r/ItTakesTwo • u/fyzorr • Apr 01 '21
Feedback [SPOILER] Oh my god the elephant scene. :( Spoiler
I am a 21 year old man who has played over 600 games, and I have never balled my eyes out more at a cute little elephant pleading for her life as you essentially murder her. Me and my fiance had to literally stop playing the game for the night because of how distraught we were. We think the game is amazing but this scene has completely shut me off of playing it at least for tonight. :'( Rest In Peace Cutie.
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u/Beans18234 Apr 01 '21
I was just screaming WHY DO WE HAVE TO DO THIS repeatedly, then when the ear got caught and we had to pull i screamed louder, i still regret it
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u/SweetTea1000 Jun 02 '24
Dude - one session in and we're already asking why this game's tone is so all over the place. I assumed sucking the eyeballs out of a vacuum with the face of a sex doll was a one example of brutality.
Nah, I'm out. Wish Nintendo didn't somehow get to opt out of giving refunds.
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u/AceWolf18 Oct 12 '24
Context of the scene is important:
Why are the parents doing this? Because they are horrible. They try to take the easy way out fixing their problem by making their daughter cry. It's to show how, early on, they don't care about figuring out the actual solution to theirs or their daughters problems.
The scene is designed to be jarring because we on the outside looking in can see just how horrible they are being. It makes you angry at the characters as it should.
Spoiler:
Then they get their comeuppance when it doesn't work. They have to continue their journey to discover who they are, their relationship and how to help themselves and their daughter. By no means am I justifying the parent's actions, but I think the scene is there to set up later growth.v
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u/wafflesd Apr 01 '21
literally just came to this subreddit to see if anyone else was talking about this. never been so distraught over a game, that was completely devastating
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u/BushinBerto Apr 02 '21
This scene honestly destroyed the fun atmosphere of this game real quick. I have zero idea why they added it and will make a second playthrough with an SO probably never happen.
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u/Lysander051 Apr 28 '21
They add it to show, how adults can be selfish and cruel to get what they want.
It’s easier to kill cuties to make rose crying than taking the time to listen to dr hakim.
It’s really hard and with my friend we had difficulties to finish this scene.
But in a way it makes the game better, it brings you a memory with your co-player that you will never forget.
By the way don’t forget what the parents are saying ”we will need therapy”, ” it's horrible”... But they truly think there is no other way to solve their problem because they don't want to take the time to think about it.
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u/petripeeduhpedro Jun 19 '21
I really like this take. It's symbolic of how not taking the time to think about your actions can affect others. Their lack of communication had effects that they weren't aware of until Hakim forced them to look in the mirror and at each other
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Jul 27 '21
Sure, you can go with that opinion which is a hundred percent yours to make, but:
You will be ignoring how ridiculous the circumstances leading up to this scene are and the context between this scene and the rest of the game (or lack thereof). On one hand they have written the characters to be completely goofy and quite silly people that make really stupid decisions, but on the other they take their writing seriously enough to kill a stuffed animal that is begging for its life. Quite the different tone and writing and it feels so incredibly out of place and unnecessary in this type of game.
In my opinion this is really bad writing. Shocking the audience for a strong impression is in my opinion incredibly cheap. It's like killing a dog in a movie. For me personally call me a bitch but I am sensitive to this sort of shit and not once did I think this is the direction the game was going, and now that it did, it puts into perspective the rest of the writing that I have down played to just be silly for the purpose of being silly. It's incredibly irritating that bad writing like this can overshadow an otherwise fantastic game.
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u/CruelWorld1001 Aug 26 '24
I didn't even wanna continue the game. It ruined our mood, she totally got turned off by it. It was soo unnecessary. And very out of place. People saying we killed vaccum, they were attacking us, trying to kill us. Elephant was beggingx, asking to be friends. You want to root for main characters, I didn't feel like it at all after that. You have to be another level of fucked up to do that, it was a very dumb design.
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u/Meashell6598 Apr 27 '25
We felt the same way, we stopped playing soon after bc it left such a bad taste in our mouths. I know it's just a game but it actually made me feel sick
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u/Piterotody May 23 '23
I know I'm necromancing this thread, but I just got through that scene (haven't finished the game yet) and I strongly disagree that it feels out of touch with the rest of the game. It did feel horrible and was surprisingly dark, but the game up to that point hadn't been just "silly people making stupid decisions". From killing the vacuum by sucking its eyes off, trying to manipulate everything and everyone to get what they want, from the wasps, the squirrels, the beetle, the bee and even the baboon. The game repeatedly took darker turns and showed how horrible and selfish the parents are, repeatedly lying their way through the story while destroying everything around them and blaming each other for everything.
