It Takes Two

It Takes Two is a strictly two-player co-op game from Hazelight Studios, the team behind A Way Out. You play as Cody and May, a couple on the brink of divorce who get magically shrunk and have to work through their relationship issues while also, somehow, fighting vacuum cleaners, riding squirrels, and launching each other out of cannons. The premise sounds chaotic because it is, and that is very much the point. What makes this one genuinely special is how relentlessly the game reinvents itself. Almost every chapter introduces a brand-new mechanic - magnets, time-rewind puzzles, plant-growth platforming, third-person shooter segments - and then ditches it before it overstays its welcome. Nothing feels padded. The pacing is tight across a runtime of around ten to fifteen hours, and both players always have something active to do. There is no "player one carries, player two watches" problem here. The design forces genuine cooperation, which means communication actually matters. For the couch co-op angle: yes, it supports split-screen locally, and yes, it works online with the Friend's Pass system, meaning only one person needs to own the game. That is a huge deal for budget-conscious pairs. Controller support is solid across the board, and the split-screen implementation does not feel like an afterthought - the screen divides dynamically to keep both players in view. Four drunk friends on the couch is not quite the use case here since this is strictly a two-player experience, but two slightly tipsy friends on a Saturday night is absolutely the sweet spot. The game is accessible enough that a non-gamer partner can pick it up without frustration, and deep enough that experienced players will not be bored. The weaknesses are minor but worth flagging. The story leans hard into family-friendly emotional beats that occasionally tip into saccharine territory. Dr. Hakim, the book character who acts as your guide, is either charmingly annoying or just annoying depending on your tolerance for puns. Platforming controls can feel slightly floaty in a handful of sections, and a few of the mini-game diversions scattered through levels feel more like filler than the main course. None of these are dealbreakers, just rough edges on an otherwise well-constructed package. If you have a partner, sibling, or a friend who says they "don't really play games," this is one of the most consistently argued recommendations in co-op gaming. It earned Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021 for real reasons, not hype. The variety, the accessibility, and the sheer commitment to keeping both players engaged from start to finish make it a standout in a genre that often settles for far less.

Riley · Scout Team

Sports & racing

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