The video game industry is full of single-player titles of great depth, such as God of War and Horizon Forbidden West; as well as competitive multiplayer titles, such as Call of Duty: Warzone and Battlefield 2042. Games where it is essential to collaborate with friends are no longer widespread, so Hazelight Studios has decided to focus on this type of game with A Way Out and It Takes Two.
Both A Way Out and It Takes Two have found great success, demonstrating how co-op games still have a lot to offer the industry. Some have criticized the choice not to implement any single-player options, but the success these games have seen prove co-op games do not need single-player to take off.
A Way Out's Co-Op Explained
In A Way Out, players take the role of two prisoners, Vincent Moretti and Leo Caruso, who do everything they can to escape from prison. Vincent plans to escape by creating a hole behind his toilet in his cell, but needs Leo to recover a chisel that can allow him to cut the bars. Once they have escaped, Leo reveals a former partner Harvey sold him out after a diamond theft; then Vincent, in turn, reveals Harvey killed his brother because he refused to use their bank to launder his money.
Vincent and Leo go on the trail of Ray, Harvey's collaborator, and then prepare for the mission by purchasing weapons and ammunition and leaving for Mexico. After the two are captured by the police, Vincent reveals he is an undercover cop, and players will be able to witness two different endings based on who manages to kill the other first.
The entire adventure can only be played in multiplayer, either online and local. The intent of the developers was to create a game in which players collaborate to complete the adventure, which is also evidenced by the story that Hazelight Studios created. For Vincent and Leo to escape the prison, players must work together and be on the same page.
Josef Fares has said that single-player games are too long, and while some may have preferred to play A Way Out solo, the story the team wanted to tell is perfect in the company of a friend. Most of the actions players have to take in order to escape would have been impossible if they tried to do it along. While the developers could have created the game with an NPC helping the player, it would have dampened the spirit of the game.
It Takes Two's Co-Op Explained
In It Takes Two, players control Cody and May, parents who are in the midst of a divorce. Their daughter, distract, begins to play with dolls that look like her parents, and they become trapped in the dolls. It Takes Two captures what a modern family looks like, and in order to return to human form, Cody and May will have to reach their daughter, Rose.
While the two are more focused on reaching Rose, the magical self-help book Dr. Hakim interferes with therapy measures that aim to get the two to collaborate. As they travel through their home, they begin to relive happy moments while playing multiple competitive minigames. Meanwhile, Rose decides to run away from home thinking it will help her parents mend their relationship.
Hazelight Studios used the same co-op formula as with A Way Out, and the choice proved successful, as It Takes Two won the Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021. It is crucial to have an excellent feeling with those who decide to face this experience, as many sections of the game have been explicitly designed for collaboration between the two players. The plot of It Takes Two is perfect to be played with a partner, as the story centers making peace between a couple.
Hazelight founder Josef Fares aims to tell stories that players can only experience in the company of others, not by competing but by collaborating. This is the idea behind A Way Out, It Takes Two, and likely any future games coming out of Hazelight. Hopefully other studios take notice and realize that a strong co-op adventure doesn't necessarily need single-player options to succeed.
A Way Out is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
It Takes Two is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S.