Developer – Hazelight Studios

Publisher – Electronic Arts

Platforms – PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Playstation 4/5

Hazelight Studios has always pushed the basic concept of co-op to new heights with each title. It Takes Two is their latest attempt at bridging the gap between you and a friend, while using co-op to tell a story that almost everybody can relate too in some way or another.

Cody and May, are on the verge of divorce, and their daughter, Rose overhears an argument where they discuss the best way to tell her about it. She then grabs her hand made dolls that resemble her parents, and tries to fix their relationship by play acting. She then sheds a tear that shits the dolls, and like a lot of classic family adventure comedies of the 90’s, Cody and May are trapped inside the dolls and must find a way to break the spell.

They are escorted through their adventures by Dr. Hakim, and love therapy book turned sleazy love hustler who is trying to fix their relationship, much to the chagrin of Cody and May.

It Takes Two is largely dependent on the writing, because it is quite a plot-driven game, the gameplay is of course not negligible. That part is fortunately great, inventive and even more innovative than their previous co-op games. Just like A Way Out, co-op, either split screen or online, is mandatory.

Either player must choose one of the characters and together try to escape from being shrunk, and get back to their normal selves so they can get back to their lives and finalize their divorce. The game features a large variety of gameplay.

There’s a tiny bit of side-scrolling platforming, sometimes it’s a third person shooter,some puzzles come along and resemble so many classics in adventure gaming. Climbing, clambering, sneaking, riding on planes while fighting a squirrel in a fighting game style layout. As crazy as all that sounds for one game, it absolutely works.

All these different types of bolstered by their co-op implementation. There are smart moments where you really have to work together, and even sections that could just be on rails shooting are enhanced by co-op mechanics that really make both players active participants.

The best moments in It Takes Two, are when Cody and May are in the same scene, sometimes independently, sometimes together, bickering, jumping, sometimes fighting and experiencing set piece moments as a tandem.

Also fun are the various mini-games, as each stage is littered with several and thankfully, you can opt to play them from the main menu once you’ve discovered them in the story.

It Takes Two is a visual stunner. Mundane locations like a tool shed, backyard tree and a kids playhouse are brought to life with drop dead visuals and a rock solid frame-rate. Each environment itself features so much variety, and later on the locales get truly outlandish.

Overall, It Takes Two is Hazelight Studios masterpiece. A near perfect co-op experience that never gets stale, and maintains it’s excellence from start to end.