It Takes Two (PS4)
From Hazelight Studios, the developer behind the co-op hit A Way Out, comes It Takes Two, another co-op adventure which follows story of a young girl, Rose, whose parents are going through a divorce. Hoping for them to get back together and reconcile, the parents are magically transformed into dolls made by Rose and will need the help Dr. Hakim, a relationship therapy book, to return to normal. While I didn't think much of the story at first, it grew on me quickly when the characters started working together figuring out the roots of their problems. It turned out to be a really enjoyable ride, even though the ending felt rushed.
It Takes Two is a platformer where both players either the father or mother as they must reach Rose. It starts out simple enough with you solving simple puzzles and platforming sections that require 2-player inputs while also playing some neat mini-games, which were plentiful and fun. Best yet, the game constantly switches genres to keep you hooked as you platforming in one chapter to shooting enemies in third-person shooter style in the next to even fighting a boss in fighting game fashion, all of which were a blast to play and kept the gameplay from feeling stale. I've played the game with my friend we were genuinely entertained by the game's funny dialogue and the boss fights, which ended up being a fun challenge that required smart timing from us both to beat.
What's great to know is that only one copy of the game is needed to play, as the player can receive an invitation from from the player with a copy and play either online or co-op via a friend pass. Though keep in mind that the player with the friend pass can't earn in-game trophies or achievements. It Takes Two was a surprisingly long game that took around 11 hours to beat and it was full of neat video-game references like Hazelight's A Way Out and even The Legend of Zelda. My biggest gripe with the game is that the levels tended to overstay their welcome at times and dragged on as a result.
Presentation-wise, It Takes Two looks good with its charming character models and creative level designs. Despite some occasional glitches and lags, the game ran well. The voice-work was great, featuring many great performances, especially from he parents and Dr. Hakim. As for the soundtrack, it was also good with some fun tracks though the standout is definitely the last level, which heavily music-based. Overall, It Takes Two is among the best co-op I've played and I enjoyed my time with it. Those looking for a fun, 11-hour adventure with a friend should definitely give the game a look.
Little Nightmares (PS4)
Little Nightmares is a hidden indie gem from developer Tarsier Studios and published by Bandai Namco of all things. I've read lots of praises about the game and it's sequel, which released earlier this year, so I was interested in checking it out. Little Nightmares starts-off being cryptic as you control a young girl as she must escape a large prison called "The Maw". Along the way, she'll be facing some twisted creatures who want her dead while constantly escaping danger. The game is a puzzle- platformer with horror elements as you get to climb objects, hide from enemies, and find keys to open doors, all while navigating the game's dark world with your lighter.
Little Nightmares has little in terms of gameplay and instead favors a dark and mysterious atmosphere, which would suit well for a movie. The art-direction and visuals were neat and definitely drew inspirations from movies like Spirited Away. Overall, I liked my time with Little Nightmares though I didn't find as I didn't as fun as many claimed it to be. Still, if you're up for a 2-hour adventure that packs some scares, then Little Nightmares is worth a look.
Daytona USA (PS3)
An arcade classic, Daytona USA was a racing game that debuted back in 1993 for the Sega Model 2 Arcade and while it's really old, it's still a lot of fun! The game's arcade mode has you racing across three tracks dubbed "Beginner", "Advanced" and "Expert", against 40 other race cars. You control a fairly standard race car and you get to select either manual or automatic transmission, the former being the fastest though you need to switch gears often. Daytona USA's tracks get slightly harder with constant curves and overtaking needed to stay in the lead.
That aside, the game packs other modes Time Trials, where you try to set a best record on a track and it gets uploaded to the scoreboard, Survival Mode, where you complete a bunch of missions like finishing a race or overtaking a certain number of cars before time runs out, and Challenge mode. All of which were fun to play.
Daytona USA looks ancient almost 30 years later, but what's amazing is that the game still packs its 60FPS, which makes the races a lot more smooth and fast-paced. Amusingly, the game even has a Karaoke Mode, where you sing along with the game's soundtrack. Granted, the vocals were crappy though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't fond of it. Tracks like "Rolling Start!" and "Sky High" were catchy classics and never got old. Overall, Daytona USA was a fun arcade gem that I'm glad I didn't miss out on. It's old and has little in terms of track and car selection, so fans of Sega's arcade offerings will most likely have a lot of fun here.
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