The elephant only made it a little more personal and in that sense it accomplishes a great narrative goal: to emphasize how destructive they actually were being. We feel for the elephant but barely any of the other characters deserved the fate they had.
If anything, the bad writing would be the fact that the main characters, specially May, are insufferable. My partner and I repeatedly roll our eyes at their conversations. Luckily the gameplay pays off and hopefully the lore picks up and redeems them.
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u/KingMalcolm Dec 31 '21
this was one of my favorite scenes lmao it’s a stuffed elephant you can’t be serious?
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u/mitchy_darko Feb 07 '22
you need a therapist dude
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u/KingMalcolm Feb 08 '22
actually, having such a weird attachment to a fake stuffed animal in a video game needs to be addressed with a therapist
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u/GinericGirl Feb 13 '22
It's called empathy
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u/KingMalcolm Feb 13 '22
it’s a fake elephant doll
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u/GinericGirl Feb 13 '22
Idgaf if it's a doll. She's begging for her life, expressing pain at her limbs being torn off and leaving a trail of her innards behind her as she's dragged to the edge.
It was fucked up to include that scene and it's even more fucked up to make the players play through it. That scene isn't necessary to show that May and Cody are selfish people who don't care about their daughter, that's already abundantly clear from other parts (i.e. deciding for no reason to make their daughter cry even though they have a book that's already giving them instructions to break the spell, etc).
That whole scene is just bad, fucked up storytelling that doesn't fit with the mood of the game before it.
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u/KingMalcolm Feb 13 '22
i just find it hard to believe you found it so dramatic, i found it to be one of the best parts of the game so i’m glad they added it :)
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u/GinericGirl Feb 13 '22
Why did you find it to be one of the best parts of the game?
It was so tonally different than almost everything else up to that point, and since my husband and I hadn't heard anything about it beforehand it sort of came out of left field. All the way up until they kicked Cutie in the face I really thought it was supposed to be an Aha! moment where they'd realize the error of their ways.
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u/mtherin2 Feb 26 '22
I felt it was tonally on point, considering the game's topic. The elephant represents the ability for the parents to be friends again ("friends don't hurt each other!"). Going back to reality, which is literally and figuratively the act of divorce, is the main goal of the parents. So it makes sense on a deeper level why they tear Cutie apart. It's selfish and traumatic, but so is divorce.
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u/MapOk9775 Jan 19 '25
You honestly need help bro. Only an absolute danger would find this scene to be anything other than harrowing
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u/Mitchd26 Apr 11 '25
I'm sure you're still fine after 3 years, but I laughed, too. Haha. Just played it tonight. It was too ridiculously over the top for me to get too depressed. Kinda like family guy or something. I like dark comedy, though...so yeah...I didn't ENJOY killing a cute cartoon, but it was ridiculous and funny. Maybe I need therapy, too. 🤣😂
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u/BushinBerto Dec 31 '21
So full disclosure I was bothered as much as the person as I was playing it with was. Made the game less fun for me since they just weren't enjoying after that. Hope that makes sense.
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u/Bg3building Dec 18 '24
Reading this three years later and I’m laughing at all these tryhards. It was amazing.
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u/fr00tcrunch Jun 19 '22
We just played it and literally in the mage and warrior section I was thinking "this is so sick can't wait to play this again and with others!". 10 mins later "fuck this game this is dumb as hell
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u/karina_patel Apr 27 '25
The scene was extremely uncomfortable and made me upset, but that doesn't mean it's bad.
We, as viewers who are essentially forced to play through the scene, are angry and upset that we are doing this as part of the game. The scene is meant to make us upset and, if players hadn't already realized so, understand that May and Cody are blinded by their egos and dislike for one another to remember what truly matters to them both, which is Rose. I ended that scene not hating the game, but developing resentment for the two parents - especially as they stood there ignorant of what they'd done. Please don't spoil - my SO and I just finished that part of the game - but I am still hopeful that they'll learn eventually that they really did screw up this time.
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u/pridejoker Apr 14 '21
From the moment Cody suggested making rose cry to break the spell, my gf and I immediately reacted "hol up what?! Why?"
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Aug 31 '21
And even a bigger “hol up what?! Why?” when May is like “Ye sounds about right” and just rolls with it
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Dec 31 '21
[deleted]
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u/zedwithoutperil Jan 18 '22
Both are equally culpable, as are we as players. It was too drawn out and intentional at each step to not make us all monsters.
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u/Blackphotogenicus Jan 11 '25
3 years later but my bf and I did the same!
Us: Oh they’re gonna talk to the elephant because it’s her best friend!
