It Takes Two | The Completionist

00:00:00.080in the 2000 film zuzu a young boy flees

00:00:04.080war-torn beirut to live with his

00:00:06.000grandparents in sweden after his

00:00:07.839immediate family is killed by an

00:00:09.519explosion his journey is defined by

00:00:11.759magical realism heartbreak and the

00:00:14.240realization that loving those around you

00:00:16.320is the best way to honor those you've

00:00:18.320lost it's a beautiful movie made by an

00:00:21.279incredibly passionate man joseph ferris

00:00:24.400you might know him as just the the

00:00:26.400oscars guy from the game awards but

00:00:28.240joseph is an incredible advocate for

00:00:30.400innovation in the games industry and

00:00:32.079with it takes two joseph and hayes light

00:00:34.480expand on themes that are present in all

00:00:37.120of joseph's previous work the result is

00:00:39.760a celebration of games as a medium and

00:00:42.239also something that reinforces the

00:00:43.920simple joy of the human connection hey

00:00:46.559everyone and welcome to an all new

00:00:48.320episode of the completionist where we

00:00:50.480don't just beat the games we complete

00:00:52.719them it's game of the year time 2021 was

00:00:55.920wild but somehow we received a ton of

00:00:58.879great games all things considered

00:01:01.199one of my favorites is the one i'm

00:01:02.800talking about today it takes two now i

00:01:05.920was lucky enough to play a few hours of

00:01:08.159this game with its creator joseph ferris

00:01:10.880before the game came out earlier this

00:01:12.960year in fact way before it came out

00:01:15.280just so happens that not only did it

00:01:17.119takes to clean house at the game awards

00:01:19.439a couple days ago it won game of the

00:01:21.840year

00:01:22.880completing it takes two after meeting

00:01:25.280joseph has been an utterly inspirational

00:01:27.920experience for me and beyond that the

00:01:30.320game is just a blast

00:01:32.159so grab your partner or a friend or some

00:01:35.119rando off the street and join me as i

00:01:38.000complete it takes two

00:01:40.799yes

00:01:45.680all glory goes to the winner

00:01:58.799game over

00:02:02.880wake up

00:02:05.680last one standing twins

00:02:29.520so when did this

00:02:31.200become better than this it's strange to

00:02:34.000even say but there are people who watch

00:02:36.080the show who don't know the joy of split

00:02:38.959screen multiplayer these days when most

00:02:41.280people think of multiplayer they think

00:02:43.040of playing online in a free-to-play

00:02:45.040death match where sometimes the only

00:02:47.040interaction with the friend is through

00:02:48.879seeing their gamer tag or being streamed

00:02:51.200at to focus on the objective but to me

00:02:53.840some of my favorite multiplayer memories

00:02:55.760are tied up with rubbing elbows with my

00:02:58.319brother or my best friend or my partner

00:03:00.560sharing a screen working together to

00:03:02.400accomplish something simply feels good

00:03:05.440whether online or in person experiencing

00:03:08.480novelty something totally new with a pal

00:03:11.680is a core design ethos for haze light

00:03:14.239studio and its founder looking at

00:03:16.480joseph's games released over the past

00:03:18.159few years it is easy to notice a pattern

00:03:20.7202013's brothers a tale of two sons spins

00:03:24.159a compelling fantasy tale and also

00:03:26.400features a completely unique control

00:03:28.560scheme 2018's a way out tells not only a

00:03:31.519classic prison escape story it does so

00:03:34.239in a revolutionary way basically asking

00:03:36.799players to embody roles in an

00:03:38.720interactive movie it takes to blend

00:03:41.280these two games together to create an

00:03:43.599action platformer that can only be

00:03:46.080completed with another person with split

00:03:48.000screen couch co-op or online no ai

00:03:51.440companions here folks just me a partner

00:03:54.799in our combined wits joseph is

00:03:57.200incredibly passionate about how story

00:03:59.439and gameplay interact and that is

00:04:01.519evident everywhere in intakes 2. this

00:04:03.840game is designed from the ground up to

00:04:05.599feature two players working together to

00:04:08.239accomplish their goals so the plot

00:04:10.319naturally does so as well cody and may

00:04:12.560are a couple in the process of splitting

00:04:14.400up a painful divorce is in the works and

00:04:17.199their daughter rose is absolutely

00:04:19.280devastated rose makes a wish and with

00:04:21.680the help of a magical book of love her

00:04:24.000parents find themselves trapped inside

00:04:26.160these dolls the only way to get back

