These moments of frustration are made worse by an over-abundance of cutscenes, most of which revolving around the relationship book exuding exposition and telling you where to go next. The fact this particularly unpleasant moment is never once brought up for the rest of the game is also problematic. Others, like myself and my partner who sat in stunned silence and watched this scene unfold, will instantly be turned off from playing more.Īs a parent, this is the most left-field reaction one could possibly take and from here onwards, the game takes a hard right turn in both narrative quality and level design, something that’s only going to be exacerbated by those left with a sour taste following this sequence. There will be some who don’t even bat an eyelid and continue playing. The problem with this bit of “dark comedy” is two-fold. The ensuing result sees Cody and May high fiving, celebrating and dancing in the literal tears of their daughter as she’s absolutely crushed by what’s happened. I’d ordinary be careful not to go into spoiler territory but it’s hard not to do that when discussing this story, hence the warning at the top of this post.Įssentially, the pair come up with a crazy plan to make Rose cry by destroying that which she holds most dear. There are several moments in It Takes Two that completely destroy the game’s narrative – and the credibility of May and Cody as capable parents. As someone whose been through divorce – both as an adult while juggling two kids and as a child witnessing my mum and my step-dad divorcing – the topic is complex and sometimes, no matter how hard you try, two people just aren’t meant to be together. Unfortunately the end result here leaves a lot to be desired. Hakim is tasked with trying to fix their relationship if they have any hope of making it back, and does so by throwing them into as many extreme situations as possible. Guiding them along the way is Dr Hakim, who takes the form of a hyperactive relationship therapy book. In order to do that, the pair are forced to work together. However, Rose’s tears magically transport the souls of her parents inside these two dolls, who find themselves stuck and in need of getting back to their bodies. With two handmade dolls that look like her parents, Rose heads upstairs to her room and play-acts out a scenario where her squabbling parents become friends again. They’re on the verge of getting a divorce and break this news to their daughter Rose later that afternoon. The story centers on a very-obviously-not-compatible couple called Cody and May. And it handles them about as well as a baby holding a shotgun. It Takes Two then handles something altogether different, looking at the idea of divorce, relationships and what it means to be a parent. The Last Of Us looked at the idea of loss and grief, Red Dead 2 flirted with the notion of sacrifice and that fine line between right and wrong, while morally grey choices have been a hallmark of games like Fallout for years. It’s also an exclusively co-op game, so there’s no chance of you flying solo on this one.Īs gaming “grows up”, we’ve seen the medium extend narratively to showcase some incredible stories. Much like A Way Out, the aim of the game here is teamwork and that’s echoed through many of the resonate themes the game plays with. The gameplay mechanics are slick, inventive and really quite impressive crafted. The level design for these early moments are exquisitely designed, with a natural flow from one area to the next. That’s particularly frustrating too because for half of its 15 hour run-time, It Takes Two is a nigh-on perfect game. When it comes to It Takes Two – which scooped up the Game of the Year award for 2021 – this unique co-op adventure boasts varied gameplay, some beautifully crafted puzzles… and a terrible narrative. Between the sexual abuse allegations, the constant pressure of crunch and a lot of games pushed back to 2022, the year’s best titles were sporadically dotted across the 12 months. Warning: The review below does include big spoilers pertaining to a certain plot development midway through the story!Ģ021 was not a great year for gaming. Great gameplay overshadowed by a woeful story

It takes two length