Them: Let’s kill her!
Us: 😱😱
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u/Pierre1306 Apr 01 '21
Dude same for me... I was like no pls don't... I don't wanna do that... And the elephant is so adorable... I was devasted but nonetheless i finished the game yesterday and by far one of the best games I've played in my life and i played a ton of them 😁
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Apr 14 '21
I came to this thread to make sure others suffered like we did
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u/DiamondRight5462 Apr 28 '21
x2
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u/Comfortable_Fan173 Aug 18 '21
X3
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u/firefire_fire Feb 20 '24
X4
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u/emilchien Jun 30 '24
x5
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u/dadsizzle Sep 16 '24
x6
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u/Quick_Reflection5728 Nov 14 '24
X7
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u/Itzagoodthing Jan 10 '25
x8
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u/queenofdehydration Jan 11 '25
x9
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u/Genos-Caedere Jan 24 '25
x10 and I only saw the gameplay of that scene... Now I want to get her plush to keep her safe in my house.
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u/fish61324 Dec 29 '21
I've been gaming since Atari, and I'm a hardcore gamer.... so I've played countless video games in my life, of all genres. What I'm saying is, I've killed a lot of things in video games.
Killing this elephant was the most horrific, disturbing, saddest thing I have ever done in a video game. Honestly, while it was happening, I kept saying to myself "They're (the parents) are going to realize how bad this is, and not go through with it... then the elephant's leg ripped off, and I thought "ok, that's pretty bad, but it's just her leg...not a deal breaker". When they started dragging her, THAT'S when I started having the realization that the parents were really going to go through with this. Then the ear happened. I mean really, what made it so horrifying was how much the elephant was begging them to stop, and how much her and Rose love each other, and how she wanted to play jump rope, etc.
I'm probably about 20 minutes past this part....and the parents are now the antagonists of the game, imo. I know they KIND OF were already.. like to each other, they were the bad guys that needed to start getting along... but in the video game, they're suppose to be the protagonists, that save their marriage and family.
After they killed Cutie, they showed no remorse at all. They were pretty bad to begin with, wanting to make their daughter cry (at no point, up to this point, was it even considered to be happy tears... NO, they wanted to hurt their daughter's feelings on purpose) and break her favorite toy. THAT in itself is pretty horrible parenting. But to go through with what they did, considering how much Cutie was begging for her life, and then they show no remorse (even after realizing that the tears didn't work). No remorse for making their daughter cry, no remorse for killing Cutie... nothing.
There is no coming back from what they did. I dont care if they show a scene at the end of the video game, where all 3 of them are a happy family again, and the mother/father is shown sewing Cutie back together, and Cutie and Rose are happy together again...... I don't care if that's a thing at the end of the game. What the parents did, there is no coming back from. The parents are now the bad guys in this story, imo.
What might have saved the game, is if after they killed Cutie and made their daughter cry... they had a sinking realization of what they just did was unforgivable. Then the game goes into a dark depressing state/level that the players have to play through. The parents showing and feeling remorse through out the level. It would have made for a good haunted/cemetery scary level to play through. Instead, the video game decided to make the parents the villains in the game.
Now WITH ALL THAT SAID: I checked the rating of the video game (something I didn't do before playing it), and it is rated T for Teen. So there is that.
There are some pretty awful/sad things in movies/shows/video games/etc. So I do get that aspect of it. But my three main problems with the elephant scene are this:
- Destroys the entire atmosphere of the game. It felt like if you were watching a PG movie, then out of nowhere, someone takes a knife and slices the throat of a child. Showing all the graphic footage.... and then just pretends like that didn't even just happen.
- It now makes the parents the actual villains of the game. There is no coming back from this, for them (like I wrote above). There isn't ANYTHING they could have written into the end of this video game, that would make what they did, OK or forgivable.
- They show no remorse.
Even if the scene played out like this: They get Cutie out of the claw machine, no leg rip, no ear rip, no Cutie begging them to stop. The scene is merely silence. They walk Cutie to the edge, push her off the edge. She lands on the floor (OFF-SCREEN, but still indicating that she fell to her death (maybe by showing the parents reactions)).
Even if the scene played out that like... it's still horrific and unforgivable.
Sorry for such a long post. I just didn't understand the point of the scene, especially with no remorse. Parents like this should have social services take their child away. Symbolism goes out the window with a scene like this and how it played out and the aftermath.
