E45 Unravel Two

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E45 Unravel Two

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E45 Unravel Two

How entertaining is a piece of string? (or two)

Pixel Vision

Oct 02, 2022

Ben and Tao tug and pull each other - not like that - as they swing from leaf to bough to frog to swan, in stringy suburban couch co-op pendulous puzzler, Unravel Two. The duo break down exactly what they’re looking for in a co-operative platformer and if this side scroller has all the right ingredients. Between comparisons to other co-op titles and nearly random film references, they talk friendship, fascism, faux urgency, the role of metaphors in story design, and of course their own interpretations of the Unravel Two plot. Plus, what makes a suitable audience, and why Ben’s sudden interest in simulations may be linked to his new VR headset. Negligible spoilers.

Content Warning: PEGI 12. Some bad language but not worse than your average playground. No violence. No sex. Good or bad? You decide! (And let us know in our Suggestion Box…)

Clarifications:

If it isn’t obvious, the audio at the end is Ben and Tao narrating their own playthrough of Unravel Two. It’s not the commentary track of an inappropriate DVD.
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) is a sci-fi comedy from Mark Duplass.
Vengeance (2022) is a comedy film written and directed by B. J. Novak. Ben enjoyed it and recommends. You can see other films he liked (and hated) here: BennyViews.com
Tao references N! - game you can still play in browser here: https://www.thewayoftheninja.org/n.html (it’s not as fun as everyone remembers it)
We reviewed Overboard! Here:

Pixel Vision

E39 Overboard!

Listen now (57 min) | Danger lurks as Ben and Tao figure out not just how to get away with murder, but how to do it with aplomb, in Inkle’s inverted murder mystery whodunit - (we did!) - Overboard! As well as discussing the various solutions and outcomes of the tricksy puzzler, the pair discuss the innovative use of time, repetition as b…

3 years ago · Pixel Vision

We reviewed It Takes Two here:

Pixel Vision

E26 It Takes Two

Listen now (60 min) | Ben and Tao sit down to overcome their differences through Dr Hakim’s therapy-with-a-difference in the maritally redemptive, cooperative 3D platforming genre mangler, It Takes Two. In a very grown up discussion, they chat relationship difficulties, target audiences, comparable cooperative games and the confusion of critical acclaim, the role of minigame…

3 years ago · Pixel Vision

We reviewed Astroneer here:

Pixel Vision

E11 Astroneer

Listen now (57 min) | Equipped with space suits, backpacks and their trusty terrain tools, Ben and Tao shuttle between stars and planets while sucking up every available resource in space industry sandbox, Astroneer. The duo ponder the contrast between procedurally generated sandboxes and narrative driven adventures, the importance of tutorials, creation versus consumption, …

4 years ago · Pixel Vision

We reviewed Greedfall here:

Pixel Vision

E9 Greedfall

Listen now (62 min) | Ben and Tao don their tricornes, unsheath their long swords and spare no prisoners as they ravage the virgin lands of Teer Fradee in colonialist RPG epic, Greedfall. Tao takes issue with the representation of race and colonialism, while Ben takes umbrage with just about everything else. Despite the theme, diplomacy goes out the window and harsh truths a…

4 years ago · Pixel Vision

Audio extracts:

Monty Python - Bring Out Your Dead
Al Bowlly - Goodnight Vienna
Spanish Flea by Herb Alpert
Overboard! Game (2021)
The Amazing Spiderman - 1960's Cartoon theme
The Mighty Boosh - ‘Hold Me’
Half-Life 2
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes by Liam Sauvé
It Takes Two OST
Are we the baddies? - Mitchell and Webb
Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr. Hitler by Jimmy Perry and Derek Taverner (Dad’s Army theme)
A Way Out game (2018)
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons game (2013)
Portal OST - 'Still Alive' by Jonathan Coulton
Astroneer OST
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) feat. Mark Duplass
Greedfall OST by Olivier Deriviere