03. It Takes Two || PlayStation 4 || 02.12.23
"It takes two." It is a simple statement that summarizes the core basis for It Takes Two, the game. Remembering the reveal trailer, I was interested in what the game had to offer, as its production seemed high quality to pair with its interesting gameplay mechanics.
Introducing players to a family near collapse, It Takes Two tells the narrative of a husband and wife, Cody and May, and their pending divorce. Mixed in the issues at-hand, their daughter Rose mourns the loss of her parents' friendship and marriage while doing as much as a young child can do to mend their relationship. Taking a very real life situation that many people in relationships face, the game presents a player experience with a unique approach as shared co-op functionality is required, with both Cody and May being playable.
Despite the heavy-handed narrative, the game's writing felt underdeveloped. The problems Cody and May face both as partners and parents are not given much detail, and the takeaway players are left with is that their relationship has failed is due to the lack of effort put in to sustain it from both parties. Generally, the details are sparse and remain undeveloped throughout the story, and I can imagine this is so that the situation remains as inclusive and relatable to as many people playing. Nevertheless, while I can understand why the finer details regarding their marriage and hanging divorce were unmentioned, I don't think there would have been any issue with crafting a more individualized backstory for players to become invested.
As the story begins, it is apparent that Cody and May are set on the divorce happening. They sit down as a family to inform Rose what's to come, and everyone seems to isolate themselves as the divorce simply comes to be. However, through Rose's pleas, the couple enter a dream-like state as their consciousness is transferred to makeshift, personalized dolls Rose created. Now miniature and in a sort of fantasy environment within the real world, Cody and May are forced to work together to progress through a series of trials in solving how to regain their normal lives. Throughout this all, a personified relationship-building book guides them through their situation by engaging in forms of therapy sessions. With the narrative unfolding, the relationship Cody and May share slowly mends through their forced cooperation. In the beginning, the two are constantly bickering with another. However, over time, small moments of encouragement and praise arise, with the added awkwardness that comes with it as the two still both recognize the divorce as something that needs to happen.
Moving forward, the gameplay directly relates to the story presented as It Takes Two requires two players to play. As someone who is familiar with games, I felt as if the game is fairly user-friendly but approachable to those not normally playing games, although I cannot make this observation without any bias as this wasn't how I experienced my playthrough. I mention this because, given the game's narrative, I imagine that many couples may play this game together, and it is certainly not uncommon for people to be unfamiliar to the medium. All that said, the gameplay does not always excel in this regard as some segments demand a lot of fast-paced control and reaction from both players. However, the game does attempt to make it simple for all players through its forgiveness and accessibility, such as aiming assistance and lenient death system.
Unlike many other co-op games, It Takes Two places equal importance onto both players as both characters are crucial in solving puzzles and progressing in any capacity. Throughout each chapter, players are typically introduced to a new co-op gameplay mechanic through the form of personalized tools. This aspect succeeds in maintaining interest and engagement. In many moments, teamwork felt quite fluid and natural, as both players are often doing something specific to their character's abilities separately but for a unified purpose. Additionally, it is not uncommon to routinely view the other player's side of the split-screen to gain a sense of direction or idea toward how an action should be done. In general, I found the core gameplay to be fun and rewarding.
Throughout my time playing, though, the single most successful aspect I found lies in the game's environment and is perhaps a bold statement given the level of success the gameplay also reached. With that said, the numerous zones It Takes Two presents and their level of detail and interactivity is what I absolutely adored. With a detailed, livable world full of personality and fun being built, the game takes ordinarily mundane environments and presents them from a novel perspective. At some points, areas become quite spacious which grants an even more boundless sense of exploration onto players. Through each area, interactive moments are scattered for players to encounter, which only adds a greater sense of reward for players as they freely roam about. Alongside these moments, co-op mini-games are also available for players to experience which offer a short but fun respite from the main narrative.
Overall, It Takes Two offers a rewarding adventure for two players to experience together. As a forced co-op experience, both players are integral to the story's progression with neither feeling more important than the other. With a narrative complementing the gameplay, it admittedly could have been given a more unique story regarding Cody and May's relationship to reach higher successes, as I personally was left wondering how much more developed the narrative could have been. Nevertheless, I think anyone interested in the game would definitely enjoy their time playing regardless of their experience with the medium.