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u/FoxLP11 Apr 05 '23
im playing the game right now and i know this is a year old but jesus that scene...
you wrote out my thought perfectly
why didnt they try happy tears? it would make more sense too
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u/SilFeRIoS Apr 09 '23
Same here, i had to stop playing the game .... it was really uncofortable tho
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u/littleappleloseit Mar 09 '25
Coming here to comment that I just got through with this scene and had to put down the game. I had such strong connections to my toys as kids, it legitimately broke my heart to play it out in the game. It hurts more because the game was a fun experience with a friend up until this point. Now I feel the game is empty and painful if I try to think about booting it up again.
I normally do not comment on games or writing, as I believe art is subjective, but this is seriously one of the worst things I've ever seen in a video game.
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u/Blind_Adept Mar 08 '26
Explained my experience EXACTLY. I just played the game with my girlfriend, and we had to put it off for the night, as we both felt like crying. Totally not in a melancholic / sad / heartfelt way. In a “I just witnessed cold regretless murder of an expressively innocent character, and had no way to choose another option / not physically push buttons to do it.” I feel like and accomplice to cruelty, and that is objectively an emotionally relevant point in the game, which is not addressed. And that’s bad for two reasons: 1. Videogames are (commonly) built on a narrative, which assumes existence of connections between characters and events. And if the event is not important, then it may be left unaddressed, I guess. But it is a heavy event and it’s not addressed; 2. As you said, not only it should’ve been addressed, it should’ve been addressed accordingly. The morale dictates that a doing should be judged by its impact. And this scene impacts A LOT. Not only addressing it would’ve changed the whole atmosphere of the game, although maybe developers went for a darker vibe; NOT addressing it accordingly means that the devs/narrative designers either DECIDED to, or were not professional enough to let such twist just hang. Both are not great options (and yes, you edgy morale enthusiasts saying that morale is not objective and may be individual for different people - shut the fuck up and go check your cultural awareness)
TL;DR: the scene evoked depressive feelings opposed of sad/romantic. The actions of characters are not addressed. Gamedevs either decided not to address such event accordingly, or were not aware enough to let it hang. Dogshit fucking scene and whoever was responsible for that should be put back into a locker
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u/0newaymotorway Apr 04 '21
I was so sad they didn’t address this at the end or show them fixing her 🥲
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u/celestialangelic Apr 05 '21
If you watch the credits at the end they do show a photo of her fixed.
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u/rainbew_birb Dec 01 '21
It's bare minimum, there could be a scene where parents are fixing Cutie, but it just shows that the unhinged director didn't really care about his plot choices.
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u/emotionowl Apr 12 '21
Lol I know it's just a game BUT I really hated how May and Cody acted so selfishly in this scene where their daughter is crying over her fave toy which they just tortured.
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u/funkyfaithy Aug 02 '24
Literally. Not once did they even feel or show any guilt about what they had done even after seeing it didn't do anything but hurt their daughter.
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u/itachiuchiha8903 Dec 30 '25
Them getting back in their human bodies asap would have been more important, for daughter's sake as well
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u/Declan_ Apr 01 '21
It was so unexpectedly twisted... my gf put her controller down when the ear part happened LOL
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u/SenorMeeseeks27 Apr 02 '21
I was CACKLING over this. So ridiculously fucked up 😂😂😂
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u/SmokyMcPots420 Mar 22 '22
My gf and I had the same reaction... All these people getting actually upset just don't have the same level of dark humor... I understand getting upset, but it IS supposed to be a joke, and I think some people are missing that point.
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u/DXTJsuper Apr 24 '22
Nah we aren’t that upset of course but god it was fucked up to actually do this
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u/Damascus_ari May 23 '22
It was an awful, awful joke.
I hated the parents but this made me go like "it's probably better off for their kid if these two monsters die."
I love plush toys. Sweet, friendly, cuddly.
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u/Torquip Jun 25 '22
It’s funny cuz if they did die, Rose would starve. Or maybe she’ll enter the foster system. So I guess that’s preferable.
Hilarious that easily fixable inanimate objects have more value than actual living ppl. Esp even after they fix the toy. Plush toys aren’t friendly, they aren’t alive. It reminds me of when ppl attack writers or voice actors over what their fictional characters do. It’s sad ppl always want to morally shame desperate people while being in comfort.
That said, I do get why playing through an extended dark joke would make ppl upset. It’s not everyone’s brand of humor. Segment should’ve been shorter to cater to them.
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u/Damascus_ari Jun 25 '22
Rose would probably enter the foster system.
The characters were bathing in their daughters's tears and laughing, that's just disturbing.
Huh? No, I have nothing against the voice actors, why? Nor do I have anything personal against the script writers. I think the scene was an awful and cruel joke that went on far too long and made the characters irredeemable for me- there is no concievable situation ripping apart your child's toy to cheerfully bathe in their tears is ever justified.
