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Coop-le Goals

It Takes Two is marriage counseling turned into a game. Because when parents May and Cody tell their daughter Rose about their divorce plans, everything turns out a little differently than expected. A magical book, called 'Dr. Hakim's Book of Love', transforms the estranged couple into toy figures. Now, as a team, they must try to break the spell and get back into their bodies; a journey with plenty of potential for reconciliation and no less entertainment. Making it short: It Takes Two is a very good game.

Huge fun in miniature

The fact that it is no longer an insider's tip should be clear after winning the 'Game of the Year' award at the Game Awards 2021. Hazelight Studios, who previously developed the equally good but much shorter A Way Out build on their strengths here and deliver fantastic co-op action that is rarely delivered in this quality, both in terms of gameplay and visuals. Everything here is well-rounded, well thought-out and lovingly crafted.

It's simply great fun to experience the story of May and Cody, who suddenly experience their familiar world in a completely different way due to their miniature size: A simple book is often enough of an obstacle, and transporting a battery from A to B becomes a feat of strength.What's more, Dr. Hakim alters reality somewhat, whereby we are drawn into a war between squirrels and wasps or have to fight our way through plants that have turned to life. This is of course all as part of the therapy to help our protagonist couple work through their differences.

Now the subject matter could quickly become trivial if it weren't for the co-op factor. It Takes Two can only be played together, whether online or on the couch. So we don't just have to make May and Cody a team, we have to become one ourselves! With the desire to get the original Couple Experience, I therefore used a long-term and perfidious plan to get myself a girlfriend with whom I could catch up on this game. After playing through the title with Susi yesterday, I thought this review wouldn't be complete if we didn't write it together.

That said, I was surprised that indeed I was able to persuade to go along, so here is the review of It Takes Two - by my girlfriend:

Summary

Dem schließe ich mich vollumfänglich an. Was ich noch anmerken möchte, ist, dass It Takes Two I fully agree with what my girlfriend just said. What I would also like to point out is that It Takes Two is surprisingly long, but never boring due to its fast pace. However, this speed is also the reason why, despite its simplicity, it is somewhat challenging. For the very young or co-op partners who have never held a controller before, It Takes Two could be a little overwhelming.

The developers did everything they could to make the game mechanics as intuitive as possible, but it still helped that Susi already had some gaming experience. So if (unlike me) you're not exactly the patient type, the game itself could quickly degenerate into a relationship test. Conveniently, it also provides couples therapy. It's about cooperation!