00:04:28.720into their bodies is by working together

00:04:31.199but their personal issues affect

00:04:33.280everything they encounter now i've

00:04:35.120always loved how different developers

00:04:37.040interpret how story and gameplay can

00:04:39.199interact with each other in it takes two

00:04:41.600the two concepts are inextricable the

00:04:43.919story can only progress when players are

00:04:46.560totally in sync even if the characters

00:04:49.199are constantly at odds cody and may

00:04:51.680certainly have chemistry but it is easy

00:04:54.160to see why their marriage is on the

00:04:56.320rocks joseph calls this game a rom-com

00:04:59.280game and it totally earns that

00:05:01.199distinction when hayes light was working

00:05:03.039on this game joseph wondered why no

00:05:05.440other studios were making games that

00:05:07.759used this concept so he went ahead and

00:05:10.479with his team did it themselves you

00:05:12.400would think completing a game like this

00:05:13.840might be difficult because of server

00:05:15.280issues but i played this locally with my

00:05:17.360girlfriend for a bit and then i played

00:05:18.960the rest of the game with my editor pat

00:05:20.960and we were played this entire game

00:05:22.720remotely on our ps5 with no problems

00:05:26.320whatsoever it takes two is a 3d

00:05:28.800platformer so if you know me you know i

00:05:31.600was basically in heaven from the moment

00:05:33.360i started completing it players control

00:05:35.520either cody or may and progression is

00:05:38.000simple make it from one end of a level

00:05:40.000to the other one twist is that there are

00:05:41.919new mechanics to master in almost every

00:05:44.240one of the nine chapters it's an

00:05:46.240incredible accomplishment that in nearly

00:05:48.080every level we had to learn how to do

00:05:50.160something new and cool to get where we

00:05:52.800needed to go this might sound confusing

00:05:55.120but everything is incredibly intuitive

00:05:58.080even for people who haven't played a ton

00:06:00.319of games before it feels very easy to

00:06:02.880learn very pick up and play one of hayes

00:06:05.520light's goals was to make a game that

00:06:07.120could be satisfying for gamers new and

00:06:09.440old and the fact that the controls are

00:06:11.520simple help them accomplish that goal

00:06:14.080even with all the different mechanics

00:06:15.680being thrown around players never have

00:06:17.520to keep more than a handful of concepts

00:06:19.759in mind at any given moment truthfully

00:06:22.800it feels like this game was designed for

00:06:25.280me and a friend to complete a 3d

00:06:27.600platformer that i have to complete with

00:06:30.160another person i know i can sometimes

00:06:32.240sound like a broken record spiraling

00:06:34.000into sadness about forcing myself to do

00:06:36.639multiple playthroughs of a massive rpg

00:06:39.039for no reason but hey

00:06:41.120it's the end of an incredibly long year

00:06:43.440one that i've worked really hard during

00:06:45.680and i deserve a treat so if the universe

00:06:47.680throws me a bone with an easy completion

00:06:49.680experience like it takes two i'll

00:06:52.080take it

00:06:56.240it takes two is a master class of a

00:06:59.199studio planting a flag in the sand and

00:07:01.680saying

00:07:02.479this is what we stand for every element

00:07:05.360of how the game is presented ties back

00:07:08.000into the central theme of getting people

00:07:10.240together in this case literally the

00:07:12.720magical realism serves to push the

00:07:14.639two-player characters forward as rose's

00:07:16.880childhood toys and games turn into

00:07:19.280actual obstacles for cody and may every

00:07:22.560small argument or snippy comment becomes

00:07:25.360something they must overcome as a team

00:07:28.639through the magic of metaphor now one of

00:07:30.960the main reasons why i really wanted to

00:07:32.720complete it takes two this year was

00:07:34.319because i was fortunate enough to

00:07:36.560interview joseph and play a few hours

00:07:39.039with him earlier this year as the

00:07:41.280pandemic has stretched on and on and on

00:07:43.840and on it takes to has become notable

00:07:46.160not only because it's a delight to play

00:07:48.240but because of its deeper themes ask

00:07:50.560anyone who's been stuck in the same

00:07:52.080house with their partner for nearly the

00:07:54.000last two years it can be really tough on

00:07:56.400everyone and even though the tone of it

00:07:58.319takes two is sort of all over the place

00:08:00.720something about the characters arguing

00:08:02.400with each other and then being reminded

00:08:04.319why they fell in love in the first place