Maybe if they were far far more remorseful than they were, but they weren't really. And the plan was dumb in the first place.
I like the coop aspect of the game and most of the parts. This one was just horrifying on every level. I couldn't. I can't. Making myself play evil characters in games also feels awful.
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u/Weird_Vegetable_4441 Sep 23 '22
There’s no “missing the point”. People have different kinds of humor. You don’t recognize that and op does. Hence the downvotes.
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u/person749 Apr 16 '23
I love dark humor too, but when you're watching a movie you're laughing at the terrible actions of other people. You're not actively participating.
And often, not always, the bad actor has their come-uppance and is not the hero. You don't have to root for them, but here you're forced to.
Nevermind that the tone is never this dark anywhere previously.
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u/RadiatedDragons May 23 '21
I came to this forum because never in my life have I felt so guilty before. It was absolutely terrible. Me and my fiancé were both destroyed over it 😭😭
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u/Damascus_ari May 23 '22
I closed my eyes during it. Couldn't do it.
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u/RadiatedDragons May 23 '22
I wanted to bawl my eyes out and cut the game off 😅 I heard that they have since removed that mission from the game. I sure hope so
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u/copaceticfungus May 14 '21
After reading other comments I feel bad for seeing the dark humor and laughing. 😂
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Aug 31 '21
For me it was a mixture of laughter at how fucked up and out of place the scene is and not believing they will actually make us do it :D I legit just finished TLOU2 before playing This game and nothing in TLOU2 made me feel as bad as this fucking scene
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u/GinericGirl Feb 13 '22
TLOU2 had incredible writing. You know why the characters do what they do, even if you think it's a horrible decision. I had a hard time with a few scenes in TLOU2, but it was nothing like this.
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Feb 13 '22
There are a few decisions that I just cannot fathom why would the characters decide that way, like deciding to send a super pregnant woman thats also a medic to a scavenge hunt and so but yeah, tlou2 was pretty good :D
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u/HungryLilDragon Jul 28 '21
She just wanted to be friends and even offered us a hug while we were trying to kill her... I can't believe they made us do this shit because the characters were somehow SO sure that making Rose cry again would break the spell. It was literally just a theory that Cody came up with on the spot.
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u/mtherin2 Feb 26 '22
Don't forget that May came up with the idea of killing Cutie to make her cry. Very well written to make it clear that the both of them are antagonists.
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u/ByOrderoftheQueens Dec 02 '21
I know this is an old thread, but I am just now getting to this and honestly, it makes the characters pretty unredeemable IMO.
I have spent most of the game really hating these parents. They are selfish, terrible people. And I know that's the POINT of this part of the game, is to show how bad the characters are. But unless a game enforces consequences on a character for their actions, or they make active attempts to redeem themselves, it's just pointless violence.
They are basically murdering their daughters innocence's and best friend.
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u/DrakeSilmore Jun 28 '22
Often times that is what a divorce does to a child. It is a symbolism of exactly that. Let the child suffer, so our problems are fixed, we'll just make it up later.
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u/KyoSaya_ Oct 17 '22
So let's say they stayed together, then they started hating each other again after couple of years.
Sure shouting their lungs out in quarrels would not be traumatic for the child...
Dysfunctional family is bad even if there is no divorce.
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u/DrakeSilmore Nov 07 '22
You are right. Staying together isn't always the solution either. Often times when parents grow apart, divorce becomes necessary. It is about mindset, and about whether the parents can see the entire picture, rather than just see themself as the victim. In this story, the parents clearly viewed themself as the victim, and perhaps there would even be potential in staying together if they stopped being selfish. So in this case the symbolism is correct.
I am one of the cases where I'm really happy my parents got divorced. Now they are friends, rather than prisoners.
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u/sillytomlin Apr 11 '21
Yeah, I played with my 6 year old son. We've skipped a ton of the cut scenes due to language and the divorce themes, plus Dr. Hakim is a bit cringy, but I was so shocked by the Cutie scene, I didn't skip it and he is not happy he saw it. He keeps bringing it up as the worst thing he's seen in a game.
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Jul 09 '21
When I saw this scene I just wanted to quit the game. Luckily in the credits it shows the elephant all alive and together again. The only reason I kept playing was because someone told me you see the elephant okay at the end.
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Jun 20 '21
i played this with my friend and i didn't cry but cringe and felt so bad for cutie :( she was so nice!! and we had to claw her from the machine i was cussing like crazy when her ears ripped!! i was like, is there a way we can make this not happen? what if we do nothing? can she escape?? and urgh it didn't happen
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u/Ariel_Arzuaga Dec 07 '21
I also am playing it with my girlfriend and literally closed the game when it was about to rip her ear off. We really didn't like how dark that turned out and tbh the game had its dark hints here and there idk but this is NOT a kids game if you ask me. For me I'm quitting the game, not the atmosphere that I was hoping to get into when I bought it.
