It Takes Two

It Takes Two is a revolutionary action-adventure platform game developed by Hazelight Studios and directed by Josef Fares. Released in 2021, the game achieved massive critical acclaim, including winning the coveted Game of the Year award, primarily due to its unwavering commitment to cooperative gameplay. The game is designed exclusively for two players, with no single-player option, forcing players to work together in unique, ever-changing ways.

The Plot: Fixing a Broken Marriage

The game follows Cody and May, a married couple who are on the brink of divorce. Their despair causes their consciousnesses to be magically transferred into two handmade dolls created by their upset daughter, Rose. Guided by the self-help relationship book, Dr. Hakim (a charismatic, talking book), Cody and May must traverse their own home and backyard, which have been transformed into fantastical, dangerous worlds, in search of a way to return to their human bodies.

The narrative is a blend of quirky humor and surprisingly poignant drama, using the fantastical journey to explore the themes of communication, compromise, and the emotional wreckage of a failing relationship.

Gameplay: Constant, Unique Co-op

It Takes Two avoids gameplay repetition by constantly introducing new mechanics and power-ups that are split between the two players and are essential for progression. Every level introduces a unique, often asymmetric, set of abilities that require both players to understand and utilize their specific role:

• Level 1 (The Shed): Cody is given nails for throwing, and May is given a hammer for smashing and swinging. They must use the hammer to pound the nails into walls to create temporary climbing platforms.

• Level 2 (The Tree): Cody gains a sticky, explosive sap gun, and May is given a match gun to ignite the sap. They must cooperate to cover enemies and obstacles with sap before May can detonate them from a distance.

• Level 3 (The Clock): In a time-bending level, May can rewind time in specific bubbles, while Cody can fast-forward in others, requiring them to synchronize time zones to open pathways.

The success of the game is its dedication to making sure players can never solve a puzzle alone. Every jump, every fight, and every boss encounter demands coordinated effort, communication, and often, quick thinking.

Design and Artistry

Hazelight masterfully transforms mundane household settings into vibrant, imaginative worlds. A vacuum cleaner becomes a monstrous black hole boss, and a dilapidated shed is reimagined as a gritty fantasy dungeon. This visual creativity, coupled with the mandatory co-op design, makes It Takes Two a benchmark for innovative, narrative-driven gaming.