00:08:06.479really struck a chord with me it takes

00:08:08.560two was even recognized by the game

00:08:10.400awards this year in several categories

00:08:12.960and though joseph would be the first to

00:08:14.720say that award shows are stupid it's

00:08:17.680very cool to see a pure co-op game that

00:08:20.479takes big design swings among a bunch of

00:08:24.000single-player aaa titles to me it stands

00:08:27.360out because this is an incredibly

00:08:29.360cohesive game it takes two's narrative

00:08:31.840is about a child's view of her parents

00:08:34.640fractured relationship but it is hardly

00:08:37.120a kid's game even though most of the

00:08:39.440action takes place inside exaggerated

00:08:42.000versions of household objects like a

00:08:44.080kaleidoscope or a tool shed there is a

00:08:46.959lingering feeling that everything is a

00:08:49.360little messed up from the very beginning

00:08:51.519the daughter rose just wants her parents

00:08:53.519to fall back in love but isn't aware of

00:08:56.240the full nature of their eternal

00:08:57.839struggles the way this entire narrative

00:08:59.920is framed allows it to be both a fun

00:09:02.080fairy tale and a weirdly sharp look in

00:09:05.279how relationships can be sour amazingly

00:09:08.320these concepts are reinforced at every

00:09:11.440turn through level design and game

00:09:13.519mechanics hazelite wanted people to

00:09:15.760connect and communicate as they played

00:09:17.839cody and may can only progress in the

00:09:19.760story by doing the same from the very

00:09:22.000first few puzzles where the couple carry

00:09:24.000a hammer and nail it becomes clear that

00:09:26.880being observant and asking for help is

00:09:29.519key moving through these intricately

00:09:31.440designed spaces made me feel like i had

00:09:33.600been shrunken down and placed into an

00:09:36.160eye spy book and if you don't know what

00:09:38.160an ispy book is you have a lot of

00:09:40.000research to do folks cody and mae's

00:09:42.080house full of random stuff that couples

00:09:44.160collect over the years of living

00:09:45.600together is suddenly being seen with

00:09:48.480fresh eyes everything has been painted

00:09:50.959over with a surreal brush and that level

00:09:53.200design is brilliant it takes two is

00:09:55.839divided into chapters and within each

00:09:58.240chapter are a handful of unique gameplay

00:10:00.720segments some that contribute towards

00:10:02.560completion and some that are simply

00:10:04.720there because the developers wanted

00:10:06.320players to feel a sense of playfulness

00:10:09.040chapters are broken up by discrete

00:10:10.959gameplay mechanics that are only used

00:10:13.279for a few minutes at a time cody and may

00:10:15.760have a few core abilities for most of

00:10:17.839the playtime a double jump a dodge a

00:10:20.640dash and a rope swinging grapple

00:10:23.360thingy but beyond that moves and

00:10:25.839abilities are introduced and discarded

00:10:28.959at an incredible rate hazelite said they

00:10:31.440wanted to make a game they had never

00:10:33.680seen before and overall i think they

00:10:36.480nailed it i found it impressive how each

00:10:38.959new mechanic could legitimately be a

00:10:40.959full game but instead it's just a small

00:10:44.000fragment of the whole piece to go back

00:10:46.399to the hammer and nail cody can carry up

00:10:48.880to three recallable nails that serve to

00:10:51.600hold up platforms or provide points to

00:10:54.480swing off for may these tools are the

00:10:57.040perfect introductory mechanics to help

00:10:59.440reinforce the idea that if players want

00:11:01.920to see the end they've got to work

00:11:04.640together but they disappear after an

00:11:06.959awesome boss fight against a rusty

00:11:09.120toolbox in favor of what are essentially

00:11:12.240two halves of a chemical weapon in the

00:11:14.640next section this idea that new

00:11:16.959mechanics are used just long enough for

00:11:19.279players to get used to them and are then

00:11:21.200tossed out the window happens over and

00:11:24.079over and over again and shows that hayes

00:11:26.560lightfully committed to the idea of that

00:11:29.279novelty it takes two keeps up a great

00:11:32.399pace and the constant focus of this new

00:11:34.720experience could feel like a distracting

00:11:37.120cop-out but it isn't that said there are

00:11:40.160a couple of narrative and design

00:11:41.600decisions that i found

00:11:43.600a little confusing now i don't think

00:11:45.519they detract from my overall takeaway

00:11:47.600but i do have to call out a couple of

00:11:49.040things that completionists might come

00:11:51.279across

00:11:52.710[Music]