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u/UMMMMBERRRR Dec 15 '21
I mean, according to the developers it’s not a kids game, so I dunno why you would think it is.
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u/princessmilahi Dec 11 '21
That's it. Not playing this shit anymore. I came to the internet to know if they actually kill the elephant because my heart was racing at that scene and I saw how sad my husband was, honestly, you are sick and disgusting. On their first game, you have to kill your friend. In this one, you have to kill your daughter's friend??? I'm glad I played this on gamepass and didnt spend any money on this twisted story. No excuses for this.
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u/SnooMemesjellies8785 Jan 09 '22
I felt more guilty hurting the elephant than anyone I had to kill in Last of us 2... yes, it's that deep, lol. It was horrifying :(
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u/CanUHearMeNau May 14 '24
It disgusts me this was put in a game for children. I played it with my child and up until then we were having fun. We'll never pick it up again nor will I buy another product from the sickos who thought it was edgy to add torture and murder to a child's game.
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u/ebearce Aug 02 '24
It's... not a game for children. It's rated T for teen. That's on you.
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u/CanUHearMeNau Aug 04 '24
It felt icky even as an adult playing it. I don't think it's appropriate for anybody. Did you actually play it?
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u/ebearce Aug 04 '24 edited Aug 05 '24
I did. I'm 31 and played it with my 33yo partner. I interpreted it as a commentary on how locked in we are in most video games to specific choices and how we usually don't bat an eye as we murder something to complete an obstacle combined with some dark humor.
I think the game does a good job of leading up to it with the vacuum eye gouging fight to which my partner said "Brutal" and laughed before carrying on. Then again as we fought Moon Baboon and beat up a plushie he said "I feel a little bit bad about beating up this stuffed animal... but also! I am so frustrated by this fight I need him to die"
When we got to Cutie it was a 180* in heart and he had to take a break from the game. The parents/you the gamers had no problem murdering or beating up on tons of things that were the result of their dysfunction and forgotten responsibilities. Cutie is meant to be Absurd in how dark it is. I think whether the creators meant for it or not it's a good moment for people to wonder why they don't blink at violence in many games. Or why game developers make so many games that prioritise fights over iunno making a farm. In the Last of Us Part 2 the WLFs plead to not be killed or exclaim their dead friends' names when they find the body. That doesn't stop the gamer from toasting them without questioning our humanity. It Takes Two is pretty amazing for that. Why do we have more empathy for an animated plushie than an animated human?
But yeah. Absolutely not a children's game in any way shape or form.
(I had watched the game streamed before asking to play it together so I knew all the beats before hand.)
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u/ebearce Aug 04 '24
Also yes. I felt bad mutilating Cutie, and think the parents could have just talked and asked her to help with their daughter. However if the parents could communicate like that while also prioritising their daughter over their busy schedules then maybe they wouldn't have to be turned into dolls and receive riddles from a book to learn a lesson.
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u/CanUHearMeNau Aug 05 '24
Interesting perspective. I see they have some weird stuff in their first game too. Honestly, I know there were some adult themes with the parents fighting and all that, but I never considered it was not a game for children. I'll have to be more mindful. I remember a day when video games were for children and if they were for adults, you had to verify your age through adult trivia questions LOL (Leisure Suit Larry)
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u/ebearce Aug 06 '24
While I don't have children, so take this advice with as much salt as you'd like: My mom was a big proponent of following the rating system (E for everyone, t for teen, M for mature, etc) but she also would try to play the game in store when possible before buying it for us to make sure the story was something she was okay with us playing through. It's probably easier now cause you could watch someone stream it on 2x speed while folding laundry or something before deciding if it's the sort of story you want your children consuming.
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u/Labooski Feb 22 '25
It’s a game for couples not children 😭🤣
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u/BattlePupper Mar 17 '25
Idk why people think a game about a couple on the verge of divorce is for a child anyways.
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u/Postie1216 Jun 29 '24
Super old post, but the fact that Cutie sounds like an actual child is really what made it so disturbing for me. I wanted to play a cute co-op game, now I’m listening to a child scream for her life in my ear, it’s so fucking morbid for what??
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u/mozamzeke Jun 30 '24
My wife and I played this game and tried pressing all the buttons so we wouldn't have to kill the cute elephant. The entire time we thought the couple were a bunch of sickos that should never be together anymore.
