As someone who adores cooperative games and emotionally impactful art direction, I was instantly enchanted when I first played Unravel Two in 2018. The sequel to Coldwood Interactive‘s beloved yarn-based platformer Unravel, this second game focused on two adorable creatures working together to traverse colorful environments and solve puzzles.
On the surface, Unravel Two looks like a cute, kid-friendly adventure. But peering closer reveals the developers expertly conveyed a poignant narrative symbolically through the journey these heroes take. While light on plot, Unravel Two contains a powerful emotional arc about friendship and unity. For families or couples looking for an accessible, beautiful experience promoting togetherness, unraveling the story within this unique co-op game offers gameplay both touching and joyful.
Revisiting the Magic of Unravel and Meeting Unravel Two
Back in 2016, the original Unravel stood out as a gorgeously crafted indie among AAA titles. Swedish studio Coldwood Interactive partnered with Electronic Arts to publish their labor of love under the EA Originals label promoting unique independent games. Players took control of a tiny hero named Yarny, navigating northern Sweden-inspired landscapes while unraveling his own red yarn body to span gaps and grab onto posts.
This core unraveling mechanic struck an emotional chord as players saw Yarny slowly fall apart across the bittersweet journey symbolizing cherished memories and the passage of time. Haunting and heartfelt, Unravel enchanted gamers seeking an imaginative escape grounded by relatable themes of nostalgia, loss, and letting go.
So when Coldwood surprised everyone by announcing and releasing Unravel Two with no fanfare at E3 2018, my curiosity was piqued. This time, Coldwood opted for an upbeat cooperative adventure starring two adorable Yarnys tethered together. My wife and I jumped right in to play local co-op, instantly charmed by the gorgeous environments and endearing heroes. Together we swung, climbed, and solved puzzles as a team, falling in love with these little creatures.
But it soon became clear that beneath the vibrant, playful exterior lay a deeper meaning and poignant story conveyed through symbology and emotion rather than plot beats and dialogue.
Visual Design Brings an Intimate World to Life
Both Unravel games stand out for their incredible attention to detail in bringing natural environments to life. Coldwood designs every blade of grass, branch, cliff face, and ripple of water using photogrammetry techniques to render real-world locations into gaming spaces with a sense of authentic intimacy. The forests, fields, rivers, and towns of northern Sweden that inspire each scene feel alive.
As Yarny in the first game and the two Yarnys in the sequel, playerstraverse model-scale worlds from the perspective of miniature beings. This unique viewpoint makes mundane obstacles monumental. Ledges become sheer cliffs, puddles become vast lakes, and ropes bridge immense gaps. Every knot, stone, plant, and branch take on tactile qualities and weight through the lens of the diminutive yarn creatures.
Paired with the richly imagined environments is an evocative ambient soundtrack mixing piano, strings, and Scandinavian instrumentation. The music complements the visuals in conveying the feeling of a living, breathing world.
Cooperative Mechanics Reflect Central Themes
Unravel Two‘s core mechanics involve using each Yarny‘s body to swing from posts, tie knots onto branches, and suspend across gaps. Playing solo, you quickly swap between controlling both characters. In co-op, players must communicate carefully while moving in sync to align and connect the two Yarnys.
Many puzzles require passing an object back and forth or keeping tension on the invisible string tethering the heroes together. Through these gameplay systems, the theme of cooperation becomes central to navigating the world. The two Yarnys must rely on each other to move forward.
Compared to the first game‘s lonely journey of deterioration, Unravel Two takes a more uplifting path where companionship reinforces strength and progress. The shift from a single playable character to cooperatively moving two reflects this thematically.
Symbolic Storytelling Through a Journey Toward Hope
Rather than traditional cutscenes or dialog, Unravel Two conveys its narrative symbolically through the evolving journey of the two Yarny heroes. Across seven chapters, each themed around different environments like forests, cities, caves, and industrial ruins, the Yarnys must work together to traverse increasingly challenging spaces.
Early chapters depict a gloomy, abandoned landscape where the Yarnys appear trapped, isolated, and directionless. The world is literally colorless, with grayscale representing loneliness. As the pair progresses through challenges, color and life return to the environments. The world transforms from an oppressive place to one of freedom and vibrancy.
Without direct explanation, this emotional arc implies the Yarnys were once lost and suffering alone but found companionship and with it, hope. Their cooperation illuminates and literally reshapes the world around them into one of joy and fulfillment. For fans of symbolic storytelling, unpacking these visual themes adds weight and resonance to the experience.
The Ghost Children Provide Further Story Context
The ghostly visages of children that appear at intervals throughout Unravel Two reinforce the implied narrative of finding freedom. These melancholy spirits seem linked to the Yarnys‘ journey, observing and sometimes even DIRECTLY her.png the heroes along in small ways.
During the early grayscale levels, the ghost children peer from windows and hide in the shadows, suggesting a sense of being trapped and abandoned themselves. Later, they gleefully float and dance in the vibrant worlds once color has returned, freed alongside the Yarnys.
