It Takes Two

In an industry saturated with multiplayer titles that tack on co-op as an afterthought, Hazelight Studios has carved out a deliberate and defiant niche: building games that are entirely dependent on a second player rather than merely better with one. It Takes Two, released March 25, 2021 and published by Electronic Arts, is the studio’s magnum opus, a culmination of the design philosophy first explored in A Way Out. It’s a game built from the ground up for two players, and it makes no apologies for it. The premise is a blend of Pixar-like whimsy and surprisingly heavy domestic drama. Players are cast as Cody and May, a married couple on the brink of divorce who are magically transformed into small dolls by their heartbroken daughter, Rose. Guided by a bombastic, talking self-help book named Dr. Hakim, they must navigate a world constructed from the debris of their shared life and fractured relationship.

This is not a simple platformer. It’s a breathtakingly creative whirlwind of genres, a relentless assault of new ideas. One moment, players are flying on the back of a spectral squirrel; the next, they’re in a top-down dungeon crawler, and then engaged in a fighting game homage. Hazelight’s refusal to let any single mechanic overstay its welcome is the game’s greatest strength. The narrative, which aims to be a heartfelt examination of a broken relationship, serves as the framework for this mechanical chaos. Every level is a metaphor for an aspect of Cody and May’s life together, from a dusty, forgotten shed representing neglected hobbies to a snow globe holding frozen memories. While the gameplay is an unmitigated triumph of design, the story itself struggles to maintain the same level of sophistication. The writing can feel simplistic, and the protagonists often come across as more petulant than sympathetic, making their journey back to one another feel, at times, like a narrative obligation rather than an earned emotional resolution. Yet, the sheer joy of the design is more than enough to compensate.

• Asymmetrical Gameplay: Every level grants Cody and May unique, complementary abilities. One might have a hammer while the other has nails; one might control time while the other creates clones. Success is impossible without constant communication and coordination.
• Radical Mechanical Diversity: The game relentlessly shifts genres. What starts as a 3D platformer quickly incorporates elements from shooters, puzzle games, racers, and even RPGs. The variety is staggering and ensures zero repetitive filler.
• Friend’s Pass System: Only one player needs to own the game. A friend can download the “Friend’s Pass” version and play through the entire story for free online, a pro-consumer move that removes a significant barrier to entry for a co-op-only title.

The core thesis of It Takes Two is that cooperation isn’t optional; it’s the entire point. This isn’t a game where a second player can passively follow along. From the very first sequence, Hazelight establishes a design language built on interdependency. The game is a series of intricate, two-person locks, and each player only holds one of the keys. This design commitment is what makes the experience a seminal piece of interactive design rather than just a fun co-op game.

The Gameplay Loop

The gameplay loop is simple on its face: enter a new area, receive new character-specific powers, solve a series of environmental puzzles and defeat a boss, and repeat. The brilliance is in the execution. The “powers” are never throwaway gimmicks. A sap-gun and a detonator, for example, force one player to set up targets and the other to execute the payoff. A hammer and nails require one player to create platforms for the other. This creates a constant, flowing dialogue between the players—not just spoken, but enacted through mechanics. Players are constantly asking “What do you see?” or “Can you hold that platform for me?” It organically fosters the very collaboration the narrative preaches. There is virtually no downtime. The space between major set-pieces is filled with delightful mini-games and interactive toys that serve no purpose other than to be a joyful distraction for two people.

Narrative vs. Mechanics

Where the game invites criticism is in the dissonance between its exceptional gameplay and its often-grating narrative. Cody and May are, by design, not a happy couple. Their bickering is constant, and their individual character flaws are on full display. While this is a necessary setup for their eventual reconciliation, they spend a large portion of the game being deeply unlikable. The buoyant, imaginative world around them feels at odds with their perpetual antagonism. Dr. Hakim, the personified “Book of Love,” is a particularly divisive character—an intentionally over-the-top caricature whose antics can be either hilarious or intensely annoying, depending on one’s tolerance for cringe comedy. The story hits its thematic marks, but it does so with a hammer, lacking the nuance and subtlety found in its own level design. The moments of genuine emotional connection feel earned by the players’ shared struggle, not by the on-screen drama.

Visually, It Takes Two is a spectacular feast. It leverages a vibrant, slightly stylized aesthetic that feels like a playable animated film. The art direction is consistently outstanding, turning mundane household locations into breathtaking fantasy landscapes. A wasp’s nest becomes an armed fortress, a child’s pillow fort transforms into a sprawling castle, and the inside of a snow globe is a bustling winter town. Character animations are fluid and expressive, and the density of detail in every frame is remarkable. A 3D game of this scope is light on hardware by design, and its precision platforming is clearly built around a steady, responsive presentation.

It Takes Two was clearly developed with controllers in mind, and it is best suited to a console or a gamepad on PC (steam). The control scheme is built for the varied challenges, demanding tight, responsive input. The nintendo Switch version is a commendable port that translates the experience to the hybrid console effectively. An expected downgrade in visual fidelity and resolution accommodates the less powerful hardware, but the core gameplay and art style are designed to hold up well. The ability to play in handheld mode or use detached Joy-Cons for impromptu local co-op is a significant advantage that aligns perfectly with the game’s spirit, even if the most demanding areas are the natural stress point for the hardware.

It Takes Two is a triumph of imagination and a bold, confident statement on the power of cooperative play. Hazelight Studios has crafted an experience so overflowing with joy and creativity that it’s nearly impossible to imagine playing it without a constant smile. While its narrative ambitions aren’t always met with the same flawless execution as its gameplay, the central story provides a serviceable, if sometimes clumsy, framework for one of the most memorable and mechanically brilliant adventures in recent memory. It is, without exaggeration, an essential entry in the canon of cooperative gaming, and we rate it as one of the very best in its category.