It Takes Two Review
Played on Xbox One (base)
Developed by Hazelight Studios
Released 26th March 2021
Played Co-op
Josef Fares, the developer of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and A Way Out, or as you may know him, the guy that gave the "fuck the Oscars" speech at the 2017 Game Awards. Other than being the internet's favourite game developer, Fares has shown to be excellent at directing co-op focused video games, as shown by the critically-acclaimed A Way Out, and with a more refined, experienced and larger team on deck, Fares and the people at Hazelight decided to give this romantic-comedy adventure an attempt, in what might be my Game of the Year for 2021.
Story
The story of this enjoyable marriage dispute is phenomenal in every regard. The 10-hour journey you are going to take with your co-op partner centres around a couple in the stages of divorce, being shrunk to a supersized and anthropomorphic world that has the wildness of LSD, all to rekindle their relationship. Every moment of this well-crafted game managed to effortlessly push me into wacky scenarios while still supporting a consistent flow and pacing. From participating in the tree war between squirrels and wasps, fighting a moon baboon to even committing regicide against a toy elephant or clearing a lively garden of violet evil, this game managed to make little and a lot of sense at the same time.
Gameplay
The gameplay has a high variety. Each section or level managed to shift the gameplay in and out of different forms. While the focus was platforming and puzzle-solving, it took on different genres in certain sections to amplify the enjoyment, with a fighting game moment equivalent to Tekken or an isometric RPG like World of Warcraft. However, the shifts in gameplay do not just adhere to the monumental moments, as the approach to the puzzles and platforming take on a different appearance each time. In one section you might be using a hammer and nails to swing across the level, in another, you will be using a time control device and decoys to trick the environment around you. These changes can also help in combat when they appear from time to time. The puzzles in the game are unique and when you, the player, manage to connect the dots (both metaphorically and figuratively), a small dose of satisfaction occurs, rushing you to the next well-crafted, awing puzzle. The platforming is incredibly fluid and fun to engage in, from grapple-swinging to air dashes and double jumps, the way to vertically and horizontally travel is smooth, fun and an overall great mechanic. This is the most fun I have had this year, and since I played Spider-Man: Miles Morales on its release date.
Bossfights
The boss fights of this game are brilliant. Each boss of this game can be put into two groups - the cinematic fights and the gaming fights. The cinematic fights aren't exactly "fights" but instead are those epic, action sequences you see in movies or Uncharted, and the gaming fights are the typical, "large health bar at the top" duels. The game manages to have both types enjoyable in every way possible. While some fights do break out to be the stereotypical, for example, the Clock Bull or Burrower, the jaw-dropping, timeless spectacle of the Clock or creatively intricate fight of the Toolbox manages to stand out to me as my favourites. Unluckily, there is no final boss fight that delivers a satisfactory ending, making it feel abrupt, in terms of the gameplay.
Characters
The characters within the game are kept to a minimal, but well-written cast. Cody and May are beautifully written with their constant, comical bickering slowly adapting into a sweet attraction for each other. Dr Hakim can be called cringy by many, however, for me and my friend, we found him to be an extra boost to the already pleasant fun and comedy the game delivered. Finally, Rose, well, she was more bland than interesting.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere of It Takes Two strikes another 'amazing' from me. The soundtrack for this game is nothing eye-opening and some of the melodic tunes sound like one another. However, the design, in both art direction and sound, is incredible. The design of these really makes the bizarre and abstract world immersive, bringing out the best in each aspect of the game, especially the gameplay. The snow-capped, magnetic mountains or the vibrant, enlightened music room are among my favourite areas, in terms of atmospheric value. Unfortunately, some technical issues popped up now and again, such as framerate drops and poor rendering that pulled the well-animated models into Xbox 360/ PS3-era graphics, especially during the cutscenes containing the 'human' cast of characters.
Story- 9.5/10
Gameplay- 10/10
Bossfights- 9/10
Characters- 8.5/10
Atmosphere- 8.5/10
Near Perfect
An unmatched co-op experience.
