Apologies for not putting anything out last Friday without even saying anything. It was New Year’s Eve and, to be honest, gaming news was thin and I had nothing I could think of to say.
So I kept silent, but new year, new me and all that jazz. Things happen and I don’t plan on missing a day again.
Over the holiday, a friend of mine was in town and he ended up getting sick. Our plans to hang out were shot, but with both of us having Xbox Game Pass, we decided to try and play a co-op game that has gotten a bit of news lately, Game of the Year, It Takes Two.
In between his hours of Halo Infinite, we were able to beat It Takes Two in only two sessions of gaming, and ended up at around 9-10 hours of gameplay. It is a short, action-packed platformer with a wholesome story that is well told and full of family drama and humor.
The story follows two parents, May and Cody, of a young girl named Rose. May and Cody are having marital issues and have yet to let their daughter know that they are getting a divorce. Being unable to explain to her the changes that are going to occur in her young life, May and Cody keep pushing off the talk.
With the delay, Rose makes dolls of her parents to try and “fix” their relationship with a book of love. The dolls end up coming to life and that is when the players each pick either May or Cody to play as.
Throughout the game, there are many different set pieces that are creatively used to tell the story as well as introduce unique mechanics to each stage. In one stage, each person has different polarities of a magnet, in another one can grow and shrink and one has gravity boots, and the list goes on and on with new mechanics being introduced in all nine stages.
Being tiny dolls, the world around May and Cody looks a lot different. Taking the first stage for example, you are locked in a shed and need to find a way to get out. Using the basic mechanics of really any platformer, the two players must work together to get past obstacles.
Really that is the point of the entire game. The players are forced to work together.
Unlike other co-op games I have played, one player cannot just carry the other through the game. Both players have their moments where they must get the team through a challenge and many of them cannot be completed without the other person.
This is highlighted in the platforming sections, the puzzles presented to you and in boss fights. The game has a collaborative nature to its core that is even throughout the entire story.
Speaking of boss fights, this game has one big one at each stage that is interesting, fun and, of course, requires May and Cody to work together to beat. Despite the positives of the boss fights, I will say many of them are extremely easy, as is the entire game.
If you are looking for more of a challenge, this isn't’ really the place to be. This game really isn’t for a challenge though.
Its main goals are obviously making a fun, collaborative game that tells a nice story. It exceeds all expectations with these goals and makes for a wonderful game.
It is still not my personal game of the year, but if you have a friend to play It Takes Two with, do not miss the opportunity. It does some things I have never seen another game do and is easily the best co-op game I have ever played.
I was shocked when it won game of the year, and even more shocked by how much I enjoyed it when I got to playing.