Two Tests Required
Most video games are developed so that they can be played by a single player, sometimes adding co-op as an optional part of the experience. However, Josef Fares and Hazelight Studios games have made co-op a requirement, allowing for unique gameplay that truly takes advantage of the co-op setup. The studios’ first shared screen co-op effort, 2018’s A Way Out, did some clever things conceptually, but it was a little rough around the edges. Hazelight’s latest game, It Takes Two, builds on what worked in A Way Out, polishes everything to near perfection, and delivers what will be one of the absolute best co-op videos ever game ever made. In It Takes Two, players assume the roles of Cody and May, a couple on the verge of divorce. Their daughter Rose understood this and was understandably upset. The next thing Cody and May know, they find themselves in the bodies of two dolls made by Rose, their physical human forms “sleeping,” and they’re at the mercy of a magical talking book. written by Dr. Hakim, The Book of Love. The purpose of Dr. Cody and May must rebuild their relationship by going through an ordeal together that sees the pair explore their home in microform. This Honey, I Shrunk the Kids-style concept has been done many times in the past, but It Takes Two adds an extra twist to the formula by making the many objects and animals that Cody and May encounter which is anthropomorphic. This includes talking animals like squirrels and beetles, but also talking inanimate objects like hammers and toolboxes.
It’s an odd premise, but it works thanks to some great writing, incredible voice acting, and a sharp sense of humor. The story of It Takes Two is incredibly unique, but it also has some heartwarming scenes. The way everything plays out at the end is pretty predictable, but the journey to get to that point is full of surprises and should keep players entertained. The story of It Takes Two is entertaining enough, but the gameplay is what makes it truly remarkable. Each chapter introduces new gameplay mechanics that completely change the way players approach exploring the environment and completing platforming challenges. The basic platforming gameplay is kept intact throughout most of the chapters, but there’s always a gimmick to mix things up and ensure players are constantly creating something new. And while this approach means It Takes Two runs the risk of becoming a “jack of all trades, master of none” game, not a single mechanic is boring or frustrating in the slightest. It squeezes as much as it can out of each idea and then moves on to the next gimmick before the previous one wears out. To go into too much detail about the various gameplay mechanics of It Takes Two is to venture into spoiler territory. Part of the fun of the game is seeing what new abilities Cody and May have for that stage and discovering how they change the gameplay. But for an example, in one of the first chapters, Cody and May get some nails and a hammer, respectively. Cody is able to use the nails to create beams that May can hold onto with a hammer to swing across gaps. These abilities are used in platforming puzzles, with almost all puzzles in the game requiring Cody and May to work together to solve them.
Each chapter is built around Cody and May’s new abilities, though players rarely repeat the same challenge twice. The developers at Hazelight are constantly adding new ways to use abilities, with the chapters themselves sometimes branching out into completely different gameplay styles. One notable level that does this is the Snow Globe chapter, which sees Cody and May use opposite ends of a magnet to solve puzzles and eventually make it to a town. When Two players reach Snow Globe town, the game transitions from being a linear puzzle-platformer to being an open world of sorts, with different objectives that players can complete in any order they want next. The town also has bonus objectives for players to complete, as well as mini-games where Cody and May can compete against each other. This is one of the best levels in It Takes Two and further highlights the game’s incredible diversity. It Takes Two is, at various times, a linear puzzle-platformer, an open world Super Mario 64-esque platformer, a racing game, a mini-game compilation, a side-scroller, a third-person shooter, and many other genres. . Players will be surprised and impressed when they see everything It Takes Two brings to the table.
No space is wasted in It Takes Two. The game will likely last eight to 10 hours, so it’s a lean experience with zero filler, padding, or time-wasting objectives. Some may criticize It Takes Two as lacking in replay value, but Cody and May’s abilities are so different that one could replay the entire game as another character and have a decidedly different experience than first time. It Takes Two doesn’t have traditional collectibles for players to find, which isn’t surprising since game director Josef Fares made it clear that he doesn’t care much for them. But that doesn’t mean the game world doesn’t have secrets to discover. In contrast, the world of It Takes Two is full of hidden places and Easter eggs to find. And while there are no traditional collectibles, the chapters have mini-games to find where Cody and May can compete against each other for bragging rights. Some of the mini-games are pretty shallow, but others can be a lot of fun and keep players coming back to play them. There’s everything from whack-a-mole to a fully functional chess board, and with 25 mini-games, players are sure to find something they enjoy. Furthermore, It Takes Two’s mini-games can be accessed quickly through the menu, and some of them have additional options that players can tweak to suit their their needs. Using the chess board as an example, It Takes Two players can pop in and choose between games with a quick or long timer, or they can play with an infinite clock so that Cody and May last as long as ‘t they like in their turns.
Chapter selection makes it easier to go back and find mini-games that one missed, and players can use it to find other secrets to unlock It Takes Two’s Platinum trophy. It’s not a game that players will spend dozens of hours playing, but it’s also not a game that will waste anyone’s time with filler to make up for its length. It Takes Two is exactly as it needs to be, but the game is fun enough that it’s something co-op gamers will probably want to revisit from time to time – there’s nothing else like it. It Takes Two is co-op gaming genius and will become both a genre classic and a Game of the Year contender. There wasn’t a single dull moment throughout the game, nor did we experience any glitches or technical issues of any kind. It Takes Two is polished to near perfection, and is an absolute must-play for fans of co-op gaming. It Takes Two launches on March 26 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Today Technology was provided with a PS5 code for this review.