Hey, Josef Fares here, and I’m the founder and creative director of Hazelight.
Everyone here at the studio is really excited to show what we’ve been working so hard on to finally reveal. Our new game, It Takes Two, is a co-op platform adventure that’s going to blow your mind, and it’s coming to PS4 and PS5 on March 26, 2021.
After the success of A Way Out, we definitely wanted to create another co-op game. I think co-op games are very underrated for telling strong stories. There’s so much to be explored, especially from a narrative perspective. When you’re watching a movie or going to the theatre, doing it together is always more fun.
We’ve seen this in A Way Out as well and it will be an even stronger experience in It Takes Two, so that’s something we’re super excited for.
Just as with A Way Out, we’ll have the Friend’s Pass. That means that you will only have to buy the game once, and your friends can join for free. If you buy a game that’s created for co-op, it’s only fair that your friends can play it with you, without having to buy it for themselves. There’s an entire page about it over at the official EA website, so check it out if you want to know more.
It Takes Two is literally a romantic comedy, which isn’t that usual in video games. It’s about a small family, a little girl, Rose, the father Cody, and the mother May. Cody and May are about to separate. Rose is devastated about it of course, so she creates these two dolls representing her parents that magically come to life in this fantastical world. You and a friend will play the game as the doll versions of Cody and May, and you’ll go through a lot of weird and messed up things from there on.
I think people will be surprised by how touching and also hilarious the story is and how it will evolve. We also have this very crazy book character in the story, Dr. Hakim, who’s kind of a love guru, and will try and put Cody’s and May’s relationship back together by throwing them into a lot of unexpected situations.
What we’re really pushing for, is for the story to go hand in hand with the gameplay. Narratively driven games in general need less repetitive gameplay, and more mechanics that actually fits within the story.
In It Takes Two, there are moments where we actually connect Cody’s and May’s own emotions to the gameplay.
It’s hard to explain if you haven’t played it, but this is really important to us. It’s important because you see a lot of games where it’s almost like the designers and writers are doing two different experiences.
Another thing about the gameplay is its huge variety, blending a lot of different game genres. You will be shocked by it! And the variety isn’t just there for the sake of it. Variety in itself is important to keep it fresh, yes, but again, it’s actually there to reflect what’s going on in the story. Our goal is to have players wanting to finish the game and play 100% of it and not just 30% – which is often the case.
It Takes Two is going to be a wild roller coaster ride through a lot of emotions. I love messing with players’ minds! Making them second-guess. But at the end of the day, this is a story about love. I promise that you will definitely feel something when you’re done with it.