00:11:55.440so at the beginning of it takes two it

00:11:57.519seems pretty clear why cody and may want

00:12:00.160a divorce it feels like they are a

00:12:02.000couple who have fallen out of love a

00:12:03.680thing that does happen all the time to

00:12:05.360many people in their lives having a

00:12:07.440child complicates things cody is a

00:12:09.839stay-at-home father who has compromised

00:12:12.320a lot and mae is an incredibly

00:12:14.320hard-working breadwinner the tension is

00:12:16.880right there on the surface and easy for

00:12:18.880players of a certain age who are in

00:12:20.720relationships to identify with for about

00:12:22.959two-thirds of it takes two i was

00:12:24.800extremely on board with the writing and

00:12:26.800characters joseph has a distinct style

00:12:29.279and sense of humor that i really connect

00:12:30.880with one of the first big bosses a old

00:12:33.279vacuum cleaner is defeated by cody and

00:12:35.839may turning the suction arms towards the

00:12:37.839boss's face and sucking out its eyeballs

00:12:40.720until the entire thing explodes it's

00:12:43.120really messed up it was not we were

00:12:44.880expecting at all during this we had to

00:12:47.200dismantle our child's beloved doll as it

00:12:49.920begged us to stop it was horrifying in

00:12:53.040fact most of the game there is an

00:12:54.959undercut of darkness that reminded me of

00:12:57.440classic fairy tales or even movies like

00:13:00.240labyrinth or time bandits sure they are

00:13:02.800billed as family friendly or movies for

00:13:04.720kids but really there is just as much

00:13:07.279there for the adults in the audience as

00:13:08.959well even some of the trophies required

00:13:11.040us to send our characters to their

00:13:12.720deaths like thelma and louising

00:13:14.720ourselves off of a ramp in a tiny car or

00:13:17.120turning cody into a speck of stardust by

00:13:19.839launching him off a seesaw the magical

00:13:22.240talking relationship book dr hakeem who

00:13:24.800may or may not be the cause of cody in

00:13:26.639may being trapped inside dolls has

00:13:29.160extremely sinister vibes he's sort of

00:13:31.839like a latin lover stereotype all of his

00:13:34.720hip gyrations and raised eyebrows back

00:13:36.800and forth from the moment dr akim first

00:13:38.800showed up talking about forcing cody and

00:13:40.880mae to collaborate or be stuck forever i

00:13:43.600was convinced that there would be some

00:13:45.120kind of third act twist where he was

00:13:47.760revealed to be the villain and

00:13:49.360interestingly enough it takes two

00:13:51.680doesn't go this route we found the last

00:13:53.680chunk of it takes two to be both a

00:13:55.120surprising departure from what i thought

00:13:56.720it was setting itself up to be and also

00:13:58.720being exactly what we expected it to be

00:14:01.120or maybe because the ending was exactly

00:14:03.600what we expected it felt completely

00:14:06.160unexpected like yes there are some

00:14:08.480cliches established early on that i was

00:14:10.639totally sure would be subverted only for

00:14:12.959the game to lean into some of those same

00:14:15.040cliches take the snow globe chapter cody

00:14:17.839and may find themselves ice skating and

00:14:19.920exploring a snowbound village turns out

00:14:22.399this chilly little town is inspired by

00:14:25.199the ski trip where cody proposed to may

00:14:28.480and being in this environment reminds

00:14:30.320the couple of what was so special about

00:14:32.800that proposal there are some genuinely

00:14:35.040touching and well-written scenes here

00:14:36.880even though they're just dolls both

00:14:39.040characters are really emotive and

00:14:40.959expressive showing their longing and

00:14:43.120sadness for each other in a way that

00:14:45.279made me think that this relationship

00:14:47.040would need more than just a pep talk to

00:14:49.040be repaired i remember thinking wow i

00:14:51.440can't believe this game is going to deal

00:14:53.360with the reality that sometimes

00:14:55.040relationships just can't be fixed even

00:14:57.360if the couple truly loves each other and

00:14:59.440their child but as the game goes on that

00:15:01.680complexity is blurred and eventually

00:15:04.320dissipates i'm not surprised per se i'm

00:15:07.199not even necessarily disappointed turns

00:15:09.519out dr hakeem was never the secret

00:15:11.839villain or final boss like i thought he

00:15:13.839would be instead his mantra that love

00:15:16.480conquers all turns out to be true and

00:15:19.040kodian may remember why they fell in

00:15:20.959love and remind each other of their

00:15:22.880forgotten passions even if these reveals

00:15:25.440seem to come out of nowhere dr akim has

00:15:27.839the couple's best interest at heart and

00:15:29.839even if he seems like he's trying to

00:15:31.360undercut the couple on their journey to

00:15:33.199self-realization he doesn't he's like

00:15:36.160some kind of guiding force for good

00:15:38.880even if he acts weird and aggressive now

00:15:41.519minor spoilers for the ending if it

00:15:43.040takes two ahead but again if you've seen

00:15:45.279any amount of romantic comedy movies you

00:15:48.320probably have some idea what to expect

00:15:50.000here i do appreciate that the story

