The topic of divorce isn’t supposed to be fun, but no one told Swedish game designer Josef Fares. 

It Takes Two is the newest action-adventure platformer from Hazelight Studios, the developers behind the co-op hit A Way Out. The game follows Cody and May, a married couple on the brink of divorce, as they are turned into tiny dolls by an ancient spell accidentally cast on them by their daughter Rose’s tears after she learns of their plan to separate.

Fares wasn’t exactly shy about his expectations for his newest game, with quotes ranging from “I can literally give 1,000 bucks to anyone who says, ‘Oh, I’m tired of this game now because it doesn’t surprise me’” to “it’ll blow your fucking mind away.”

A veteran in the niche co-op video game genre and the designer behind the hit co-op games A Way Out and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Fares even went as far as to say of his studio that “we are the best in the world, because no one else is doing it.”

And honestly, he’s not wrong.

But when A Way Out released in March of 2018, others’ expectations were low, and even its publisher EA didn’t believe it would break even. With a development team of around only 30 people, it seemed destined for mediocrity.

To date, it has sold over 3 million copies, shattering expectations. In a video game industry striving to make safe games that are just good enough, the originality and artistry of Hazelight Studios’ passion projects really stand out.

With success came confidence from investors, and Fares was able to expand his team to around 60 people for It Takes Two.

It Takes Two took full advantage of the increased budget and team, combining amazing graphics, deep storytelling and original co-op mechanics in a way that creates a masterpiece of a co-op story that rivals even the top games in the genre to date.

The game combines puzzle and platformer mechanics to create something somewhat unique, or at the very least long forgotten. Fighting bosses with health bars, jumping from floating platform to floating platform and cartoonish yet realistic graphics seem like relics of a bygone Playstation 2 era. And yet, despite the overwhelming popularity of open world games, It Takes Two proves that the mechanics and stylistic choices from games like Jak and Daxter or Ratchet and Clank are still a recipe for success, especially with a dash of nostalgia thrown in.

Whether you’re climbing through trees fighting as a mercenary for the squirrel kingdom, fighting off mechanical queen bees or exploring the vast reaches of outer space (which really turn out to be a pillow fort), the game’s environment interactivity really shines through as well. You can pick up, smash or throw pretty much anything you see, leading to all kinds of discoveries that, while not necessary to the primary storyline, add texture to the game in a way many AAA titles do not.

What makes the game so compelling, though, is what should make any good co-op game a success — the communication and cooperation needed to make it through the levels. 

The game, which has no single player option, must be played in split screen either locally or online. The puzzles and fights scenes force you to constantly talk to your partner, offering no way to progress without both of you doing your part. May and Cody are given separate but complementary tools and abilities at every stage of the game (ranging from a hammer and nails to a flamethrower and gasoline), and you must work together to move through each level.

It’s clear that the game is ultimately a metaphor for a relationship, with communication being the key ingredient to making things work. While the couple’s constant bickering throughout the game — a sign of their strained marriage — doesn’t seem like it would make for an enjoyable game, it does. The game tells a real and powerful story at a point in time where 45% of marriages will end in divorce, and manages to do so in an entertaining way.

While the game’s target market is clearly couples, be it married or unmarried, it’s still a fun time to play with friends or siblings as well. The level design, graphics and puzzles are top notch, and the dialogue and storytelling are thought-provoking for anyone.

With that said, for those in a relationship with nostalgia for 2000s platform games, It Takes Two is an absolute must-play. The game is available for $39.99, and is playable on current and next gen Playstation and Xbox consoles as well as PC.