStyle: PlatformerPlatforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Hazelight Studios, the developer behind the co-op-focused A Way Out, is again with one other multiplayer journey within the type of It Takes Two.
As a lot because it pains me to say, you may just about depend on one hand the variety of absolutely fledged co-op video games which have come out previously few years. But identical to Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and A Way Out earlier than it, Hazelight’s newest recreation indulges within the huge potentialities of co-op gameplay.
However, a story not like some other recreation I can recall separates It Takes Two from these earlier video games, making this a really distinctive co-op expertise that I totally suggest.
It Takes Two tackles a topic usually reserved for movie and TV

The recreation’s narrative stems from the approaching divorce of its two predominant characters
The repercussions of a household breakdown are explored all through
Stellar voice performing holds all of it collectively, though it does falter at instances

It Takes Two options two predominant leads: May and Cody. As a married couple with a number of years and one little one beneath their belts, the pair have sadly drifted aside and may not be in one another’s presence with out throwing accusations.

Their daughter, Rose, has nearly run out of concepts over tips on how to preserve her mother and father collectively, and in a final ditch try, she consults Dr Hakim’s mysterious tome, the Book of Love. The tears of Rose’s despair, along with a well-timed want upon two dolls that look suspiciously like her mother and father, results in May and Cody leaving their human our bodies and awaking of their respective dolls.
Utterly bewildered by their new cartoonish selves, it isn’t lengthy earlier than May and Cody are accosted by an anthropomorphic Dr Hakim, who informs them that they have to repair their relationship by working collectively. However, as you would possibly count on from a pair on the verge of divorce, the pair aren’t significantly all in favour of relationship recommendation and as a substitute have their sights set on reaching Rose.
It’s a quick however efficient setup, significantly since video games not often deal with the subject of divorce and household breakdown. I gained’t spoil the foremost story beats right here, however the recreation does an important job of delving into the complexities of a contemporary relationship.
Despite the slightly outlandish situation that May and Cody discover themselves in, the eye to element in how the 2 work together with one another is something however. The narrative progresses at a gentle tempo, with the re-emerging bond between the pair staying true to who they’re and the hardships they’ve confronted. It’s not till the ultimate quarter of It Takes Two that the dialogue between Cody and May turns into optimistic, avoiding the ‘quick fix’ decision so usually seen in comparable tales.

Credit is because of the stellar voice performing that sells the historical past of those two characters, and their innermost ideas and emotions within the recreation’s extra susceptible moments. The high quality isn’t fairly as per Rose’s dialogue, nevertheless, with the sport’s predominant focus positioned elsewhere.
It Takes Two is without doubt one of the most assorted video games I’ve performed

Level design blends actuality with the fantastical
It Takes Two dabbles in varied genres to maintain issues contemporary
Mini video games are peppered all through for added selection

The world occupied by a miniature May and Cody feels slightly Toy Story-esque at first, as you view the world via a doll’s eyes with a twisted notion of actuality.
The stage selection in It Takes Two is admittedly one thing, and I’d argue that it offers Super Mario Odyssey a run for its cash, taking you to varied areas from an space in outer area comprised of varied bed room objects, to an expansive ski resort contained inside a snow globe (full with views of the kitchen leering from outdoors the glass).
At its coronary heart, It Takes Two is a conventional platformer, replete with double jumps, rolling and crawling, and whereas this definitely takes up nearly all of the playtime, the sport continually reinvents itself with every new stage.

For occasion, when taking up a military of wasps, Cody and May are outfitted with a tree-sap gun and bazooka respectively, the previous of which holds enemies in place whereas the latter takes them out, requiring each gamers to be in sync. In a later stage, Cody is given the power to develop as giant as a large, or as small as an ant, whereas May is supplied with gravity boots to scale the partitions and discover a brand new technique of traversal.
Weapons and powers are continually swapped all through the sport so that they by no means really feel stale, protecting the entire affair participating. The selection doesn’t cease there both: It Takes Two delves into loads of different genres as and when it pleases, and to nice impact.
For instance, of their quest to homicide Rose’s favorite toy, Cutie the Elephant Queen, May and Cody grow to be imprisoned by the Queen’s guard, leading to a dungeon escape part. Instead of enjoying it protected, Hazelight makes use of the chance to inject a small portion of top-down Diablo-style gameplay into the combo.
It’s astonishing how nicely It Takes Two shifts gears on this second, not simply in paying a good homage to the hack-and-slash style, but additionally by being enjoyable in its personal proper. I’ve by no means performed a recreation that felt so jam-packed filled with concepts, and it’s clear that Hazelight should have had a ton of enjoyable in creating these one-off segments.

There’s additionally a shocking variety of mini video games that may be discovered all through the journey. They’re nice little distractions, oh which you’ll return to at any time from the primary menu, giving the sport a bit extra longevity after the credit roll.
It Takes Two walks the tremendous line of being difficult, with out ever feeling too tough. Checkpoints seem fairly continuously, and through the boss fights (of which there are numerous), one character dying doesn’t instantly lead to a game-over display screen, permitting the quickly deceased to refill their well being bar by mashing a button immediate. There had been a number of boss fights that nearly had my fiancée and I stumped, however that characteristic saved us from replicating certainly one of Cody and May’s arguments.
During the complete playthrough of It Takes Two, there was just one main thorn within the recreation’s crown, and it has to do with the aforementioned take-down of Rose’s favorite toy – Cutie. Early within the story, May and Cody grow to be satisfied that the one method to revert their present circumstance is to make Rose cry once more, which units them on a warpath to take down the candy and cuddly Cutie in any respect prices.
What ensues is a scene that feels slightly tough to observe, the place the pair are decided to throw the Queen off a citadel roof, leading to her dropping a limb and one appendage alongside the way in which. The entire factor feels tonally inconsistent with the remainder of the sport, and the worst half is that the earlier phase – the place May and Cody go up in opposition to Rose’s previous favorite toy – does a greater job of portraying the selfishness of the pair and with none moments of cruelty.
It Takes Two conclusion
It Takes Two is without doubt one of the finest co-op video games I’ve ever skilled, and for those who’re looking out for an important platforming journey you could play with a good friend or partner, then I can’t suggest it sufficient.
Sweetening the deal even additional is the truth that just one individual must personal the sport for 2 folks to play it on-line. You can’t ask for something greater than that.
You can buy It Takes Two if…

It Takes Two is constructed across the co-op expertise and so, other than Hazelight Studios’ earlier titles, there actually isn’t something prefer it that provides as a lot credence to the concept of two gamers working collectively to attain a unified purpose.

You have a hankering for some old-school platforming

The business isn’t flooded with platforming video games prefer it as soon as was, so any alternative to indulge is price shouting about – and It Takes Two definitely brings the motion. With all kinds of ranges, the gameplay by no means feels stale, and also you’ll be hooked the entire method via.

You need an authentic story

The subject of divorce and household breakdown is one thing not often (if ever) approached by video video games, and but it’s given its due right here with an excessive amount of care and a focus, in order that the complexities of the topic are by no means neglected for the sake of a straightforward decision.
You shouldn’t purchase It Takes Two if…

You hate any form of cruelty in opposition to stuffed animals

Again, it looks as if a ridiculous level to make, however the assassination of Rose’s favorite toy is a tough scene to observe, particularly for those who’re a part of the era who grew up watching Toy Story. It’s one small thorn in an in any other case gleaming crown.