00:15:51.759subverts a traditional hollywood ending

00:15:53.839and it doesn't exactly spell out whether

00:15:55.759or not cody and may end up getting back

00:15:57.680together but i think i anticipated just

00:16:00.079a little bit more nuance then again it

00:16:02.320was kind of nice to just have a

00:16:03.920straightforward love story i'll admit

00:16:06.160i've seen my fair share of rom-coms the

00:16:08.959proposal is actually good rey finds in

00:16:11.519made in manhattan is stupidly attractive

00:16:13.600come at me bros so the fact that it

00:16:15.600takes two ends up going the more

00:16:17.360traditional rom-com route shouldn't come

00:16:19.519off as much of a surprise to me now it's

00:16:21.680not a knock against the game i think

00:16:23.600maybe that's why it takes two has

00:16:25.519resonated with people this year everyone

00:16:27.920loves a happy ending even if they aren't

00:16:31.040always realistic and frankly i love this

00:16:33.839game actually manages to tell a cohesive

00:16:36.320story with an actual payoff there's no

00:16:39.120obvious planning for a sequel just a

00:16:41.680fully insulated project that was clearly

00:16:44.480planned out from start to finish and

00:16:46.320looking at joseph's other games they

00:16:48.399excel in depicting the surreal and it

00:16:50.639takes two feels like a natural extension

00:16:52.639of that and really aren't romantic

00:16:54.480comedies one of the most surreal genres

00:16:56.639out there it translates perfectly to

00:16:59.120this game and even if the plot didn't

00:17:00.800end up blowing my mind i still found it

00:17:03.920very satisfying i had a similar

00:17:05.760experience with it takes 2's 25

00:17:07.760mini-games this game is not content to

00:17:09.919just throw new mechanics at the players

00:17:11.839throughout the main chapters there are

00:17:13.600many games sprinkled throughout this as

00:17:15.039well there's a great variety here some

00:17:17.120stuff is simple things i've seen in

00:17:18.640other games whacka cody is basically

00:17:20.880whack-a-mole and there are several

00:17:22.079different types of head-to-head races

00:17:24.000there's even a mini-game that is just

00:17:25.760dead ass chess literally chess you know

00:17:29.120from the queen's gambit but even though

00:17:30.720this mini mini-games are mostly riffs on

00:17:32.640stuff i've seen before i still enjoyed

00:17:34.799them and that's one of the secrets of

00:17:36.320the romantic comedy genre yeah the

00:17:38.559audience has probably seen it all before

00:17:40.960but the way things are presented ends up

00:17:43.280mattering quite a bit the mini games of

00:17:45.440it takes 2 succeed because cody and may

00:17:48.480have cute banter that makes every game

00:17:50.799feel intimate and playful even if we

00:17:53.200have seen this all before the way these

00:17:55.600games are presented makes them feel fun

00:17:57.919even if they aren't original honestly i

00:18:00.480think one of the reasons it takes two is

00:18:02.400such a success for me is that it uses

00:18:04.559the recognizable to create something

00:18:06.559original by remixing and celebrating the

00:18:08.640familiar it takes two has become its own

00:18:11.280classic

00:18:15.120one of my favorite things about playing

00:18:17.039intakes 2 is seeing how joseph echoes

00:18:19.919and re-examines themes from his previous

00:18:22.080works in my interview with him which hey

00:18:24.640if you haven't watched it please do it's

00:18:26.799one of the best interviews i've ever

00:18:28.000done before i do say so myself joseph

00:18:30.480talks about how everyone at hayes light

00:18:32.720is a fan of classic games and that it

00:18:35.120takes two serves as a love letter to

00:18:37.039game design but he also has this sense

00:18:39.120of pride in his previous games that it

00:18:42.160takes to celebrate through easter eggs

00:18:44.240and trophies completing intakes 2 gave

00:18:46.480me a glimpse into what joseph has been

00:18:48.799proud of throughout his career and for

00:18:50.720me this was hugely inspirational and

00:18:53.679reminded me of the passion that is

00:18:55.840necessary to pursue doing what you love

00:18:58.240so another reason i bring up this

00:18:59.760interview is that in conducting it i

00:19:01.919found his pride both infectious and

00:19:04.720inspiring this might sound weird but

00:19:07.679meeting another lebanese arab who

00:19:09.760started in the world of film and found

00:19:12.080his way towards game development it made

00:19:14.720me feel less alone as i started in film

00:19:17.600and ended up in the games industry as

00:19:19.600well

00:19:20.640this is a feeling that not everyone will

00:19:22.720understand but

00:19:24.960i felt real pride in seeing my people

00:19:28.400represented through joseph and

00:19:30.400hazelite's triumphs

00:19:32.080this interview also genuinely put me on

00:19:34.960the road to where i am today and as a

00:19:37.840result of the interview piece it ended

00:19:40.080up becoming one of my main audition

00:19:41.840pieces for g4

00:19:44.080seeing joseph give that the oscar speech

00:19:47.280and then playing it takes two with him

00:19:49.919not long after that

00:19:51.760made me feel like lebanese arabs were

00:19:54.320paving the way to the future in games

00:19:58.160[Music]

