“You could say you’re almost controlling their emotions, you’re almost playing their emotions,” Hazelight founder Josef Fares said. “There’s even levels where we’re actually making a mechanic for their emotions, so again: marrying the story and the mechanics. And I think for the players that’s going to feel very new, different, and unique. They haven’t played anything like this before.” He’s going to be thrilled/mortified when he discovers the past decade of indie puzzle-platformers. It Takes Two is due to launch in 2021. For now, its website has… no information. Kevin Wong played Hazelight’s last with his wife for our A Way Out review, and found they slipped into the characters, having started out trying to analyse situations logically and tactically. “But the deeper we delved into the game, the less we were debating as Barbara and Kevin, and the more we were debating as Vincent and Leo. We had identified with our characters, and we were advocating for their respective views and wants. Usually, in the course of gameplay, a game’s character becomes an avatar for you. But A Way Out accomplishes something far more subversive and bold. Eventually, for better or for worse, you become an avatar for your character.” Whatever you call it, hit our E3 2020 tag for more from this summer’s blast of gaming announcements, trailers, and miscellaneous marketing. Check out the PC games at the PlayStation 5 show, everything at the PC Gaming Show, and all the trailers from the Xbox showcase, for starters.
