It Takes Two to make a game go right.

Author’s Note: It Takes Two requires two players. Make sure you have someone to play with before deciding to buy.

If an action platformer game were set in a Little Big Planet-like universe and required two-players, then you’d have It Takes Two. You can stop reading the review here if that sounds like something you’d enjoy playing. However, if you’re looking for more details and opinions, then please continue reading. I say that because during my time with It Takes Two, there were some story moments independent of gameplay that got under my skin. The game focuses on some real-world issues and attempts to make light of them. Rarely the humor works. Most of the time it fails. But, I’m getting ahead of myself. At its core, this two-player game is a lot of fun and only takes ten hours or so to complete.

It Takes Two is the story of married couple May and Cody, and their daughter Rose. Cody and May haven’t been getting along. Cody is constantly at home with their daughter while May works late hours as an engineer to keep them afloat. Things between them have gotten so bad that they mutually decided to get a divorce. When they break the news to their daughter, she doesn’t have much of reaction. Instead, she makes a wish upon a book written by a love guru. As a result, Cody and May get transformed into dolls created by Rose. The book also comes to life and introduces himself as Dr. Hakim. The good doctor tells the couple that the only way they can get back to their original bodies is by working together and making amends. In other words, stop thinking about divorce and learn to love each other again.

The game introduces these and other points in an awkward way. This continues throughout with unnatural dialogue and spoon-fed facts. The juvenile humor combines with all this to make the story the game’s worst feature. Cody is annoying. It’s easy to see why someone would want a divorce from him. Dr. Hakim is also annoying. Voiced as a stereotypical Latin American, his lines that are meant to be funny fall flat due to constantly perpetuating a stereotype. May is tolerable if a bit rigid. Still, I found myself siding with her constantly and understood her wanting to be separated from Cody. Rose is adorable. Sadly, she doesn’t get as much screen time. It’s understandable from a story point and it makes moments with her much more special since they alleviate you from the nonsense of Cody, May, and the goofiness around them. Also, I feel like I should mention that if two people want to divorce, then they should. I’m not sure what the writers/developers at EA were hoping to achieve by taking a serious subject and goofing on it.

I realize I’m rambling so let’s get into the actual gameplay. Aside from a few camera hiccups (an EA trait) It Takes Two is enjoyable. Game stages are set in both 3D and 2D. One player takes control of May while the other takes control of Cody. Two players will travel various realms and terrains within their home while solving puzzles, sometimes battling enemies, and overcoming obstacles. Core gameplay remains the same throughout: Cody and May have a jump, double-jump, air dash, and a ground pound. They’ll eventually unlock a grapple hook used to swing from point to point, and for latching onto sliding rails. Goals are always clearly explained, and there’s a generous checkpoint and chapter select that makes it easy to pick up and play.

Most of the stages grant May and Cody a special ability. In one stage, Cody can rewind time while May can create clones of herself. In another stage, Cody gets an ice spell and May gets a sword of fire. The creativity flowing in each stage is boundless. There is so much to explore and discover due to Cody’s and May’s shrunken size. Oftentimes, you’ll uncover a mini-game that acts as a fun diversion. Another thing worth noting are boss battles. They tend to outstay their welcome, but they’re still fun to conquer together since each boss requires a different technique to take down.

I want to highlight the creativity of the game a bit more by discussing the game’s presentation. Somehow, the game’s environments got packed with stuff yet it never felt too crowded. May and Cody can explore just about all of it, too. Doing so reveals secrets, which ultimately lead to different achievements/trophies. I recommend taking time to explore your surroundings. The music was there. I don’t remember any tracks but don’t remember needing to turn the volume down unless Dr. Hakim was blathering.

I recommend taking full advantage of the game’s scene skip feature for those that are like me and don’t want to listen to the constant bickering from the May and Cody, or the ridiculous patronizing from Dr. Hakim. Doing so will shorten the playtime for the game, but at least you won’t be subjected to ridiculous dialogue. I might be sounding too harsh, but the narrative for It Takes Two was often infuriating. But, in terms of actual gameplay, It Takes Two was quite fun. I got to play it with my partner (also a gamer) and in doing so we got to laugh and bond while playing something new. I hope more games like this get released, just without the obnoxious narrative.

Overall, 7/10: May and Cody might be insufferable, but their journey isn’t. It Takes Two is a game that proves the longevity of couch co-op.