00:19:59.280i know it doesn't make sense

00:20:01.039but that's how i feel joseph's

00:20:02.799achievements especially in intakes to

00:20:05.520prove creativity can exist across

00:20:08.080cultural mediums a lebanese arab and a

00:20:10.720swedish studio made a game that is being

00:20:13.280hailed as one of the best of the year

00:20:15.760all over the world and joseph's success

00:20:18.320isn't just limited to him it's a victory

00:20:20.559for anyone who's played this game with a

00:20:22.640partner new to co-op it takes two is

00:20:25.280extremely self-aware and fans of video

00:20:28.400games will recognize some amazing

00:20:30.080references to classic games sharing that

00:20:33.120knowledge with someone new

00:20:34.880is a way to create a bridge to new

00:20:37.360understanding and i honestly love that

00:20:39.280joseph references not only a way out

00:20:41.360with one trophy but actually includes

00:20:43.679himself in the game in one area we could

00:20:46.320climb a stack of pillows and tune an

00:20:48.799antenna to listen to different

00:20:50.559conversations one of those conversations

00:20:53.200is a clip of the creator himself

00:20:55.760slamming the oscars in that well-known

00:20:58.400speech it's rad to hear and another

00:21:00.720example of pride in the finished product

00:21:03.360the fact that it takes two cannot be

00:21:05.200completed without hearing from the man

00:21:07.200who created it puts the focus back on

00:21:09.760the developers now i've said this a

00:21:11.600million times how the game constantly

00:21:14.400introduces new mechanics but the sheer

00:21:16.559delight i felt seeing the game shift

00:21:19.360into something familiar was unparalleled

00:21:22.400a fighting game segment that comes out

00:21:24.480of nowhere and it lasts just long enough

00:21:27.520to not overstay its welcome there are

00:21:29.679references to gauntlet mario kart dance

00:21:32.960dance revolution even the legend of

00:21:35.280zelda the game draws attention to these

00:21:37.600references not to make players roll

00:21:39.440their eyes but because the studio loves

00:21:42.480games and wants to share that love and

00:21:45.360pride and passion with anyone who picks

00:21:48.320up a controller the awareness of every

00:21:51.120design choice reads to me as excitement

00:21:53.840on hazel light's part but it never feels

00:21:56.159distracting even the aforementioned

00:21:58.080fighting game portion doesn't feel

00:21:59.679distracting because two players have a

00:22:01.919role to fulfill my partner may be the

00:22:04.000one battling the squirrel on top of a

00:22:06.000plane but i still have something to do

00:22:08.960the developers recognize that taking the

00:22:10.960controller away from the player would be

00:22:13.440boring and unfun so i still had to steer

00:22:16.400that plane knowing about game culture

00:22:18.720helped hayes like create a game where

00:22:20.799nearly every moment is fulfilling for

00:22:23.360both players which is an incredible feat

00:22:25.840here letting both players get a chance

00:22:28.080to shine throughout our 11-ish hours of

00:22:30.240playtime is maybe the smartest and most

00:22:33.120understated design choice of it takes

00:22:35.280two everyone plays a little differently

00:22:37.760but everyone wants to feel awesome at

00:22:39.679some point and this delivers that

00:22:41.760feeling consistently we didn't even have

00:22:43.919to wait around for each other and even

00:22:45.840the most complicated puzzles never

