Playing It Takes Two solo perhaps isn’t impossible, says Smash Ultimate director Masahiro Sakurai

Written by. Ryuki Ishii based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2021-12-11 13:14 JST)

Hazelight Studios’ co-op only action-adventure It Takes Two won the Game of the Year at the recently held The Game Awards 2021. And it seems like Masahiro Sakurai, director of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, is now trying to play the game, but by himself.

Sakurai tweeted out saying maybe it’s not impossible to play the game solo. Naturally, he received many reactions from users mentioning that’s not something normal people can imitate.

The  Game  Award  2021を獲得した『It  Takes  Two』。
ふたり専用ゲームであることが最大の障壁だけど、ひとりでできなくもない…かも? pic.twitter.com/xb2WtE8Fvn

— 桜井 政博 / Masahiro Sakurai (@Sora_Sakurai) December 11, 2021

It Takes Two received high praise from critics and users alike ever since the game came out in March of this year. It’s a co-op only game where each player controls one of the two main characters and must corporate in order to get through meticulously crafted puzzles and platforming sections.

There’s a Friend’s Pass system that allows the person who bought the game to invite a person who doesn’t own the game to join and play for free. It’s the kind of game you would normally play with your friend or a family member instead of a complete stranger.

In other words, you can’t play the game if you don’t have someone else to play with. Unless you can control two characters at once like Sakurai. His tweet shows how the game can be played solo by using two PS5 DualSense controllers simultaneously. That’s not something everyone can do, and likely not a desirable way to experience the game, but at least a neat workaround that takes advantage of his own skillsets.

Sakurai has demonstrated numerous times in the past “Mr. Sakurai Presents” showcases that he can actually use two controllers at once, sometimes drawing laughter from the staff and viewers. In fact, sights of him using two controllers at once can be seen even in the Super Smash Bros. Brawl era (GAME Watch). In a sense, Sakurai is a veteran at this, and maybe he made the tweet as a self-aware joke.

It Takes Two was developed with two players in mind, and it requires a lot of delicate controls with its platforming and shooting sections. I (the original author of this article) tried to play it solo myself by testing out the Sakurai method, but failed to do so. It was difficult to even keep track of the two characters on the left and right sides of the screen at the same time. There’s a lot of information to take in for a single person. That said, I’m just a novice at this. Perhaps a veteran like Sakurai may be able to do it.

Sakurai’s tweet is likely a half-joke and he didn’t assure us that it is in fact completely possible. So don’t get your hopes up. It’s likely much easier to find a person to play the game with. It Takes Two is worth the hassle and you should definitely check it out if you and the other have the time. It’s a game that requires a lot of teamwork and is a great way to bond with your friend or a family member. Who knows, maybe It Takes Two is also a great way to make up for a quarrel you had with your friend in Smash Ultimate.