It Takes Two Review

The game: It Takes Two.

Game of the Year 2021, with a 10/10 rating on Steam, It Takes Two is an action-adventure platform video game developed by Hazelight Studios. It is a multiplayer game, where players can choose to play as either May or Cody, a couple on the brink of divorce. They get sent to a magical realm where they become dolls, and have to complete a set of tasks from a magic book, Dr Hakim, before they can become human again.

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ2VB6nbsUI

Essential Experience:

The game had a very novel implementation, expanding on technology used in the sister game “A Way Out”. It allowed either player to see the other player’s screen in real time, even when not playing locally (which is usually the norm). This simulates the experience of playing alongside your friend in person, as you are able to see what your friend is looking at in any given point in time. The game also came out in the middle of COVID-19 (in March 2021), and this gameplay experience simulated being physically next to your friend playing locally, even though both are at different locations.

Games Like It Takes Two: 2 Player Co-Op Action Game Alternatives

Surprise:

The gameplay was full of surprises and twists. This was mainly brought out with mechanics and the storyline.

One of the more memorable surprises was a scene where the characters went into dolls to hide out the guards, but whilst doing so they managed to get the “superpowers” of the dolls, and the game switched to something like a Massive Online Battle Arena (MOBA), with the players facing off the guards. This was a very surprising gameplay mechanic switch as the game mode went from typical third person gameplay to a MOBA, and was done with the very smooth integration of the characters gaining the skills when they hid in the dolls’ armour. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaLqVvRAuSA)

IT TAKES TWO – Episode 12: Ice and Fire | Let's Play - YouTube

Fun:

The game also taps into nostalgia and integrates real life components like using fidget spinners as wings to fly, which gives a very intuitive but creative gameplay mechanic. Every level played also used different items and had a different theme, keeping the game fresh and fun.

Also, instead of making players run to every location, they integrated fun components and mechanics like riding spiders to climb a tree, which shot webs to bring the player to another tree.

The Garden - It Takes Two Wiki Guide - IGN

Curiosity:

The game had several interactable components which did not contribute to gameplay progression, but allowed the player to fulfil their curiosity of the scene. The mechanics are quite intuitive as they are usually our every day objects. One of which included coins on the floor to put into a piggy bank, then jumping on the piggy bank to break it.

It Takes Two – Break the Bank achievement guide - Gamepur

They also had various super aesthetic scenes that the user could go around and explore to fulfil their curiosity. One of them was a very intricately designed clocktower that the players could attempt to climb, which unlocked an achievement.

Cuckoo Clock - It Takes Two Wiki Guide - IGN