Review: It Takes Two has the heart and imagination of a classic animated movie

Whenever a video game utilizes classic narrative and gameplay tropes, it may be difficult to not see it every bit derivative rather than every bit a homage. The previous title from programmer Hazelight and manager Josef Fares, A Way Out, had this pitfall. Nonetheless, the studio's follow-up cooperative-just title, It Takes Two, demonstrates that diverseness and humor are key ingredients for turning familiar elements into a unique blend.

It Takes Two is a quirky yet heartfelt journeying that explores the nuances of relationships through puzzles in colorful worlds. The story and many of the gameplay segments recall other games and even some movies, just there are numerous ideas and mechanical curveballs that plow this game into an unpredictable take chances.

To employ other reference points, It Takes Two feels very much similar a cartoon movie that would have come up out in the 1990s or 2000s. It tackles personal issues in a fashion that young audiences can assimilate and adults tin can appreciate, while featuring a bright aesthetic that personifies familiar household objects and animals. To me, it was reminiscent of The Dauntless Picayune Toaster movies with how the inanimate came to life, with a lot of Pixar also — think of how Inside Out or the recent Soul turned abstract concepts such equally thought and passion into something concrete and tangible. Merely using the video game medium proved to take its advantages in this title.

It takes two to tango

May and Cody are two middle-anile parents with a strained relationship who intend to go a divorce, adding strife to their girl Rose. After the imaginative young girl sheds tears on two of her dolls, both based on her parents, May and Cody wake up to notice that they have transformed into these dolls. Guided past Dr. Hakim, a sentient "Volume of Honey," the estranged couple embarks on a lengthy journey to revert dorsum to their regular selves, while Dr. Hakim encourages them to revitalize their human relationship.

This odyssey takes them to dissimilar parts of the house, all presented as lively, surreal landscapes. A snowglobe chapter takes the form of a vast icy and wintery wonderland; a cuckoo clock contains an entire boondocks of wooden denizens, with a big clock tower equally a centerpiece; and one of the outset chapters takes identify in a tree exterior the house, depicting a bitter and violent war betwixt squirrels and wasps. How these worlds function and the true nature of their existence is unclear, but there doesn't have to be an explanation — it'southward what they all represent.

We've all seen fiction that tells the story of divorce, and the details and dynamic of the Cody and May relationship isn't necessarily something we haven't seen earlier. But through the medium of a game, we as players can take more than time to dissect it. Their rift comes from insecurity and resentment, rather than whatsoever animosity, and each of the game's chapters is devoted to a different aspect of their life together earlier focusing on them equally individuals. Information technology Takes Two is novel in its approach of combining story themes with gameplay mechanics, even though the game is far from subtle about how it does then.

It takes two to make a thing become right

It Takes Two requires cooperative play with ii people, either locally or through online play — a free Friend'due south Pass makes the game accessible even if only one player owns it. The bulk of the game is puzzle-solving, and every story chapter presents different gameplay gimmicks for May and Cody. Take for instance the opening Shed affiliate, which gives May a hammerhead and Cody some nails. May can utilize the hammerhead to hit buttons and break objects, while Cody can throw nails to keep objects in place, or more oft to requite May something to swing on with the hammer.

Eventually, the thematic nature of these mechanics become more clear — the Cuckoo Clock chapter gives May the power to create a clone, representing her desire to be in more than one place at a time; and Cody tin can plow back fourth dimension for objects, a metaphor for some of his past regrets. The subsequent chapter called Snowglobe has Cody and May wield magnets, as Dr. Hakim attempts to rekindle their attraction. Information technology's very cheesy and wink-flash as the characters discover these metaphors out loud, but the gameplay mechanics themselves are actually quite solid.

While entire chapters are devoted to their respective gimmicks, the game is never repetitive. Even with each character using the same toolset for an hour or two, the puzzles and eventual combat sequences utilize that toolset in and then many different ways. It Takes 2 is delightfully unpredictable; in the same chapter, yous'll exist walking on walls in space, then driving a paddleboat in tandem to fight a giant octopus, and so transitioning into a literal dungeon crawler with magical abilities.

If there'southward a criticism to be found here, it'south that there might be besides much in the game — Information technology Takes Two has a playtime of effectually 10 to 14 hours, and playing it in spurts might exist the way to go when it throws so many things at you. To both its benefit and detriment, It Takes Two doesn't seem to waste whatever ideas Fares and the studio may have had.

It takes two to brand it outta sight

It Takes Two Cuckoo Clock — Screenshot by Gamepur

Even if Information technology Takes 2 might exist also long, it would exist difficult to cut anything out. All of the worlds and biomes are then well-realized, and the visuals are quite stunning. The Cuckoo Clock chapter is certainly a highlight, combining a sense of playfulness with this vintage wooden aesthetic to create a plausible fantasy boondocks embedded in a real object, and the final clock tower section is truly arresting from both the art blueprint and the presentation.

The main characters are just about equally well-realized, and much of Cody and May relationship should ring true with all of our real-life pain points when information technology comes to domestic life and partnerships. But whenever Dr. Hakim shows up, it's difficult to not roll your eyes. This living book of communication character is a real scenery chewer, flaunting a bombastic personality and borderline Latine stereotypes while never being truly funny or maxim anything profound. And there are some fun supporting characters here — the hammerhead from The Shed, or some frog taxis in the Garden, merely a lot of these characters are either offed abruptly and darkly or just never mentioned again.

The verdict

Information technology Takes Two is perfect for anyone looking for a pure co-op feel, and depending on who yous choose to play with, it could even provide insight or strengthen your own human relationship. Advice and coordination are the obvious traits needed, but trust and dependence are a large bargain likewise, as your characters of May and Cody demand each other to progress and survive. Option someone who operates at the same wavelength every bit you lot, someone who will sympathize your idea process and how you reached certain solutions.

The gaming industry rarely puts out games that are built and designed entirely effectually cooperation — most co-op experiences might as well be unmarried-actor games that happen to allow a slightly larger player count. It Takes Ii is refreshing and endearing, and it's quite relentless in making sure that your mind is never idle. Allow it have its way with you, and perhaps you'll acquire something about yourself along the way.

+	Stunning fine art way with a wide range of visuals
+	Fun unpredictable nature to gameplay mechanics
+	Clever puzzles that never experience cheap
–	Supporting characters that are either annoying or abased
–	Much too lengthy for the story it is telling