I never expected to be able to play this game seeing as I don't have a lot of friends that are interested in co-op games like this, but a friend reached out randomly one day wanting to play this with me and I'm glad I took him up on the offer because this game is not worth missing out on. In terms of gameplay, It Takes Two is one of the most imaginative and clever games I've ever played, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the new ideas it kept throwing at me. The basic 3D platforming gameplay and puzzle solve is incredibly simple but it allows the game to change the genre up and introduce different kinds of gameplay mechanics on the fly and these almost all hit, from the brief segment where it turns into a fighting game match with a squirrel, to when it goes full on dungeon crawler inside a make believe castle, It Takes Two never runs out of these amazing gameplay ideas and it makes for some of the most engaging gameplay that makes you want to keep playing. The game's story is also really charming and genuinely funny which is a big plus as well. My only problem is that May and Cody don't feel as fleshed out as they should be for this kind of story, their problems with each other kind of just boil down to "You're never home" and "you don't appreciate the work I do for this family" respectively and it's not entirely believable that these are the only problems causing them to want a divorce, but honestly it's not that big of a deal in the end. While it doesn't really feel like they solve these exact problems throughout the game they still rekindle their relationship through a bunch of beautiful and heartfelt moments that I thoroughly enjoyed and gave the game a strong emotional center. It Takes Two is a great game with no shortage of really fun gameplay ideas and solid heartfelt moments and I'd recommend any who can to reach out to a friend and play this game, it's a really good time.

My biggest takeaway from playing It Takes Two is that despite all appearances, it's not a great choice for co-op with a non-gamer. I played through both Overcooked games with my wife so I thought she'd be up for this. But after a few hours, end-capped by major struggles with the giant beetle boss, we agreed that it was too difficult for her to enjoy. It's a shame, too, because the cinematics are top notch and she was enjoying the story.

So I started the game over with another friend, and we both found it to be an enjoyable platformer. The best part is that new mechanics are constantly being introduced. One minute you're exterminating bugs and the next minute you're defying gravity in outer space. It's a continual stream of fresh environments and new challenges. Thankfully, the controls remain relatively consistent; if you have experience with platformers or third-person shooters, you should be able to handle each new challenge with ease.

Because of all the different mechanics, some areas are more fun to play than others. My biggest disappointment was that the final area was one of the weaker ones and didn't climax in a satisfying way. Despite this, the rest of the journey is more than worth a play, and the sheer amount of imagination at work here is impressive. As someone who grew up watching Honey We Shrunk Ourselves on VHS, I must say this is as close as a game has ever come to recreating that experience.

Enjoyment - 9/10
Difficulty - 2/10

Girlfriend Boyfriend should be game genre.
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It Takes Two is a very good game that's full to the brim with a constant stream of unique ideas and gameplay mechanics. The sheer variety of settings, boss fights, puzzles and co-op interactions across the game's 10 hour runtime borders on ridiculous - the game never really gets boring because of this. I think you could argue that the game would've done better to explore less mechanics in more depth, but I think part of this game's unique charm is the unpredictability of what will come next.

The focus on co-op mechanics is the game's biggest draw. A lot of "co-op" games more just feel like single player games that occasionally oblige the two of you to stand next to one another to open a door to the next area. It Takes Two is distinct in that nearly everything you do requires the help of the other player; whether it's a combat encounter that requires teamwork to get through or even one player controlling the platforms that the other player must navigate. There is a countless amount of examples of the game's dedication to creating a fully cooperative experience and I must say that it's probably one of the best co-op games ever made for this reason.

The story is very tongue in cheek, I feel. The dialogue is knowingly silly and the characters are all radically distinct and voice acted in a very exaggerated way. There isn't too much critique to lay on the narrative on the whole and it certainly takes a backseat to the gameplay anyway. The cutscenes are well paced and never get in the way of the gameplay side, mostly just acting as necessary interludes and breaks to add context to the gameplay sequences. I also quite liked the ending - it wasn't exactly a twist ending but it definitely didn't go the way I thought it would and I was pleasantly surprised by how realistically it was handled.

I think my one and only problem with this title is that it lacks any challenge. It never really requires much critical thinking or engagement and the result is a game that you can breeze through without really thinking. I'm not saying the game needed to be insanely difficult, but the complete lack of consequence for dying combined with how each mechanic is quite surface-level means that there isn't much room to ever fail. The result is that everything kind of blurs together when looking back, with no specific puzzle, boss fight or mechanic standing out among the rest.

This is definitely one of the best co-op games to come out. The quality overall is through the roof, with an incredible attention to detail in every aspect of the game.

The platforming is smooth, the voice acting is fantastic, and the environments are fun, unique, and are changed up very often. The game effortlessly mixes comedy with more serious relationship issues, and never drops a beat.

The gameplay, while a platformer most of the time, changes it up so often that it's almost like playing a succession of minigames. In
one moment you'll play a plaformer, the next you're flying, then skating, etc, so the gameplay remains fresh throughout.

My main gripe with this game is that while I appreciate that the game wants you to constantly move forward, the puzzles the game gives you can feel like they drag a lot, especially when there are multiple puzzles in quick succession. "Activate 6 of these things, by doing the exact same thing but slightly different 6 times", it is not really fun, and slows down the pace of the game.

Furthermore, while it is great that every chapter gives you new abilities to play with, some chapters leaves one player doing almost nothing. This is especially the case in certain chapters where Cody's abilities boil down to "hold the door so May can play the game".

Despite these flaws, the game is still a blast throughout, and should be at the top of the backlog for any couple looking for something to play together. I highly recommend it.

I'm not one who typically gets to play long-form multiplayer games(or any for that matter) with their pals, as we all have slightly different tastes and wildly different schedules, but when a friend approached me to play this I jumped at the chance and I'm so grateful he wanted to.

It doesn't have wildly new mechanics but borrows them in a very polished state, and frequently rotates mechanics from level to level. Most of them feel great. Some are a little slower, but almost none of them overstayed their welcome to the point where I was getting tired of it. It was fast paced, and wouldn't waste your time, with frequent little minigames, the lion's share of which were extremely entertaining breaks from the core game, and some non-game "toys" to play with, individually or with your partner.

The tone of the game is a little all over the place. It's about a serious topic, these two bad people who go through this magic gauntlet from a vaguely... spanish? book of love. They follow their misguided beliefs on how to break the curse they're stuck in, and it ties together the first part of the game nicely. I was a little worried when it introduced the second half, which was the classic video game "collect the 4 macguffins to win" but it was quickly undone by the more fantastical environments, a nice contrast from the more grounded "honey I shrunk the kids" areas, though it still contained elements of that in it. Overall it's beautiful, although there were a couple rough edges, like the look of the squirrels towards the first.

There are tons of jokes that land, and some that don't land at all, but if you have a pal to make fun of them with, they are almost as good due to that. There are some pretty dark moments conceptually but they play them as a joke, which delivers perfectly, for the most part.

It may seem kid friendly, but some of it is a little disturbing. If you go into it expecting to really like the characters or their emotional journey, think of it more like an arrested development/seinfeld type comedy... these people suck as people, parents, spouses, and this journey is not only about their relationship, but also their own flaws. The plot is fairly weak and there to string levels together mainly, but it resolves the first part well and the latter part just okay. That's not the main draw of the game though, so I wouldn't expect it either going in.

Frankly I expected it to be a nice little game, but quickly rocketed to being something I am seriously considering for my personal GOTY list.