00:22:47.600stumped us for too long and because we

00:22:50.080never had to wait around for each other

00:22:52.159it felt more fun to explore areas

00:22:54.559together even the most difficult

00:22:56.240platforming section which is a single

00:22:58.000area in the cuckoo clock called hell

00:23:00.080tower we decided to climb it together in

00:23:02.799solidarity the game feels like there's

00:23:05.039constantly this give and take to

00:23:07.200progression that will make any couple

00:23:09.280playing this game feel smart and like

00:23:12.480they're having fun together i think the

00:23:14.559game's best sequences are in that cuckoo

00:23:16.960clock we were always doing something

00:23:18.880together and never had a dull moment

00:23:21.280every action felt necessary like we were

00:23:23.840trading a tool back and forth every set

00:23:26.320piece feels epic looks incredible and

00:23:28.480sounds phenomenal this chapter occurs

00:23:30.960right at the turning point in the story

00:23:32.960and pat and i actually found ourselves

00:23:35.120rooting for our player characters in a

00:23:38.000way that we hadn't been up until that

00:23:40.559point it takes two pulls out all the

00:23:42.960stops around here i could feel the love

00:23:45.760the passion

00:23:47.120pouring out from this labor of love of

00:23:49.039the game from the outset of it takes two

00:23:51.279the question always was whether or not

00:23:52.960this game would deliver on its premise a

00:23:55.200fully co-op game where two players would

00:23:57.840feel fulfilled upon completing it and

00:23:59.919that would seem impossible and of course

00:24:01.840for us completionist it takes two lakhs

00:24:04.080the traditional completion bonus is

00:24:05.600there however

00:24:07.039we both had a fantastic time earning all

00:24:10.40021 trophies was a instant snap and it

00:24:13.360was possible to do so in only one

00:24:15.600playthrough there really is something

00:24:17.760here for everyone from people who play

00:24:20.000games for a living to those who just

00:24:21.919want to explore a really well designed

00:24:24.080world hazelite purposely made the

00:24:26.400completion process relatively simple but

00:24:28.960that doesn't mean doing so

00:24:31.039isn't satisfying

00:24:33.039intakes 2 reminded me of what it takes

00:24:35.440to be a trailblazer in this industry

00:24:38.080joseph ferris and hayes light pulled out

00:24:40.080all the stops for this game it's funny

00:24:42.559it's fun it's therapeutic and sharing it

00:24:45.120with another person is a wonderful way

00:24:47.600to share that love and passion that goes

00:24:50.559into creating games with a loved one

00:24:52.880completing this game with another person

00:24:54.640feels necessary especially in this weird

00:24:58.400crazy time when everyone is just cut off

00:25:01.200from each other it takes two wants to

00:25:04.080bring people together and i genuinely

00:25:06.400think that is beautiful

00:25:08.559whether you've been playing games for a

00:25:10.480long time or you're introducing them

00:25:12.640recently it takes two wants to meet you

00:25:15.520there

00:25:16.320completing it is well within the grasp

00:25:18.640of anyone especially if you have a

00:25:20.640partner by your side willing to go that

00:25:22.960extra distance so with that in mind guys

00:25:26.159i give this game my completionist rating

00:25:28.640of complete it

00:25:31.090[Music]

00:25:34.480complete

00:25:36.290[Music]

00:25:58.400you