The story centers on a very-obviously-not-compatible couple called Cody and May. And it handles them about as well as a baby holding a shotgun. It Takes Two then handles something altogether different, looking at the idea of divorce, relationships and what it means to be a parent. The Last Of Us looked at the idea of loss and grief, Red Dead 2 flirted with the notion of sacrifice and that fine line between right and wrong, while morally grey choices have been a hallmark of games like Fallout for years. It’s also an exclusively co-op game, so there’s no chance of you flying solo on this one.Īs gaming “grows up”, we’ve seen the medium extend narratively to showcase some incredible stories. Much like A Way Out, the aim of the game here is teamwork and that’s echoed through many of the resonate themes the game plays with. The gameplay mechanics are slick, inventive and really quite impressive crafted. The level design for these early moments are exquisitely designed, with a natural flow from one area to the next. That’s particularly frustrating too because for half of its 15 hour run-time, It Takes Two is a nigh-on perfect game. When it comes to It Takes Two – which scooped up the Game of the Year award for 2021 – this unique co-op adventure boasts varied gameplay, some beautifully crafted puzzles… and a terrible narrative. Between the sexual abuse allegations, the constant pressure of crunch and a lot of games pushed back to 2022, the year’s best titles were sporadically dotted across the 12 months. Warning: The review below does include big spoilers pertaining to a certain plot development midway through the story!Ģ021 was not a great year for gaming. Great gameplay overshadowed by a woeful story You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here. The Gardens Between was reviewed using a final “retail” Windows PC download code provided by The Voxel Agents. It’s out on September 20 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Mac. The Gardens Between successfully weaves its theme of memory with its mechanic of stopping time, presenting a satisfying story that offers challenge, escapism and magic. And for a retail price of $19.99, this game offers plenty of value. I was never bored, nor frustrated, not once. This is a sign of a puzzle game that has largely served its purpose. Others take a little thought, but none are particularly fiendish.īy the end of the game, I wished for more: more islands and more challenge. Most of the puzzles require that I simply observe the passing of time and the movement of useful objects. If I use a saw to cut a plank of wood, and then rewind time, the plank of wood is still sawed, for example. The best puzzles require lateral thinking, a to-ing and fro-ing of time that makes use of the object at hand, while playing fast and loose with the laws of chronology. I find myself smiling broadly at these funny, clever puzzles as their secrets are revealed. One island is built almost entirely of a rickety pile of dinosaur bones, requiring that I make and unmake them, over and over again, in order to ascend its heights. On another island, they play with an old Walkman, manipulating music to achieve their goals. Yet its use of childhood things also creates specific and delightful puzzles based on the artifacts of youth, creating innovative approaches to time manipulation.Īt one point, the friends interact with an old computer, and figure out how to ‘code’ it. Passing from childhood to adulthood is hardly a novel theme in the world of games - frankly, it’s overworked - and there’s a sense of indie-familiarity about this world’s cutesy aura of color, light and music. This focus on childhood binds the story together and presents us with a melancholy theme of memory and loss. So, one island is based on video games, another on card games, another on sports, another on pop music. The islands are themed according to youthful pursuits. Childhood things create specific and delightful puzzles
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