Developer: Hazelight Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts
ReleaseDate: 26th March 2021
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One and Steam
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
*Review code provided by the publisher*
Co-op games aren’t usually something I gravitate to. There is something about having to play at the same pace as another player that doesn’t sit well with me. That said there have been games in the past that have managed to breach my single-player focus. Overcooked and similar entries like Moving Out and Tools Up are definite standouts. Then there was A Way Out, the previous title by developer Hazelight Studios. A game that had some of the best co-op gameplay I had seen, but mixed with a super engaging story. It was that experience with A Way Out that had It Takes Two sitting near the top of my most anticipated list.
I am happy to report that Hazelight Studios have done it again. Seamlessly merging an entertaining story with inventive gameplay. The narrative revolves around Cody and May, a married couple who are on the brink of divorce. Their daughter Rose, who has overheard these arguments and badly wants her parents to reconcile, picks up two dolls she has that resembles her parents and tries to repair their relationship by play-acting. As a tear drops from her cheek onto the dolls, the couple magically finds themselves transformed into the dolls.
Rose, unaware this has happened leaves the dolls and after having the situation explained to us by Dr. Hakim – a relationship-therapy book, we begin our journey as the clay and wooden toys, attempting to get back to Rose so that she can set us free. I really enjoyed the game’s narrative. They managed to strike the right balance between serious moments of a little girls despair and the humour of the strained couple trying to work as a team and rekindle their love.
Gameplay remains fun and varied throughout the 10-12 hour campaign. It never felt like it ran out of ideas and while there were higher difficulty spikes than I expected, nothing felt cheap or unfair. Running the gambit from platforming to Ratchet & Clank style rail gliding, with shooting, puzzle solving and much more in-between, it really was a joy to play. There are also a total of 25 mini-games scattered throughout that pit both players against each other. These can also be accessed separately later once you have unlocked them.
Each area offers something new, like early on where the male character is given a nail gun and the female a hammer. Naturally, after my partner smashed me with said hammer a dozen times “for a laugh” we got back to business. Performing actions like shooting nails at the wall so that your co-op partner can swing on them using the claw end of the hammer felt unique and really well thought out. As with the developers previous game, teamwork really is the key to success and seeing this even extend to interesting, well thought out boss fights really took the whole experience to another level.
The trophy/achievement list is a winner as well. Completing the game, finding all mini-games and a host of misc trophies combine for a varied and fun time. It is one of those lists that really compliments the game, forcing you to complete fun challenges that allow you to extract even more joy. The difficulty comes in at around a 3/10 with roughly 20 hours required.
One last thing that shouldn’t be underestimated is the value proposition here. This budget title comes in at £35 – half the RRP of a AAA game and just like with their previous title if you are playing with someone remotely only one user needs to own the game. This represents an excellent deal and if you buy on PlayStation you get both the PS4 and PS5 version (with two trophy lists) in one purchase.
In closing, It Takes Two is one of the best co-op games I have played. I had my doubts going in that Hazelight could replicate the lightning in a bottle they had with A Way Out but instead, they exceeded my expectations and then some. This is the game that cements Hazelight Studios as the best in the business at story-driven co-op adventures and I would recommend everyone checks it out.
-Jock