As a TGA Game of the Year winner, it’s no surprise that It Takes Two has proven influential to indie developers across the world. Not only are there co-op projects being worked on with similar gameplay styles, giving players control of two distinct characters with different objectives and roles in every single stage, but the idea of a Friend’s Pass has become extremely common since Hazelight popularized the concept. For instance, the upcoming Steam game Age Twisters boasts both of the traits that helped make It Takes Two such a hit: the aforementioned Friend’s Pass and the use of two extremely different characters.
As its title suggests, Age Twisters is a Steam game that uses the concept of age as a gameplay mechanic, and to drive that idea home, players will either control a young daughter or an old grandfather (who can change their age beyond that). More comparable to the dynamic between Carl and Russell from Disney-Pixar’s Up than the struggling romance of It Takes Two or the rocky friendship of Split Fiction, this game’s leads will literally have to step into each other’s shoes if they want to achieve their goal. With players constantly needing to switch between different ages to progress, and each state having clear benefits and drawbacks, successfully working together will be no easy task.
Age Twisters’ Steam page doesn’t offer a release date, with the game still “being prepared” by developer Piccolo Studio and publisher Krafton.
Age Twisters Features at a Glance
- PLAY with a friend in two-player co-op, with a Friend Pass system ensuring that only one player needs to own the game.
- MASTER the titular Age Twister bracelets to become a child, teenager, adult, or senior, each with unique traits.
- COMMUNICATE to progress, with proper co-operation being essential to get through stages.
- EXPERIENCE a range of unique challenges, from stealth and combat to driving and platforming.
Age Twisters is a 2-player co-op narrative adventure game… Play as a grandfather and granddaughter to solve puzzles by freely changing your age and reveal the dark secrets hidden beneath a facade of lies.
Age Twisters Has All The Staples of It Takes Two (and a Bit of Up For Good Measure)
Alongside the old person and young person pairing that proved so memorable for the film Up is the promise of an impactful narrative via the tags on the game’s Steam page. It’s clear to see where the moving elements of the co-op game story will come into play, too, as the grandfather and granddaughter of Age Twisters aren’t just messing around with aging technology for the fun of it. The dynamic duo is looking for the young girl’s long-lost mother and, by extension, the old man’s daughter. With “dark secrets” and “a facade of lies” promised, the entire story should be intriguing, but it’ll surely be this family reunion (or lack thereof) that serves as an emotional gut punch.
Outside of a story built to get a reaction out of its audience, Age Twisters shares It Takes Two’s best feature: constantly evolving gameplay. Much like every level of It Takes Two offers a fresh gameplay mechanic to tackle and fresh obstacles to overcome, Age Twisters constantly shakes up its gameplay. Examples shown and mentioned include:
- Top-down shooting aboard a train
- A chase sequence with holobikes
- A puzzle involving chicken teleportation
- A stealth segment involving a suitcase like Solid Snake’s cardboard box
- A horror segment involving flashlights and spider nests
- A 1v1 arena battle with dinosaur mechs
- The use of a baby-making gun
- A dance mini-game required to sneak into a criminal’s base
Find the odd one out before the timer hits zero.
All of this content is packaged within a charming and colorful art style that should instantly remind gamers of the best Disney and Pixar films. The environments look as varied as the mechanics, too, with everything from deserts and jungles to factories and facilities depicted in early screenshots and footage. While some of these ideas have been seen in the genre before, such as the dance-to-infiltrate concept being utilized by Split Fiction’s monkey king sequence, bouncing between them should still feel fresh. There’s no telling how far Piccolo Studio will go with each idea, too, as some mechanics could make for brief segments while others are used within entire levels.
Age Twisters Keeps Co-Op as Accessible as Possible
Age Twisters utilizes the Friend’s Pass feature that is becoming increasingly common amongst games that demand two players at all times. The system functions just like it does in Hazelight’s AAA releases or indie games like Dual Fire: Walled City, with only one player needing to own the game in order for a duo to experience the entire story together. Whoever purchases the game will be able to send an invite to a friend of their choosing, unlocking the game for that player and allowing them to come along for the ride.
Additionally, to remove any potential barriers that could interfere with online play, such as internet connection issues, couch co-op will also be available for Age Twisters. This way, a duo can enjoy the game however they sit, whether it be in person on a couch or in an online game session. This highly accessible approach, combined with a staggering amount of gameplay variety and a narrative that’s guaranteed to be emotional, makes Age Twisters deserving of a spot on the Steam wish lists of any player who enjoyed the biggest co-op games of the 2020s.
