The Tartan

By Shannon Horning

On Valentine’s Day, my best friend and I wanted to spend the day together, but since I live in America and she was in Switzerland, it wasn’t possible to organize something like a coffee date. Therefore we decided to try out a co-op game and settled on “It Takes Two,” an action-adventure platform video game that I have heard many people rave about, some even titling it the best co-op game to ever exist. And after finishing it over the course of a few weeks, I can confidently say that it definitely did not disappoint.

“It Takes Two” follows the story of Cody and May, a married couple with their hearts set on divorce. However, after breaking the news to their daughter Rose, they are magically transformed into a pair of dolls. To reverse the enchantment, they must embark on an adventure through various parts of their house, but with a fantastical twist. Along the way, they encounter puzzles, boss fights, and an unexpected character named Dr. Hakim, a self-help relationship book who comes to life and serves as a marriage counselor for the stubborn couple.

Players get to choose between May, a hard-working engineer and caring mother, or Cody, a stay-at-home dad with a passion for gardening. I chose May while my friend was Cody, but no matter who you play, this game will be an enjoyable experience. If you want to switch at any point throughout the game, you can do so by exiting to the main menu (a feature I wish we had discovered earlier so my poor friend did not have to suffer through the parkour). 

The game takes around 14 hours to finish with nine chapters in total. May and Cody start their adventure in the shed, before traveling to their backyard, Rose’s pillow fort, a play space station, a magic castle, a cuckoo clock, a snow globe, the garden, and then the attic. 

Don’t make me choose my favorite chapter because I can’t. Each level was so insanely unique with drastically different atmospheres and stunning visuals, it’s impossible to get bored.  One scene that particularly stood out to me was in the Tree chapter, where Cody and May find themselves amidst the roots of a massive tree in their backyard. The visuals here were breathtaking — riding on the back of a whimsical, glowing catfish as you swim around the roots of the tree. After fighting for your life against wasps, this was a beautiful moment to just sit and appreciate the luminous red flora hanging from the ceiling, creating a striking contrast with the blue glow of the cavern. (I also got to fight a squirrel on the top of a plane in this chapter, which was definitely a plus). 

The environment isn’t the only thing that changes from chapter to chapter. The mechanics do too, constantly keeping you on your toes. Depending on who you play, in each chapter you’re given a different set of abilities. These abilities are meant to be used together. If you don’t work cooperatively, you won’t progress through the game, let alone get past the first chapter (as implied by the genre). 

For instance, in the Shed, May saves a talking hammer while Cody gets flying nails. Cody can use the nails to keep platforms in place to let May jump over gaps. He can also pin the nails to the wall which May can parkour with using the head of her hammer.

The cooperative aspect of this game combined with the different abilities within each chapter is what made it so fun. My friend and I were constantly wondering what mechanic we would encounter next and how it would correlate with the stage’s theme. In particular, what I admired most about the abilities was how they contributed to May and Cody’s dynamic. While May’s abilities often had the more aggressive role, Cody’s style was more passive, speaking to their personalities. In the Tree chapter, Cody has a sap gun that he can use to weigh platforms down and shoot at enemy wasps while May has a literal flamethrower that she can use to ignite the sap and light the wasps on fire. After this stage, I knew that May was the definition of girlboss. 

“It Takes Two” also handles the complicated dynamic of a couple on the brink of divorce brilliantly. In the beginning, the tension between the two is palpable. They want nothing more than to turn back into humans and get the divorce done, often exchanging sarcastic remarks. However, as the story progresses, that tension gradually eases. By fighting bosses and solving puzzles together, they begin to forge a stronger bond, drawing closer to one another along the odd journey.

This shift becomes apparent in the gameplay mechanics. In the Snow Globe chapter, May and Cody reminisce about the early days of their relationship while exploring a cozy winter village. The abilities the couple are given here are a pair of magnets. In this stage, the old saying prevails: opposites attract, like repel. May and Cody later gain the ability to magnetically attach to each other, a mechanic that I found absolutely endearing. For instance, to ascend a windy mountain, May must cling to Cody’s back using the magnet, and vice versa. Throughout these challenges, the couple never expresses dissatisfaction with their close proximity, indicating genuine growth in their once-fragile relationship.

The final two chapters, the Garden and the Attic, shift the focus to May and Cody as individuals rather than just a couple, a crucial addition to a game centered on reconciling relationships. These chapters reignite the spark for their lost passions: gardening for Cody and singing for May. While I appreciated the character growth in both segments, I personally resonated more with May. Portrayed as a diligent woman striving to support her family but losing sight of her own identity in the process, it was heartwarming to witness her regain the confidence to sing, with Cody’s unwavering encouragement.

The two finally turn human again after a kiss (a classic trope, they really should have predicted that). The game then ends ambiguously, leaving the players to wonder if they proceed with an amicable divorce or stay together, though I didn’t mind this ambiguity. 

The only thing I hated about this game was that it had to end. I wish it could have gone on forever and forever and if there were to be a sequel (probably not), I’d be the first one to buy it. There’s so much more content to explore and unravel, but I’ll leave that for you to discover firsthand. Overall, I give this game a perfect score of 10/10 for its breathtaking graphics and a storyline that strikes a perfect balance between lightheartedness and the complexity of relationships. (Plus, it holds a special place in my heart as my friend and I started dating shortly after we finished it… thanks, Dr. Hakim!)