It Takes Two game is only the latest in a long line of Electronic Arts' surprisingly fruitful and substantial Originals program. Having produced some really impressive games such as Sea of Solitude, A Way Out, and the two Unravel games, we ended up becoming big fans of it. The great news, then, is that It Takes Two looks to be continuing this pattern of groovy goodness.

This cooperative multiplayer title from the makers of A Way Out - Hazelight Studios - isn't going to be the grand crime-drama like its predecessor. Instead, it seems to be aiming at the niche of mascot gaming. One that has, over the past decade or so, very nearly died out. That alone makes us interested in what It Takes Two has to offer. Add its snazzy-looking hot-seat multiplayer functionality to the mix, and we're basically sold!

Today, we're going to take a look at It Takes Two: the features, the draws, the PC system requirements. And more, of course. If you're in need of a new hot-seat title, bear with us and see what all the hubbub is about!

Pre-order It Takes Two via 2Game and snag a lovely pre-launch discount!

It Takes Two Game: What is it?

First things first, we feel that the premise of the game really needs a bit more explanation. In It Takes Two, players take control over a bickering couple - May and Cody - who had been turned into tiny dolls, as you do. The pair then gets trapped in a strange, magical world where things kind of stop making sense. Naturally, the only way is forward! This leads the protagonists into all sorts of tomfoolery. From gaming on systems that hadn't been designed for thumb-sized people all the way to duking it out with gangster squirrels.

No, yeah - that's a thing.

As you can probably tell by now, It Takes Two's narrative conceit is here primarily to take the players for a ride, and what a ride that's looking to be. Since this is a cooperative multiplayer title, expect top-tier puzzling and tense platforming sections. The variety on show is really something else, too. So far, we've seen third-person-shooter sections, vehicles, and a number of other exciting activities. But don't take our word for it, check out the trailer and see for yourself!

 

According to the official pitch, It Takes Two aims to provide "genre-bending challenges and new character abilities to master in every level," as well as a "metaphorical merging of gameplay and narrative that pushes the boundaries of interactive storytelling." Talk about high-stakes...

How does It Takes Two's multiplayer work?

As we've already established, It Takes Two has hot-seat multiplayer: local split-screen functionality that lets you play with a pal, a partner, or a pet on the same console. Depending on how often you drop by, you may know that this is one of our favorite features. While it's a perfect match for those who've got another gamer under the same roof, some of us just aren't quite that lucky.

Thankfully, this game also has full online multiplayer support. Better still: only one of you needs to own the game in the first place, thanks to Electronic Arts' Friend's Pass feature.

What is Friend's Pass and how does that work?

The concept of Friend's Pass is simple: the person you want to play It Takes Two with doesn't even need to purchase the game in the first place. The system will work precisely as it did with A Way Out, you see. It's enough for one person to own the game, and the other will then be able to use the 'Play with Friend's Pass' option to join you regardless.

Naturally, they won't be able to play the game on their own, but since It Takes Two has no single-player, that's not such a major loss, we think.

Is It Takes Two's Friend's Pass feature available on PC?

Absolutely! Friend's Pass is available on all platforms on which the game is coming out in the first place: nothing to worry about on that front.

Does Friend's Pass allow crossplay between platforms?

While it would be pretty darn ideal for anyone to be able to play It Takes Two with anyone else, we're sorry to report that this isn't the case. It Takes Two has no crossplay. It does, however, feature cross-generation multiplayer. If, for example, you bought the game on Xbox Series X, and you've got a friend who wants to join in on the fun with their Xbox One - they can!

Planned Release Date and Pre-Order Guide

It Takes Two is set and primed to launch on March 26th, 2021. Just a bit over a month to go!

Depending on how you look at these things, you'll be either pleased or disappointed to hear that there are no pre-order goodies to mention, either. Of course, that's where we come in with a neat little pre-order discount, if you're into that sort of stuff.

Otherwise, you don't get any sort of early access functionality like Persona 5 Strikers does, for example (available now for pre-orders, by the way). From what we can tell, the game won't support skins nor unlockables, either. There simply wasn't much to rely on for developers in this regard. But that's okay if you ask us! Hazelight is known for delivering complete and uncompromising experiences across the board.

We're looking forward to seeing this one in motion, too.

It Takes Two PC System Requirements and Other Technical Info

it-takes-two-game5

It Takes Two looks really good. Like - really, really good. Featuring advanced lighting and plenty of visual fidelity to throw around, It Takes Two is unsurprisingly taxing on the hardware. That's right: your old laptop with a GT 820M just won't cut it this time around.

Now, if you're wondering why a comparatively tame-looking game such as It Takes Two has higher system requirements than, say, Hitman 3, the answer is simple. Split-screen doesn't come cheap. For a game such as this to work properly, your system will need to simultaneously render two completely separate viewpoints. In effect, that's almost as taxing as running the game twice! Naturally, this does mean that you won't need a Threadripper CPU, but your GPU will be pushed hard.

Minimum PC System Requirements

Recommended PC System Requirements

GTX 980 is getting a bit long in the tooth, sure, but it's a fairly competent GPU regardless. It's roughly as fast as the 6 GB VRAM version of GTX 1060 according to UserBenchmark, so keep that in mind if you're worried if It Takes Two will run properly on your rig.

Have We got High Hopes for the It Takes Two Game?

In 2021, it's not particularly hard to find cooperative multiplayer games. In fact, there are so many of them available that we don't think we could shake our collective stick at! However, none of them offer the kind of tightly knit co-op that Hazelight titles do. Look, we're not ones to praise commercial awards, but it's no accident that A Way Out got its BAFTA for Multiplayer.

What we're getting here you'll be hard-pressed to find virtually anywhere else. Like it or hate it, It Takes Two's bound to be a real slam-dunk for fans of hot-seat gaming. We can't wait to give it a proper whirl!

Be ready to join in on the fun with a friendly gamer on day-one with our A Way Out game pre-order discount!

It Takes Two game is only the latest in a long line of Electronic Arts’ surprisingly fruitful and substantial Originals program. Having produced some really impressive games such as Sea of Solitude, A Way Out, and the two Unravel games, we ended up becoming big fans of it. The great news, then, is that It Takes Two […]