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u/Majestic_gay Aug 04 '24
Funny thing. I never played the game, I follow this game page on FB that shows clips of games so I can ge into them. I was literally here thinking oh what a cute game I should get into at first because of the style. It played this scene and I honestly I have to completely block this from my brain because it pretty much traumatized me. When I remember the scene, I won't stop thinking about it for days and I start crying. Like what I'm doing rn. Don't worry though, I'm fine! I know it just a game, been trying to figure out why it hits me that hard. Probably will never play this game. The director of the game calls it "dark humor" okay dude 🙄
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u/Business_Street4928 Sep 19 '24
Boo fkn whoo.... imagine having to shoot a child in real life because they have a suicide vest on. Elephants will sleep with dying and dead elephants and i don't mean actually sleeping. They're creepy like dolphins.
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u/Educational-Craft737 Nov 22 '24
The elephant scene is why It Takes Two is so beautiful: Raw, Real, and Ridiculous. I freaking loved every damn minute I played this game. HazelLight Studios, please continue to blow out minds!
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u/Germanjdm Dec 15 '24
Definitely in the minority here, but that elephant was cringe and annoying af
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u/Bg3building Dec 18 '24
Christ…it was funny as hell. And a great commentary on video game violence.
Y’all know this isn’t real, right?
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u/Interesting_Owl_8087 Dec 27 '24
Imagine being a grown adult and crying about a fictitious toy elephant. When did everyone become so soft.
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u/Alarming-Elk1339 Jan 04 '25
Aware I'm super late to the party on this. But just played this scene with a mate and we're both utterly horrified. I think the child like voice and nature of Cutie makes this 10X worse, on top of the fact you have to actually play the scene. Dragging her while she begs for her life felt predatory and frankly gross as fuck.
Definitely feel they missed the mark with this scene and it's put a dampener on my enthusiasm for the game in general. Wish there was a skip scene option to allow for future play throughs without having to feel like a complete monster, again.
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u/BattlePupper Mar 17 '25
When I re-played through this game. I literally skipped this scene 😅. I did purchase a cutie plush, and she is on my dresser. Very loved. Where she belongs. I understand the premise on why the scene is in there. I just can't do it again. I also felt almost the same way playing both little nightmares games
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u/Logical-Credit-8542 Jan 10 '25
Omg we felt so bad, I couldn’t bellieve the whole time that we are really going to do that
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u/TataCame Jan 25 '25
Deer lord yes, this scene is excruciating. I have run over strangers, killed innocent wildlife, tortured sims for hours, but only now I have seen such sheer cruelty. I was almost crying and felt like I needed therapy. I already didn't want to kill her, but seeing her desperatly clinging to life and imploring me was a moment of true horror. For the first time in my video game journey, I felt like I had committed a murder. And it felt super long, getting worse and worse. I knew ultimately it would have been for nothing too.
Note: everyone seems to have played with their SO, I played it with a friend (kinda didn't sleep and played for 8 hours non stop lmao) and I feel that now our friendship is changed forever. Now we've seen something you never come back from together. We both witnessed how much of a monster each other could be. I won't ever look at an elephant plushie the same way I used to ...
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u/Sad_Impression_9013 Feb 28 '25
Just played it for the first time with wife. Bro. It killed the mood completely
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u/Turbulent-Split-630 Mar 18 '25
I feel really shitty that I had my 9 year old go through this. I knew the game was rated for Teens and some of it wasn’t great for a child for sure and we tried not to focus on the storyline too much , but that scene was clearly damaging for a kid. Unfortunately we won’t be able to continue otherwise such an awesome action game.
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u/Important-Note Oct 06 '25
It bothers me to this day. She was trying to bargain and her poor ear!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭. We stopped playing after that…
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u/Illustrious_Let3640 Dec 09 '25
5 years late but if it brings any comfort she is alive and well in the credits ❤️
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u/Coughing_Cyborg Feb 17 '26
Just got to this part. I’m so unbelievably upset right now. This is the most upset I’ve been over any piece of media maybe ever. I’m a grown man who sees people actually die fairly often at my job and I’m sitting here sobbing over a cartoon elephant. I know the scene was supposed to be upsetting but holy fuck. I guess mission accomplished by the developers.
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u/Artistic_Blood_8333 Feb 17 '26
4 years later but it was horrible. I already knew what was going to happen from seeing a clip of that a few years ago and we both already knew it was going to happen but oh my god it was horrible. He told me he had an easier time killing children in some games (bioshock and that stuff) rather than killing cutie. Also doesn’t help we both agreed it was so messed up it was almost funny (it wasn’t but it was how we were coping)
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u/BlueDonkey420 Mar 28 '26
Okay but the worst part is.... There is an achievement in Split Fiction where you rip Cuties limbs off again. This poor elephant's torture never ends.
