It Takes Two Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 & PC)

“No, you can make that jump,” I said, calmly, as the better half of me gazed in bewilderment at a spinning corkscrew. “Trust me. If you just double jump, and then hit the ‘Dash’ button, you’ll make it.” Nothing. It was almost as if I was talking to a brick wall, and that explaining the fundamentals was like translating an ancient scroll of hieroglyphics. I gave her credit — I had to. It wasn’t my first rodeo with a split-screen co-op game. But, for an idle pair of hands, everything was alien to her; she couldn’t tell the difference between a jump and a dash, a roll and a crouch. And to be honest with you, that learning curve stuck with us both for the entirety of It Takes Two.

Sure enough, we would argue, and we would often give one another a nod of approval once in a blue moon, if only to lift the spirits. But let me tell you: that journey affected us both. We laughed, we cried, and, after countless hours of failing to collaborate, we came to understand what that blasted book was talking about. Love wasn’t a picnic; it was an uphill battle that required both sides to work. Did it work? Sometimes, sure. We’re not getting a divorce, if that helps. Thanks, It Takes Two — thanks a bunch.

Of course, I’d love to say that It Takes Two brings you closer together as a team, but to be honest with you, it doesn’t. Or at least, not to begin with, anyway. Like the mantra that it so desperately tries to capture, it puts your collaborative efforts to the test, and after so long of battling to find that elusive sweet spot between you and your companion, rewards your patience with a rather meaningful moral. It tells you that, although you may fail as one, everything is easier when there’s another half of you vying for the same result. As the title openly implies, it takes two to tango. It’s just a darn shame that the so-called ‘tango’ is more like a slow dance with a lopsided wardrobe. No offense, my love. Keep practicing those double jumps — you’ll get there. Eventually.

The Missing Piece of the Jigsaw

Let it be said that, while It Takes Two is designed with a couple in mind, by no means is it specifically for a couple. It’s a lover’s tiff—a game that bases its plot around a married couple on the brink of divorce, true. However, that isn’t to say that it doesn’t resonate with a lot of other folks, particularly those who share a lot of its values of tolerance and acceptance, turbulent times and resilience. Frankly, it touches on a familiar faucet that a lot of us will be vaguely familiar with. A struggling marriage; a desperate child who wants the best for their parents; and a magical spell that just so happens to grant a single chance to help rekindle a seemingly dying flame. It’s deep, yet It Takes Two does a remarkable job of disguising its somber tones with some quality comical relief and, above all, an incredibly beautiful Pixar-like rag doll aesthetic that not only looks great, but feels like an animation in its prime.

At the heart of all of this seemingly wholesome work lies a bread-and-butter platforming game that leans into its core influences—to the pit of a familiar strand that idolizes teamwork and communication, joint efforts and frequent collaboration. It doesn’t always work that way, and it hardly ever makes for a smooth ride with flawless victories — but it does encourage you to take the leap of faith and put all of your trust in your companion. Frankly, not many other games are able to pull that off, and that’s something that deserves to be celebrated here.

As the title openly implies, it takes two to accomplish most goals here, whether it’s holding the slack whilst another activates a switch, or counting down in threes to hit a button at the same time to advance to the next area. It also involves one person staring blindly at a void whilst another actively encourages them to focus and land it after their sixth attempt. But that’s besides the point. The fact is, It Takes Two illustrates its moral dilemma; it proves to you that, regardless of the obstacle or feat, teamwork is the only viable solution. Can it fix broken relationships? Eh, yes? Or at least I think it can, anyway.

Trust Fall

Over the course of a sizable split-screen adventure that sees you and your companion battling to make amends for your seemingly irreversible demise, you’ll bump into countless kooky characters—the love guru of literature; a vacuum with a grudge; a protective plush baboon with a Cockney accent, and so on and so forth. To add to that rather unusual roster, there are also multiple larger-than-life biomes to explore—sheds, garages, backyards and bedrooms, all of which are blown out of proportion to make you feel like a small and insignificant cog on a big wheel. Think Grounded, but with two future divorcees vying to return to their natural bodies, and you’ll have a rough idea of what we’re talking about here.

Enveloped within all of these bite-sized pleasantries is a theatrical experience that fosters numerous tongue-in-cheek moments and humorous shenanigans, well-written characters and relatable dialogue that sheds light on all of the highs and lows of marriage. And honestly, it captures all of this incredibly well, with odd spouts of seamless victories complimenting an otherwise sad and somewhat depressing situation.

Of course, there are some tricky areas to navigate here, with several boss battles, physics-based puzzles and environmental curveballs there to test your skills and coordination. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still fun—the act of watching your spouse struggle to land a jump, that is—though there are some critical areas that require some careful thought and effort. It’s just as well that it all pays off in the long run, then, right? Right?

Verdict

It Takes Two illustrates the importance of well-oiled communication and frequent collaboration between companions with a striking couch co-op affair that leans into the greatest faucets of platforming, with its unique twist on split-screen puzzles and wholesome storytelling forming the iron backbone of a genuinely compelling romp through the motions. It’s engaging, comical, and above all, an absolute pleasure to work through alongside your closest collaborator. Frankly, it doesn’t need to deliver any more than that to make a lasting impression; it’s etched in stone, as is its ability to incubate a near-perfect journey that will leave both you and your accomplice itching for more.