Review – Unravel Two

Developed by Coldwood Interactive

Published by Electronic Arts

Played on PS4 PRO

I remember at E3 2015 watching the first reveal of Unravel by its creative director Martin Sahlin and the first thing that caught my attention was how nervous he was but was filled with so much genuine excitement at being able to finally show the world the game he and his team had made. I really liked the message he was trying to convey by saying that as game makers they have a responsibility to do more than just entertain as games are powerful things and they have the ability to grab you in a way different from other art forms. Alas, somehow when the game was released I did not get the chance to play it, for some reason I always see the game on sale and never picked it up and eventually it just fell off my radar.

Love forms bonds between us, but not to hold us back

They’re meant to save us if we fall, or help us all climb higher

Yes, things break beyond repair sometimes, but we can always build anew

If our fire ever fades, it just takes a single spark to set it off again

No matter how dark things get, we can all help light the way

We can make this life beautiful, for ourselves and for each other

And we all deserve to be here, whatever shape or colour we come in

Unravel Two was revealed and released during EA’s Let’s Play at E3 2018. That was not the only surprise as during the reveal trailer (beautifully paired with Aurora’s Queendom) it can also be played with a partner (local co-op only). Together with the updated graphics, it was definitely a game I needed to get as I am always on the lookout for fantastic couch co-op games to play with the wife. Although this game can be played solo, I would recommend playing it with a friend or a loved one as there is just something magical about that experience. My wife is not so much of an avid gamer but she does enjoy the co-op experience with me. I see that as a gateway for her to slowly feel comfortable to try out new gameplay experiences on her own. Unravel Two was both a very pleasant experience for us both and I believe it has brought her closer to that threshold.

What We Liked

• Graphics – Absolutely gorgeous. Some levels are just so picturesque. Forests are beautiful, Water effects are gorgeous.
• Music – The whole game is littered with beautiful pieces of music. The final level in particular.
• The physics-based puzzles – We liked that the puzzles ranged from simple to teach you how the mechanics are supposed to work to the harder ones where it does require some imagination and teamwork.
• Teamwork – If one player is not good enough to traverse some platforming they can always “piggyback” off the other player.

What We Wished Could Be Better

• Story – There was very little of it as occasional “ghosts” to shed some light on the overall story arc fail to properly convey more than just simple point A to B stuff.
• Length – We do wish the game was longer. There are only 7 levels and although they are replayable for the timed challenges and collectibles it still feels rather short.
• Linking everything better – The overall message can be lost because as we were playing we don’t know how the Yarny’s match up to the supposed “ghosts” of the boy and girl that we kept seeing at intervals of the game. What were the collectibles for? What is the lighthouse? Who were the boy and girl? *SPOILERS* Why were there so many Yarny’s at the end? *END SPOILERS* Who are the smoke monsters? (We felt LOST. Get it? *wink wink*)