For anyone that follows the video game world, E3 is the most wonderful time of the year. The endless possibilities of announcements and hope that the game you’ve been waiting for will finally be revealed encompass E3. One of the rarest, yet most thrilling type of reveals at E3 comes in the way of a shadow drop. Starting at the very first E3 when Sega announced that the Saturn was in stores that day, publishers have occasionally announced a game and released it simultaneously. During E3 2018, at the very first of many press events, EA did just that. They announced and released Unravel Two during their event.
At the onset of the game Yarny finds himself shipwrecked and stripped of everything including his precious spark. Upon waking up on the shore he is met by another lost soul and they instantly form a bond and a new spark is born, one that links them together on their adventure. After a short period of time you can even customize both characters with different physical attributes and colors in order to play as your own iterations of Yarny and his new found friend. Game-play is similar to the first installment, but adding a second character takes what was once a fairly average, albeit adorable, platformer and turns it on its head. You can play both characters solo or with a friend and however you choose to play using the two characters together is a game changer. The only downside is the co-op is local only and no online multiplayer exists. While that is a bummer, don’t let it deter you from playing Unravel Two.
Either way you play is a completely different experience – though the levels remain the same. When you play through the game on solo you control both characters and have the option to carry one through stretches that only require one set of actions. When you are controlling both characters the way you work puzzles is a little easier. With one brain deciding what to do and less communication involved you can figure out for your self which character does what and solve the puzzles on your own. By selecting the appropriate button you can choose between which character you control and the other stays exactly how you left them until you choose to go back and play as them. When working with a partner it takes a lot of communication to ensure that you are both in the right place accomplishing the appropriate goal. For this reason alone it feels as though local co-op is a better way to play even if online capabilities existed.
As a 2.5D platformer, the game play feels like a cross between Rayman Legends and more traditional games such as Super Mario World. Certain puzzles even feel like they were taken straight from both of those games and then enhanced to account for two characters going through the level at once. The level design is brilliant and, though it starts off a little slow, the difficulty ramps up nicely – making Unravel Two acceptable yet difficult enough to appeal to gamers of all ages. For those looking for an even deeper challenge certain metals, achievements and trophies can be earned by completing levels under certain time frames and by completing them without dying. There are no set amount of lives that you have to complete the levels and no “Game Over” the way traditional platformers would have, so dying simply takes you back to the last checkpoint and keeps you from unlocking certain awards.
Unravel Two is visually stunning. Even during the E3 reveal you could tell how great the game looked even if the reveal itself felt a little stale. Much like Yarny’s original adventure, outdoor environments shine and steal the show. Inside locations look better than they did in the original, but are still outshined by anything outdoors. Like Unravel, the sequel has a greater purpose than just watching a cute yarn boy run around on an adventure, the sub-story or main story depending on how you look at it is happening in the background as you advance through each level. Often you’ll find yourself stopping to take it all in, luckily during these moments Yarny isn’t in peril so the game allows for you to do so.
Once completing the main story line there are plenty of side quests that will keep you busy for some time. The main quest will take you around 6-8 hours and with the added content and challenges they offer to get the medals and trophies/achievements. Unravel Two gives you quite a lot of game play for the $20 price point.
What a magical surprise this turned out to be and a great way to start E3. If you love thoughtful platformers and cute mascots made from yarn be sure to check out Unravel Two available now on PS4, Xbox One and PC. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll love every second of it.
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