Fans theorize these ghosts represent children from an oppressive orphanage suggested through background elements. Their occasional interventions to aid the Yarnys imply inspiration – if these lost children can find each other and break free, so too can the Yarnys forge bonds to transform their isolation. This contextual backstory adds poignancy to the wordless narrative.
Unravel Two Considered a Masterwork of Visual Storytelling
Upon release, Unravel Two received widespread critical acclaim for its joyful cooperative gameplay, gorgeous fantasy environments, and appeal for both children and adults. Many reviewers praised how effectively the art direction and level design convey an emotional arc about companionship overcoming adversity:
- Eurogamer called it "A game with a wonderful spirit of compassion" and "A work of quiet maturity and insight."
- Game Revolution said it "Tells a wordless, yet powerful, story about the light found in darkness."
- Common Sense Media described it as, "A beautiful adventure that explores issues of loss, memory, and our connections to others."
However, the lack of overt plot did receive some critique. Game Informer concluded, "Coldwood tells a slighter, smaller tale compared to the last game’s melancholy and nostalgia."
Overall though, most agreed that while subtle, the narrative symbolism gives meaning and weight to the gameplay. Unravel Two achieves something special in how fully realized its wordless story becomes through artistry and emo rather than conventional exposition.
Critical and User Reviews
| Site | Avg. Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 86% Critics, 8.1 Users |
| OpenCritic | 86% Critics |
| PlayStation Store | 4.5/5 Stars |
Unravel Two performed well commercially, selling over 1 million copies by 2021. While lower than the breakout success of Unravel‘s 2.5 million sales, the sequel turned a strong profit given its compact development cycle of under 1.5 years.
Fan Theories Dig Even Deeper into the Meaning
The gaming community also embraced Unravel Two‘s symbolic narrative and debated even deeper hidden meanings. Popular theories based on small environmental details include:
- The ghost children died in a storm given shipwreck debris near their cliffside orphanage.
- An evil adult figure haunts the orphanage, reflected in the caged butterflies at the start.
- The name "Coldwood" refers to emotional isolation, in contrast to the game‘s warm themes.
- The final level‘s meteors and glowing tree represent an afterlife the Yarnys reach together.
Personally, as both a gamer and literature analyst, I adore these speculative readings. While not definitive, they showcase how strongly Unravel Two‘s wordless storytelling resonates. Like successful poetry, the imagery conveys essence beyond literal interpretation, with much left to the player‘s imagination.
Guidance for Parents on Co-op with Kids
As someone who has played Unravel Two with my 8-year-old daughter, I highly recommend it for parents seeking a quality cooperative game perfect for families. The puzzles provide substantial challenge without punishing failure states. Checkpointing is generous, reducing frustration.
The E10+ rating stems from a few potentially frightening situations parents should know about:
- Dark cave areas may seem ominous and tense for young kids.
- Thunderstorms with menacing strikes of lightning set an intense mood.
- Fast-moving traffic presents a sense of urgency and danger of being run over.
Younger or anxiety-prone children may want to try the early levels first to gauge if the game overwhelms them. But for most, the stunning fantasy settings and uplifting themes make for an unforgettable bonding experience.
Tips for Couples Interested in Playing Together
Beyond parents and kids, Unravel Two shines as an endearing couples‘ activity through the intrinsic cooperation at its core. Having played through the full journey with my wife, I highly recommend it to romantic partners seeking a beautiful, calming game to play together.
BOTH for couples new to gaming, the intuitive mechanics ensure anyone can pick it up and contribute. However, partners should be prepared to communicate carefully when coordinating the Yarnys. Having one person take the lead at first helps get a feel for the physics and puzzle logic.
Patience and humor smooth over the occasional hiccups of physics mishaps or misjudged timing. The experience truly excels when both players embrace the spirit of teamwork and enjoy the ride together, whether sailing smoothly or stumbling humorously.
If interested, check out co-op gameplay on YouTube to see examples of couples playing through levels together. It captures the delightfully supportive energy Unravel Two can inspire.
Does Unravel 2 Have a Story? A Resounding Yes!
While easy to grasp but challenging to master, Unravel Two‘s co-op platforming excels based on fun factor alone. Yet looking closer reveals how beautifully the journey‘s emotional highs and lows convey a symbolic narrative about companionship overcoming adversity through trust and teamwork.
Rather than spelled out through cutscenes, Unravel Two‘s story emerges holistically across the arc of the Yarnys‘ pilgrimage toward hope. For those seeking both gameplay depth and poignant meaning, Coldwood delivers an imaginative world filled with empathy and heart.
So does Unravel Two have a story? While subtle, the answer remains a resounding yes. This uplifting adventure weaves an affecting tale through artistry, design, and mechanic rather than exposition. By intertwining combat by movement with emotional catharsis, Unravel Two achieves an interactive experience both joyful and unforgettable.