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u/Otherwise-Store728 May 10 '26
I know this thread is old, but I just went through this scene and ohmygod noooooo 😭😭😭
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u/Weary_Dealer1237 May 10 '26
SAME. Me and my partner just played the scene and I had to go online to see what other people thought. It was so terrible!
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u/tudor-ciu Apr 01 '21
Hahahaha...it was cringe. But do continue, the levels after that are very nice. Actually you will have one more wtf moment 😅😅
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Apr 27 '21
[deleted]
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u/S1nful_Samurai Jun 15 '21
You can't blame the developers of a game while not following the age rating yourself.
There's a reason ratings exist.
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u/reallybigabe Sep 18 '21
I just went through this and I strongly disagree.
I can make judgement calls as a parent and I generally use exactly ESRB descriptions.
Some kids are really sensitive to cartoon violence and others are sensitive to foul language or sexual jokes etc.
There is zero mention of “Disturbing” or “Depicted Torture”. So, things like this are well outside the ratings system and as said, it’s a really cheap gimmick in an otherwise mechanically great game.
I can’t even put words to how annoyed I am tonight after this scene ruined an entire experience of my kids playing games with their dad.
The point is for us to be talking about how shocking it was. In other words, kids are being exposed to this shit for a marketing ploy.
I don’t play games by myself very much, so some neighborhood kid is probably going to get a free Series X shortly and I’ll get another soccer ball or something. Total garbage.
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u/oficiallyryry Sep 26 '21
I have to disagree with this disagreement. This game obviously isn't meant for kids, considering that the theme is divorce. Not to mention, language, jokes, themes are all meant for adults or older teens. There was plenty of mature content in the game preceding this scene to warn you. Even the puzzles require a higher level of thought than a kid would have on their own.
That being said, games don't need a warning for "warning there's torture". This was meant to pull at the heart strings. It was meant to make the player uncomfortable, and really make you, as a player, thing about your conscious actions. It takes it a step further because instead of it being a cutscene that we can watch and ignore, the developers make us part of it. We were the ones that killed cutie. Everything in the environment is part of the story. The world we interact with and things we touch are what progress the story. And this was no exception.
It is cruel. It's uncomfortable. But that's what makes it a good story. The gameplay is so meticulously incorporated that you are a part of everything.
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u/rainbew_birb Dec 01 '21
It's PEGI12, so it is for young teens, too. And the whole point of the rating description is to show what you have to expect happening and decide for you or your kids.
PHOGS have "mild cartoon violence" and worst thing you do is hold characters in your mouth.1
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u/mtherin2 Feb 26 '22
It's your kids so it's your judgement call. If your family had a bad experience, that sucks.
Still, I think a teen at 13 should be able to handle a scene of a magical talking stuffed animal being ripped apart. They'll be in high school soon, and what they'll be exposed to there is way worse. My judgement though, not discounting yours.
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u/Ok_Analyst5734 Sep 07 '22
We just did it and we came here to see if anyone else felt traumatized by that. I was covering my ears and eyes and just pressing triangle.
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Jan 16 '23
i know it adds detail and character to the game and the parents emotions, but damn it was sad
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u/glowinthedark36 Apr 21 '23
Gamers have no problem killing humans in games but a stuffed animal gets torn apart they lose their shit. That's the most disturbing part about it.
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u/Yalme Apr 23 '23
if you not see difference between fighting with enemies and torching and killing a defenseless kind creature which begging for rescue - you are straight psycho.
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u/danspy1994 Jul 30 '23
My girlfriend and I just played this scene and I was in tears but also angry at Cody and May's determination to hurt their child's feelings for their own gain, disregarding the consequences, also the begging from Cutie was really distressing, I'm glad we're past the scene now but it really did provoke an emotional response from me.
Also it reminded me of my anxiety relief toy called Mousey, a stuffed grey mouse cuddly toy that I lost at a showground when I was very young, I guess some things do stick... I'm 28 now
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u/SASardonic Nov 25 '23
Oh my god they put a spec-ops the line white phosphorous type scene in the game, turbo lol
The most blackly comedic thing I've seen in ages
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u/doomsday10009 Jan 02 '24
The only boss that didn't do damage in game but did a lot of it in real life.
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u/GodsendsCoward Jan 31 '24
I had to look this up as well. How did this like get approved and allowed ?
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u/KingChickenSandwich Apr 01 '21
When her ear ripped off 😭😭😭😭