Chapter 147: Split-Screen Cooperation
"This game uses split-screen! How retro!" Mike said with excitement.
The split-screen option is a truly retro feature. In today's internet era, multiplayer games rarely require playing on a single computer. But in the era of a less developed internet, network conditions clearly did not allow it. In these circumstances, some two-player games used local split-screen mode.
This means that the screen is divided into two, one for one player and one for the other. So when Mike discovered that It Takes Two had split-screen, he was a little surprised.
"I think it's fine. I can see your screen. I guess we'll need it for some level designs later." Sarah didn't pay much attention to it.
The two chatted as they advanced. Soon they encountered the first puzzle.
After pulling the switch, the elevator didn't fall. Instead, the three fuses it contained grew and ran away. Two of them didn't run far, but the mischievous Fuse escaped.
"This Fuse grew legs and ran away?!" Mike asked, surprised by the game scene.
"Why are you so surprised? Didn't you read fairy tales as a child? They are anthropomorphic, right? Books come to life, so what's so strange about a Fuse growing legs? We are still made of clay and wood!" Sarah joked, standing beside him.
This Fuse chase basically served as a tutorial on the game's basic controls: landing in the air to activate switches, wall jumping, double jumping, double jump sprinting, climbing, and running.
However, this entire tutorial gave Mike and Sarah a unique experience, and they also discovered the advantages of the dual-screen mode. They could see the content of the other's screen in real time and follow their movements. If the other person made a mistake, they could immediately tell them and teach them how to pass the level.
Without the dual-screen mode, both players would have to be in the same place; otherwise, it would be difficult to know where the other person was without seeing the screen. Additionally, the map in It Takes Two is quite large, which makes the dual-screen mode perfect for the game!
The puzzles in the first few levels were practically easy. Sarah and Mike played happily, quickly finding and replacing the lost fuse. An elevator took them up to a table, where their daughter was writing a letter.
Just as Cody and May excitedly prepared to talk to their daughter and ask her how to get the doll out, Dr. Hagin appeared and opened the door of a closet. Inside was a broken vacuum cleaner.
The vacuum cleaner reacted with hostility towards Cody and May. Cody had used it to vacuum up all kinds of dirt, such as fruit pits and plastic bottles, and it had broken down. May promised to fix it, but simply left it in a corner of the room, completely unattended.
"I think the keyboard broke last time because you spilled soda on it!" Sarah looked at Mike, observing the scene.
"Accident... accident, stop talking and watch the plot, a new level has begun! This is not the tutorial level!"
Mike coughed twice, looked at the game screen, and changed the subject. 'Who hasn't broken something accidentally? Besides, he was very serious about fixing it. He immediately threw it in the water to soak it and then left it in the sun for two days. Unfortunately, the keyboard did not survive.'
Hearing Mike's words, Sarah pursed her lips, but still refocused on the game. In any case, this beginning had piqued her curiosity.
Throughout the game, Cody and May are not the characters from Dark Souls, who only exchange three lines of dialogue: "Hey! Hey! Ah!". May and Cody exchange dialogue according to their actions. These dialogues convey the essence of their relationship, each believing they are right and the other is not.
As for the plot, it is evident that It Takes Two is a family drama full of clichés. Although they have just finished the tutorial, the game's trailer and the content shown so far have already revealed the plot, not only to Sarah, but to many other players.
It simply follows May and Cody, with the help of Dr. Hagin, the Book of Love, through their tacit cooperation, rediscovering their mutual love and finally reuniting as a family. It is a decidedly cliché plot.
In addition, given the dreamlike and cartoonish art style, many players suspect that this plot will not have any unexpected twists.
Despite this, players are not curious about the ending, but about the journey in between. What difficulties will Cody and May face, what challenges will they face together, and how will they finally understand each other?
After being sucked in by the vacuum cleaner, the game begins for real.
Compared to the tutorial levels, the puzzles are relatively complex. This journey cannot be completed alone. Players must interact on the map to help another reach a certain point, which allows both to successfully complete it.
For example, in a hair dryer duct, one player enters at one end and is ejected at the other. Simply entering the duct directly will prevent them from reaching their destination, forcing another player to lift them up. The player who reaches the other end must also pull a switch so that both can successfully complete a small stage.
Additionally, some levels require more than just cooperation; some players also require coordination and tacit understanding. For example, in a ventilation duct level, players must pass through three fans, arranged in hot air, cold air, and hot air.
When one player jumps, the other must alternate between hot and cold air. In the cold wind state, the player can be launched by the cold air and continue to jump. But with hot air, they will be burned to a crisp. By pressing the button, the fan temperature will change.
In this level, players' tacit cooperation is put to the test. When one player jumps, the other must immediately adjust the fan temperature. Cooperation and tacit understanding are fully demonstrated.
And the advantage of the dual-screen mode is that not only must Cody and May cooperate in the game, but the two players behind the monitor must also work together.
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