Let’s find out together in this review how It Takes Two fares in its brand new adaptation for the Nintendo Switch
Since its official release, which took place last March, the latest creation by Josef Fares ed Hazelight Studios has managed to win the hearts of millions of gamers. The title has received so much acclaim from the public and critics, even reaching the point of being crowned game of the year during the ceremony of The Game Awards 2021, beating competitors of the caliber of Resident Evil Village, Metroid Dread e Deathloop. After such recognition, the development team decided to bring their work also to the hybrid of the Kyoto house, and the guys from Turn Me Up Games took care of the porting. So let’s see together in this review how It Takes Two is doing on Nintendo Switch.
Do not leave me alone
The two protagonists of the work are Cody and May, husband and wife whose marriage relationship is cracked and about to break forever. Sad and helpless to witness the constant quarrels of the two we find Rose, the couple’s little daughter, perfectly aware of the imminent separation of her parents. And this is where the magic will come into play, because, due to some dynamics that we prefer not to reveal to you to let you discover them, a spell will transform Cody and May into two dolls. Faced with this, the two will find themselves working together to cope with hundreds of vicissitudes, in an attempt to become human again.
What has been reported so far constitutes a deliberately generic summary of the incipit of the game, as we absolutely do not want to run the risk of ruining the pleasure of enjoying the plot and direction of the game. If you approach this title for the first time, you will find yourself in front of a comedy suitable for adults and children, hilarious and touching (but never frivolous), able to be loved and touch the right strings, while winking at the greatest animated films. The work is in fact able to combine brilliant narrative and gameplay expedients very well, also thanks to an artistic direction and an imagination that to define as boundless is almost an understatement.
Everything in Its Place – It Takes Two Review for Nintendo Switch
Imagination, ideas and originality. These qualities characterized It Takes Two at its original release, and in this review we are happy to say that everything has remained almost intact on Nintendo Switch as well. But let’s go in order. As with the other two previous works signed by Fares (Brothers: a Tale of Two Sons and A Way Out) here too the first thing to say is that it is not possible to play in single player. The adventure is in fact entirely designed and based on the cooperation between the two protagonists, and consequently between the two players who control them. This has allowed the development team to create situations in which collaboration goes far beyond the classic standards of cooperative games, resulting in an experience with a decidedly fresh and satisfying flavor.
In the case of the hybrid of the Kyoto house it will be possible to play together in three different ways: online, with two consoles wirelessly or with two controllers on the same console. As for the other versions, we point out the possibility of using the Friends Pass which allows two people to play together even online with a single copy of the game (the player who does not own it will have to download a special free version from the shop and then wait for a friend’s invitation). It is a big and welcome incentive, which makes it possible to greatly facilitate the search for the key element of the entire work: a partner to enjoy the fantastic adventure together.
Performance and Graphics – It Takes Two Review for Nintendo Switch
Now we come to what is perhaps the most important point of this review: how does It Takes Two run on Nintendo Switch? Let’s get the tooth out right away: as could easily be expected, the transition to the hybrid of the big N was not painless. The game features significantly lower resolution textures and a much reduced lighting system compared to its counterparts for other consoles.
It follows that the title is overall less detailed and defined, especially in the cutscenes, moments in which the glance suffers most from the sacrifices made by the development team. The situation improves a little in some sections of the game but the technical limits always affect the visual rendering, partially dampening (and above all on TV) the glimpses of the varied and colorful game world.
In the face of this, however, it must be said that the cuts made by Turn Me Up Games, however painful, were made with the right knowledge. In fact, the game runs quite well, evidence of the fact that the sacrifices mentioned above were necessary to make the most of the work. In fact, during our test we did not find almost any drop in framerate, and this translates into a fun and satisfying experience that preserves the soul of Hazelight Studios’ work intact. Considering the merits of the gameplay of the latter, it is no small thing.
A portable pearl – It Takes Two review for Nintendo Switch
Taking into account the technical sacrifices mentioned in the previous paragraph of this review, It Takes Two remains a more than enjoyable work both on the small Nintendo Switch screen and on other platforms. It should be emphasized that the features of the small hybrid (such as gyroscope or touch screen) have not been implemented in any way, but in the face of the ingenious and always different gameplay gimmicks that the title can boast of, this detail is completely negligible. From an audio point of view, too, everything is as we left it on PC, Xbox and PlayStation. The adventure is surrounded by a varied and well-made soundtrack, an impeccable sound design and a dubbing (only in English but with Italian subtitles) which boasts an absolutely first-rate acting.
Everywhere but always in two
So is it worth buying this work on the hybrid of the Kyoto giant? As always in these cases it is a purely subjective question, and various factors must be evaluated. If you have never played Fares and Hazelight Studios’ masterpiece and you have no other way to do it (or simply want to do it in portability), you could seriously evaluate the purchase, provided you turn a blind eye to the necessary graphic compromises. If, on the other hand, you own or have already played this work, know that, apart from the aforementioned portability, this conversion does not offer any exclusive content or functionality to encourage purchase, and therefore at that point the decision is up to you alone.
What do you think? Have you already played this title on other consoles or do you plan to take this opportunity to do so? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned to TechGameWorld.com for all the news dedicated to the world of video games. To buy video games at a discounted price, we advise you to take a look at the Instant Gaming catalogue.
An amazing adventure always with you (at the price of some graphic sacrifices).
Plus points
- The obvious sacrifices on the technical front do not detract from the gaming experience…
- Even today and on Switch it remains a satisfying and perfectly usable experience
- If you’ve never played it this could be the right opportunity…
Points against
- …but in some situations (like in cutscenes) they are more evident
- All the potential of the console could have been exploited more
- …if you already own it for other consoles, you may not find valid reasons to buy it again