Unravel Two (Xbox One)
The first Unravel game had gorgeous photorealistic visuals coupled well with a lovely reflection on a family’s history, but its enjoyable platforming gameplay had a few hiccups that kept it from being on the same level of quality. Unravel Two had the time to learn how to iron out the kinks though, and with a second yarn person adding not only new options for game mechanics but a setup that seemed perfect for another heartfelt story told through memories, it certainly had the potential to rise above its already well-made predecessor.
Two yarn people known as Yarnys meet on the shore of a rocky island after a shipwreck, these tiny humanoids made of thread connecting the ends of their line to each other to keep them constantly linked together no matter where they go. Following a floating spark of light that will guide them forward in their adventures, the two Yarnys come across a lighthouse that will prove to be the hub by which they experience the different areas of the game. Different areas in the lighthouse will teleport them to platforming levels that all are meant to feel like real locations that tie to the narrative of a different pair of characters on their own journey.
Each level in Unravel Two’s main adventure presents apparitions of humans interacting behind the 2D plane the Yarnys are locked to. A story unfolds without words behind your own actions, an orphan girl and boy fleeing from a seemingly abusive orphanage and heading off into the world in a story that seems almost concurrent with the yarn people’s adventure due to actions you take impacting the pair’s journey directly. Unfortunately, this background story really doesn’t feel like it has a clear direction, most of the game spent following the two kids either as they relax and get to know each other somewhere nice or are constantly on the run from people trying to catch them and take them back. The lack of any explaining dialogue outside of short poetic statements tied to the level names makes this seven chapter story feel like its spinning its wheels and retreading familiar ground throughout. Disproportionate retribution also seems to happen quite a bit, because while these two kids definitely deserve to be free of their unfortunate situation, you help them burn down the forest, destroy a factory, and push one of their pursuers into a flowing river all towards these ends. As long as you don’t expect anything too meaningful or deep from it then it serves an acceptable role as the framework for the way you experience the levels, but it does seem an odd step after the original Unravel. I had worried that my own expectations might have been too high having played the first one, but my co-op partner for Unravel Two had no experience with the prior title at all and seemed similarly underwhelmed by the vague generic plot.
Unravel Two is thus left to rely on the two other components of its makeup: its graphics and its gameplay. Luckily, no compromises have been made to the absolutely beautiful style the first game evoked, the Yarnys exploring a world full of vivid detail and high quality textures. Depending on whether the two escaping children are enjoying each other’s company or on the run, the levels of Unravel Two swing from dark and dirty urban locations like a city at night or a factory to more natural and bright areas like a forest or river. Whatever you encounter is rendered with gorgeous detail that helps the area look almost real even as the ghostly images of the humans interact behind your pint-sized yarn people.
The platforming in Unravel Two is definitely a step up from the previous title as well, most of its mechanics working without any struggle. Unravel Two can be played on your own or with a second player, but the experience works similarly either way because of the way navigational puzzles are structured. Ones that require your partner can be done by alternating control of the two customizable Yarnys in single player, but if you need to focus on precision or speed, you can always have the two yarn people wind up into one character. This ability is also available in multiplayer, the option useful if you want to help a co-op partner who is struggling with a reflex focused challenge.
A lot of Unravel Two’s platforming ties to cooperation though, the fact you’re connected by the same string coming into play in many different ways. Positioning is a heavy focus as both Yarnys need to not only focus on puzzle elements like being near important switches or movable objects but things like where you can stand to open up a new mechanic your partner can take advantage of. Players might have to work together to propel one of them to a higher area or hold something in place to allow the other to traverse it, the yarn then able to be used as a rope to pull the assisting character into the new area once the puzzle is solved. Players might find themselves looking at a long drop or dangerous crossing, but by positioning the characters properly, you can use one character as a counterweight to swing over to the next spot, alternating as need be to get from place to place. Over time these take on new and more creative forms such as a level where a grouse is eager to tear the yarn people apart and the players must work together to distract it safely while the other opens up a path to progress. Areas like a kid’s playground become large obstacle courses to the tiny characters, and mechanics like fire that the yarn people can use for brief hops if they’re careful continue to spice up the regular play. There are limits to what you can try as a puzzle solution though, the two yarn characters reaching the end of their shared string if you try and create your own way around an obstacle, but for the most part this only impacts the largest and most complex challenges, most situations having intuitive designs that still aren’t too easy because of the focus on proper execution.
Regular platforming is tested in a few ways as well, mainly with things like the crawling shadows that will be an instant death if touched. Checkpoints are frequent enough that you don’t need to worry too much about failure but these do add a level of danger to simpler areas, the yarn characters needing to carefully time their jumps or maneuver their way around these creatures and similar hazards by cooperating. Your shared yarn isn’t the only mechanic you use to engage with the world either, both Yarnys able to hurl out a bit of string to hook onto points of interest. This can be used for things like swinging around with a good sense of weight and speed to it or pulling yourself up to a new area, and by working these into your interactions with your partner you can overcome more complicated area designs. Similarly, if you need a boost up to a higher area, the game features plenty of obvious spots where you can tie some thread to two hitching points to make a small trampoline. These mix together well with the co-op dynamic to make for some complex multi-step puzzles, but if you do get stuck, some small hints can help you get around a few of the more challenging moments. Even without hints the main story doesn’t feel like it asks for too much while still being enjoyable, but the challenge levels crank up the difficulty considerably, coordination and general problem solving pushed hard in these optional stages. A bit less drastic are the sparks you can collect along your journey, levels having small puzzles to acquire them that are a bit more difficult than the rest of the stage and providing you with an odd retelling of the two kid’s tales as your reward, their plight presented through paintings of colorful birds in these unlockables. A bit more of that difficulty could have helped the main story, but Unravel Two still has enough ideas that it never ends up too simple for its own good.
THE VERDICT: Visually splendid and an enjoyable cooperative platformer at its heart, Unravel Two doesn’t feel like a retread of the original despite some of its similarities. It did come out with a worse story that is too generic and vague to get invested in, but the levels carry the slack by setting up many platforming and puzzle challenges that test not just how you interact with the newest bit of stage design, but how you can mix your abilities with the presence of a second character to overcome whatever obstacles are in your way. The game does save its best puzzles for optional content, but the main story still has enough imagination in its puzzle concepts to keep the action interesting whether you’re alone or working with another player.
And so, I give Unravel Two for Xbox One…
A GOOD rating. The polish of Unravel Two’s platforming and the solid concepts featured in its problem solving moments would have made it a wonderful fit for the first game’s more heartfelt and memorable plot, but instead Unravel Two follows an uninteresting pair of children constantly on the run or laying about. If you let it fade into the background instead of focusing on it too much then the game does do a lot interesting with its focus on cooperation and the areas look wonderful even when they’re trying to look dark or gloomy. There’s definitely enough to it to still be enjoyed, but the challenge levels show the potential the mechanics had to go for something more engaging and complex, the main story still designing levels that use it well but perhaps needing to embrace the greater intricacy of those stages to really stand out as a platform game. The cooperation angle, even if you’re only cooperating with yourself, has an effective relationship with the different gimmicks and platform layouts of the game’s seven chapters, so Unravel Two still works out to be a good gaming experience with a lot of charm thanks to its lovely environments.
Unravel Two is almost a superior sequel, most of what it needed to correct fixed and the new elements added enhancing the experience, but a little bit of the previous game’s heart was lost along the way. Playing with another person can help make up for that a bit though, so it still holds true that Coldwood Interactive have successfully crafted yet another enjoyable and adorable little adventure.