‘Unravel Two’ doubles the fun
The sequel from Coldwood Interactive adds a second Yarny to create teamwork
E3 is about what’s to come. It’s a time when gamers board the hype train that takes them to the frenzied fall season. Very few games are actually announced and launched the same day as E3, but Electronic Arts broke rank and did just that with “Unravel Two.”
The move is a doubleedged sword for developer Coldwood Interactive. E3 news briefings attract a huge audience and are poured over like Super Bowl ads. At the same time, “Unravel Two” risks being drowned out by bigger names such as “Cyberpunk 2077” or “The Last of Us Part II.”
Those who are immediately drawn to the lush visuals of “Unravel Two” will find a sequel that maintains the charm of the original, while also adding new elements. Yarny returns, but this time, it has an additional friend for the journey. That means the campaign can be played solo or cooperatively with a friend on the couch. The two Yarnys are key for the follow-up, as the gameplay revolves around teamwork and puzzle-solving.
In the original, players learned how Yarny could swing around the world like Spider-Man by tossing its string onto latch points. Elsewhere, they discovered that Yarny could create tightrope bridges by tying
one string to the end of a chasm, leaping across, and attaching it to the other side.
All those skills come into play in the sequel and already make it an inventive platformer, but the second Yarny adds a new dimension to the gameplay. With a second hero, players have a moving anchor that lets one hero hold the string while the other jumps toward a ledge. Once the partner is up there, it can pull up the ally so they can both continue.
As players progress through the seven chapters of “Unravel Two,” they’ll encounter other scenarios, in which having two Yarnys is helpful. In one case, a chicken is chasing them and one Yarny must distract the hen while the other maneuvers around
and helps with the escape. Another puzzle area requires one Yarny to activate a switch, while the other figures out the rest of the obstacle.
The two-player gameplay is inventive, but it takes plenty of coordination to maneuver around platforms and traps. With puzzles, the added layer of complexity makes them more difficult as players have to figure out how to avoid tangles and getting the most out of the limited string.
Playing cooperatively, the challenge lies in communication but a single player running through the campaign will have to adjust to the thumb gymnastics it takes to constantly switch characters and move them. A lot of the complications come from figuring out the order of switching characters and positioning them. It takes practice to be comfortable dealing with two heroes.
Like the previous game, “Unravel Two” has a story
hinted at in the background. A lighthouse is the hub world with portals leading to the seven levels, which tell a story about two kids who help each other through a turbulent childhood. Their story echoes the relationship between the two Yarnys.
Although it’s more uplifting than the original, “Unravel Two” as a whole doesn’t feel as cohesive as the original. The gameplay is excellent, but the narrative arc is out of sync with the uplifting finale that comes way too quickly. The adventure is short, but that brevity is supplemented with collectibles that add some replay value and challenge rooms, in which players can unlock new Yarnys so they can customize them more.
At its price ($19.99), “Unravel Two” gives players enough value and will make fans of the original happy, despite some narrative flaws.