With top ratings from both the media and players, and with hot discussion threads in every gaming community and forum, the hype around It Takes Two kept rising.
It wasn't just players paying attention; many designers in the gaming industry were also watching It Takes Two and studying what made it successful.
Although It Takes Two is packed with content—the main story alone takes over ten hours, spanning from the first level in the shed to the final level with the gramophone—
At its core, it's still a mid-sized game.
For some indie developers, It Takes Two is clearly too big for them to handle.
But for second- and third-tier studios, its size is something they could afford.
Compared to the big first- and second-tier companies, which usually focus on FPS or ARPG titles, these smaller studios often choose niche genres and themes.
It Takes Two is obviously a great example.
Co-op games were already rare in the market, and the success of It Takes Two also sparked player enthusiasm for this genre.
This naturally created a market.
So, where does the success of It Takes Two really come from?
Can its success be copied?
Can it be used as a reference?
These became the key questions for many studios and designers.
Its level design, balance, guidance, art style, music, and even the small details—
All of these were repeatedly analyzed, making It Takes Two the new standard for co-op games.
But for Lucas, It Takes Two had basically reached its end.
And this game is different from previous titles like Fall Guys or Overcooked.
It's not suitable for a workshop system.
The game is simply too complex. The art style of each themed scene, the level designs, and the special mechanics are all tightly tied to the story and theme.
If any part is changed, it would break the whole experience.
So even though It Takes Two is a level-based game, it's not fit for a creative workshop.
And for Lucas, the game's achievements so far were enough to satisfy him.
After all, the original goal of making this game was to let players feel the joy it brings.
Looking at it now, that goal was perfectly achieved.
In Nebula Games' office, Lucas leaned back in his massage chair, holding his phone and browsing his official page and community forums.
Under his posts were messages from players who had played It Takes Two.
Most of them were similar, basically full of praise.
What really made Lucas happy was that players finally saw him in a new light again!
One sentence summed it up: "The Warrior of Love lives up to the name."
While Lucas was scrolling through his phone, there was a knock on the office door. After he responded, Lisa came in and said, "Lucas, the reporter from GameSpace is here."
"Okay, I'll be right there." Lucas nodded.
After *It Takes Two* became a huge hit, GameSpace reached out to Nebula Games to arrange a special interview with Lucas about the game.
After all, the main buzz lately has been centered around It Takes Two, and GameSpace wanted to publish a feature.
Nebula Games and GameSpace had already worked closely together last year.
Lucas had also done interviews with them before, and the reports were fine, so he agreed to this one as well.
He walked into the lounge.
The three GameSpace staff sitting on the couch stood up. Lucas vaguely remembered the reporter in the middle.
"Last year, when GameSpace interviewed me, was it also you...?" Lucas said, looking at the name William on the reporter's badge.
"That's right, Lucas, good memory!" William smiled, but in his head, he remembered last year's interview.
Back then, he was too inexperienced. The whole thing turned into him just taking notes and being completely led around.
This year, he wasn't going to make the same mistake.
Looking at Lucas with a smile, William thought to himself.
Determined not to mess up this time, he took the lead: "Lucas, thank you for taking the time for us. Shall we start now?"
"No problem, let's get straight to it. Lisa, bring those Cokes over." Lucas nodded and sat down, then turned to Lisa.
Lisa responded and got a few bottles of Coke from the fridge, handing them out.
"Thanks…" William said instinctively as he took an ice-cold Coke from Lisa.
Then he paused for a second. This felt oddly familiar.
But this time William had learned his lesson. As the interviewer, he quickly started: "Lucas, last year your game Dark Souls had a huge impact worldwide and even won Best Role-Playing Game of the Year."
"At the same time, its story sparked heated discussions online. Many players thought your next game would be a sequel to Dark Souls, continuing its story. But this year, you released something completely different with It Takes Two. Why is that?"
Lucas smiled and nodded: "Mainly, I wanted to give something special to the players. After Dark Souls launched, I noticed a lot of players misunderstood me, thinking I enjoy making them suffer. Especially after the Game of the Year awards, many misread my thank-you speech. Honestly, that hurt a little."
"I've always tried to see things from the player's perspective. Whether it's ARPGs, RPGs, action-adventure, or casual simulation, I'm not the kind of designer who sticks to one genre. I enjoy challenging myself with different types of games."
"But there's one thing that never changes, and that's why I make games: every game carries my love for players. I've always wanted to create games that warm people's hearts."
"Dark Souls is known for being hard, but if you really study it, you'll see it's not so hard that most people can't beat it. Once you understand its level design, bosses, and combat system, the game becomes much easier."
"The key is whether players can figure out the tricks. If they don't, it feels hard. But once they do, most people can finish the game smoothly. It's just like It Takes Two: once players work together and solve the puzzles, everything flows naturally. Dark Souls works the same way."
"The difference is, Dark Souls hides this, while in It Takes Two, I made it clear."
William nodded while listening, but something felt off. He just couldn't put his finger on it.
Because everything Lucas said was true!
"Lucas, can I ask something players really care about? Will there be a sequel to Dark Souls?" William decided to steer the topic away. He didn't want to fall into Lucas's rhythm again.
"Of course. It's already in our development plans. The sequel to Dark Souls will tell a prequel story, but it'll take some time before players can see it. Still, they can look forward to the gameplay reveal in May." Lucas smiled.
Compared to last year, they didn't even have a folder created yet, but hey, hyping the game early isn't called lying—it's called building anticipation.
William didn't know that. In his head, he was already imagining the prequel demo at the showcase a month later.
He asked excitedly, "Lucas, how hard will the prequel be?"
Lucas smiled: "Like I said before, I always want to bring joy to players, something that warms their hearts. I don't think about whether a game is hard or not, but whether it makes sense."
"As for what I can share, it'll be a brand-new and crazy adventure. Players will find even bigger surprises than before, and I believe the art and gameplay will surpass the original."
Sitting on the couch, Lucas and William talked about a lot, not just Dark Souls but other things players cared about too.
Like how Nebula Games' other titles were doing overseas.
For William, this interview was pure gold.
Especially the news about a Dark Souls prequel. That made him thrilled—he was a die-hard fan himself.
With many Nebula employees watching, William walked out of the building with a bright smile.
The next day, GameSpace's homepage featured a bold, red headline: "Lucas's True Vision."
(End of The Chapter)
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