[b]My Playtime:[/b] 21h (100% achievement, finished the game twice)
[b]My First Playthrough:[/b] 11.8h
[b]Grindy Achievement(s):[/b] No.
[b]Optional Achievement(s):[/b] Yes (19 achievements).
[b]Difficult Achievement(s):[/b] No.
[h1]Intro[/h1]
[i]It Takes Two[/i] is an adventure game that can only be played with two people. You play as a married couple, Cody and May, who are trying to overcome all the challenges full of adventure.
[b]Pros:[/b]
- Different mechanics in every level
- Beautiful-looking sceneries
[b]Cons:[/b]
- Some combat sections can be too boring to play
[b]Specs[/b]
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 16GB RAM, AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT
[h1]Should you buy this game?[/h1]
[i]This is a must-play if you are looking for a game to be played with two people.[/i]
[hr][/hr]
[h1]In-Depth Review[/h1]
[h3]The Game[/h3]
[b]Gameplay[/b]
[i]It Takes Two[/i] lets you journey as a married couple, Cody and May, displayed in a split-screen format where you need to cooperate to progress. Each area focuses on a certain mechanic, with Cody and May granted different power that complements each other. The main focus of the game is on how you can utilize these mechanics to either help your partner or yourself to pass through the area.
For a co-op game, I found the experience to be smooth. I tend to have slight lag that can affect the gameplay experience a bit in co-op games since I usually play with someone on the other side of the world, but with this game, I didn't notice anything like that. There might be some input lag in the game, but they are not that noticeable, especially since the game has a lot of room for errors even when you are supposed to slam on a certain spot at the same time.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3791830096
The different mechanics give a fresh take on the game. The gameplay might be boring, with you jumping around to avoid falling otherwise. Sometimes you will be armed with a weapon—other times you just have to make yourself smaller. There is even an area that changes the genre briefly into other genres. The game tries to mix up the playstyle a lot to keep things fresh. I never got bored playing the game due to that.
The game is a puzzle game at its core. A lot of the mechanics you have will be used to figure out how to progress. They are usually easy to notice, although there might be some that require you to use your brain a bit. Still, I found the difficulty to still be enjoyable for those who are not into games, though, unless they are trying to get 100% achievements. In that case, it's better to play it with someone who is into games since there is one achievement that requires you to climb on a tower which require some skill to do.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3791830190
Some areas are very vast. While it can take a while to figure out where to go next this way, it was nice to explore the whole town and try to get lost. There are always some unique areas that you can visit or places where you can goof around. When you are done, you can always check the in-game marker to see where you need to go to progress the story.
The boss fights can be quite tough for those who are not into games, though. You need to avoid the boss's attacks, which either requires you to jump off between platforms or simply run to a certain area. However, the window to dodge might be smaller than you think. That being said, the game will still go on if one of you dies—you just need to mash a button while your partner tries to stay alive as best as they can, especially since the fight will reset if both of you die at the same time.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3793286784
That being said, some areas can be boring. I hate the water area since it's hard to control the ship, and I also hate the garden area since there are a lot of fights there and I had to mash my button a lot just to attack the enemies. Moreover, each area can take a long time to finish, meaning that you must suffer for a while until you move to the next area.
The in-game scenery is superb. If you are one of those people who like seeing nice scenery in games, you are in for a treat. There is just a lot of variety in here, and the images look great if you take a screenshot of it.
[b]Length and Difficulty[/b]
I finished the game in 11.8h. I then replayed the game again so I could experience it as the other character until I finished it, which took me 21h. As for the difficulty, I found it to be quite easy, although you still need to think for a bit to solve some puzzles. There will be two brains thinking it out, though, so you shouldn't be having too much trouble.
[h1]Conclusion[/h1]
[i]It Takes Two[/i] is a high-quality game that can only be played with 2 people. Each person has a different ability in each area, leading to different playstyles. The scenery looks great, and the quality is top-notch. If you are looking for a nice game that can be played with another person, this game is for you.
