This game is easily one of the most passion-driven, well made games I have ever had the pleasure of playing. The attention to detail, the endless little activities you can stumble across through exploration, the heart-warming story, the goofy little things you can do, etc. Everything was so carefully planned, and executed, it is very hard to find flaws to pick at. I originally heard of this game when it won GOTY during the 2021 Game Awards. I made a mental note that I would play the game eventually, but besides that had no clue what to expect in terms of the game I was getting. Fast-forward to the 2023 steam winter sale, I managed to snag it for $10. The game during the first hour or so was what I expected, a story driven, co-op platformer with decent puzzles. As time went on, and the game was really able to spread its wings, I realized this game was much, much more than just that. First off, the art style of this game is fantastic. It strikes an excellent balance of realism, and cartoony, likely allowing it to age better as time goes on rather than had they gone full realism. The gameplay feels extremely smooth, and surprisingly very satisfying. This is intensified as the game begins to showcase more movement options, making it very fun to navigate around the map, especially during high-speed portions of the game. The characters were executed very well, down to their flaws and what makes them frustrating at times. Dr. Hakim is the highlight in this department, however I still do not understand how Dr. Hakim can be Hispanic. Truly a game-shattering flaw. Regardless, the part of the game that truly makes this game stand out to me is the environmental design, setting and visuals. I would like to especially praise and applaud the team behind this aspect of the game, as they absolutely knocked it out of the park. The creativity, visuals, atmosphere, and everything altogether was so beautifully put together. I have been playing video games since I was maybe around 5-6 years old on the original Xbox. For the last two decades, I have played a lot of video games, and seen a lot of the good, bad, ugly, and downright different of all aspects in games. My childlike wonder for the environments in games has diminished simply due to more exposure to gaming. One of the main aspects I particularly miss about games from the early 2000's was the atmosphere and dreamlike environments on display. One in particular I can remember from my childhood was Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, in where I would replay the game levels simply to look at the environments again. These worlds felt like I was in a dream, and seeing It Takes Two take me back to that sensation I have not felt since that age was incredible. I can not express enough just how beautifully designed everything was, and how impressively intricate it all is put together. Each world having its own theme was awesome for exploration, and each subsection of the game having different mechanics/weapons allowed each portion of the game to feel fully fleshed out, never overstaying its welcome. Overall, this is a must play game that I truly feel is maybe even underappreciated game for what it was able to do. A true passion project, and a very deserving Game Of The Year award recipient.