Fighting for Family in Hazelight Studios’ It Takes Two

When I first dove into It Takes Two, I was expecting a relatively straightforward co-op experience that maybe told a fun story—to experience a game where I could have fun with a friend for a few hours and then move on to the next title. What I got was an in-depth, complex game that explored not only the nature of marriage and relationships and what makes them work but also an incredibly polished co-op game that blended together multiple genres and did not have a single moment that I found dull or boring.

It’s easy to look at It Takes Two as simply a game about divorce. I think it does a tremendous disservice to describe it in such simple terms. It Takes Two taught me the power of words. It taught me that how my wife and I treat each other in front of our children impacts the way our children not only view themselves but the world around them. Having a healthy family dynamic means more than just making sure everyone has food, clothing, and shelter. It means that we are feeding each others’ hearts, minds, and bodies with love, honesty, and healthy affection, and affirmation.

As I watched the husband and wife in It Takes Two slowly realize all of the ways they had let not only each other but their daughter down, I found myself reflecting on my shortcomings as a father and seeking ways that I can do better in both my marriage and attempts at parenting. So often, I get caught up in my work or my hobbies, but there is a balance to be found where I can intentionally invest in my wife or children with something that is important to them. Any relationship takes effort, and it’s so easy to let our regular everyday routine get in the way of the things we need to do to take our relationships to the level they need to be in order to not only succeed but excel.

Marriage and parenting truly take two; each person has to do their part. It’s not easy, but the reward is worth the effort we put into it. It takes sacrifice, hard work, and appreciation for the effort that our partners and children put into their side of the equation. I won’t spoil the ending, but I think the developers did a great job crafting a story that is powerful and worth experiencing. Heck, consider it cheap marriage therapy!