While Hazelight Studio's ancipated couch co-op It Takes Two looks to be off to a strong start, reviewers' overall opinions on the experience is fairly split. Some feel that the quality in pacing and writing dips later on, while others feels that It Takes Two might go on to be known as one of the best co-op games out there.
From the minds who created A Way Out, It Takes Two is an action-adventure platformer that sees the resurgence of a relationship between divorcing parents Cody and May. When their daughter Rose is saddened by her parents splitting, she magically turns them into dolls after wishing that they could get along once again. Cody and May awaken as miniature versions of themselves and must navigate through the house to reverse the curse, which operates as obstacles in their relationship they must overcome.
A relationship expert called the Book of Love acts as this game's guide, attempting to help Cody and May fix their relationship. The Book of Love adds much-needed comic relief to what is normally a very troubling time. Players will play Cody and May in a co-op session with a partner or friend and experience the holes and flaws on both sides of the marriage. But unlike Maquette, another relationship game with a somber ending, It Takes Two leaves off on a positive note. Despite being predictable, the wacky story has been highly regarded by most reviewers, supported best by its witty dialogue as the pair bicker through each chapter.
Each level in It Takes Two introduces not only new obstacles in the relationship and the game itself but also brand-new mechanics, such as firing guns and bazookas or manipulating time, keeping the game lively and interesting. But this also means that each player in co-op will have a different experience from their partner. At the same time, like any co-op game on the market, partners must work together in It Takes Two to solve problems and overcome obstacles.
Game Rant (Dalton Cooper)
"It Takes Two is co-op gaming genius and is going to go down as both a classic of the genre and a Game of the Year contender. There's not a single dull moment in the entire game, and we didn't run into any glitches or technical issues of any kind either. It Takes Two is polished to near-perfection, and an absolute must-play for co-op gaming fans."
Score: 5/5
PC Gamer (Rachel Watts)
"Hazelight has been keen to show off just how much variety there is in It Takes Two, with creative director Josef Fares even saying he would give $1,000 to anyone who got bored playing it. Unfortunately, that person won't be me because the co-op gameplay in It Takes Two is really great fun. Worlds are dense with mini-games, puzzles, platforming, rail grinding, and packed with action sequences all with cooperation at their core. There's even a top-down RPG-style battle where you need to fight through a fantasy castle as a warrior and mage. It's like the game has been made for someone with the attention span of a toddler."
Score: 80/100
Polygon (Chris Plante and Russ Frushtick)
"The gameplay of It Takes Two fares better than its writing, though its quality fluctuates dramatically through the 10-hour journey. Whether you play online or on the couch, both players will watch the action in split-screen, allowing for both parties to see their partner’s perspective — a boon for collaboration. It’s a choice that sacrifices visual oomph for readability, and further establishes Hazelight Studios as a prominent creator of cooperative games."
Score: Unscored
Eurogamer (Robert Purchese)
"It feels like a second-half was tacked on for the sake of making it longer, for the sake of going to some other environments, which are, admittedly, beautiful, and the toys fun to use, but did they need to be there? Because with every new level my overall enjoyment stretched thinner and thinner. And into this growing weariness, the love-book appears, and the story reappears, and I wonder why I'm still playing."
Score: Unscored
Push Square (Stephen Tailby)
"I think what's maybe more impressive than the variety in levels is the variety in gameplay. The controls are kept very simple throughout, but on a regular basis, the game is giving you new abilities or gadgets, some of which are only there for a few minutes. You're able to run, jump, dash, and swing from ropes, but "disposable" mechanics like flight or using magnets come and go all the time. All of these varied gameplay changes feel great too, and sometimes even the presentation changes to match what's happening. The game literally changes genre several times. It's all very dynamic, but controls remain consistent, which is great."
Score: Unscored
Twinfinite (Andrew McMahon)
"The only thing that I enjoyed doing even more than solving these puzzles in co-op was finding and competing in the mini-games spread throughout each level. Pretty much every one of these fun little side games was a blast to play. My favorite part was always when Cody and May were pitted against each other, resulting in some friendly competition between you and your partner. Yes, some of them are a bit more unbalanced than others (looking at you Wack-A-Cody), but each game was always a highlight, especially since you could go back and play them again any time after unlocking them."
Score: 4/5
While the impressive graphics are one of the first positives players will note, the stunning voice acting isn't to be missed. Cody and May have a history, and their voice actors, Joseph Balderrama and Annabelle Dowler, exhibit that same level of intimacy and chemistry.
Even though the reviewers' opinions on the rom-com game might be split in terms of character development or emotional climax, there's certainly one thing they all seem to agree upon. It Takes Two's variable gameplay is enticing and keeps the game exciting at each corner. Unlike most traditional action-platformers, Hazelight Studios has created numerous stages that each feature a new style of gameplay, such as third-person shooting at wasps in one level or top-down-dungeon crawling in another.
So for the price of $49.99, players can spend fifteen hours with a significant other or close friend, who doesn't need to purchase their own copy of the game, in It Takes Two's wild adventure.
It Takes Two is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on March 26.