You’re playing It Takes Two. You’ve survived the vacuum cleaner from hell, you’ve navigated the weirdness of a toolbox that wants you dead, and then you hit it. The wires. Specifically, that It Takes Two electric wire grinding sequence in the "The Depths" section of the Cuckoo Clock chapter. Honestly, it’s one of those moments where the game stops being a whimsical platformer and starts feeling like a rhythmic stress test.
It's fast.
Cody and May are essentially sliding down high-voltage rails while the world falls apart around them, and if your coordination is even slightly off, you’re fried. Most people think it’s just a simple "jump when you see sparks" mechanic, but there is actually a weird bit of physics and timing involved that makes this specific grind rail section a notorious bottleneck for casual players.
The Cuckoo Clock Chaos
The Cuckoo Clock chapter is arguably where Hazelight Studios decided to really crank up the "co-op or die" philosophy. By the time you reach the electric wire grinding parts, you’ve already messed around with time manipulation and clones. But the wires are different. They require a specific kind of kinetic focus. You aren't just moving through a 3D space; you are locked onto a path where the environment is actively trying to knock you off.
The sparks move in patterns. Sometimes they are synchronized; sometimes they are staggered. If May is on the left wire and Cody is on the right, you might assume you just need to worry about your own lane. You'd be wrong.
The game loves to throw obstacles that require you to swap wires mid-grind. If you don't swap at the exact right moment, you hit a dead end or a surge. It’s basically a high-speed version of "The Floor is Lava," but the floor is a copper cable carrying enough juice to light up a small city.
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Why the Timing Feels "Off"
A lot of players complain that the jumping feels heavy during the It Takes Two electric wire grinding segments. There's a reason for that. When you’re grinding, the game applies a different momentum curve to your jump than when you’re running on flat ground. You have less air control. You’re committed to the arc.
If you jump too early to avoid a spark, you’ll land right on top of it. If you jump too late, well, you’re already toast. The trick—and this is something the game doesn't explicitly tell you—is to watch the glow, not the spark itself. The wire starts to hum and brighten a split second before the hazard reaches you.
Coordination Is the Real Final Boss
Let's talk about the "Gate" sections. During the grind, you’ll often encounter gates that only one player can open for the other. This isn't just about your own reflexes anymore. It’s about trust. If Cody is lagging behind because he missed a jump, May might reach a gate that she can’t pass because Cody hasn't hit the switch on his side of the rail system.
It’s frantic.
I’ve seen friendships (and marriages) get genuinely tested here. You’ll hear a lot of "Jump! No, the other way! Swap now!" being shouted across the couch. It’s the peak of Josef Fares’ design philosophy: making the mechanics reflect the narrative tension. The characters are literally trying to get their timing back in sync, both emotionally and physically.
The Technical Side of Grinding
From a game design perspective, the rail grinding in It Takes Two is a masterpiece of "magnetic" pathing. The game helps you stay on the wire, but it won't save you from the obstacles. It’s a delicate balance. If the magnetism was too strong, the game would play itself. If it was too weak, players would be falling off the wires constantly just by sneezing.
The developers at Hazelight used a system that allows for "lane switching" which feels snappy. When you tilt the analog stick or press the directional key to move to an adjacent wire, the character doesn't just slide; they snap. Understanding this "snap" is the key to mastering the more intense electric wire sections. You have to treat it like a lane-change in a racing game, not a gradual drift.
Common Mistakes People Make
Most people fail because they panic-jump. In It Takes Two electric wire grinding, jumping is actually your last resort. Swapping wires is almost always safer.
- Ignoring the Partner’s Screen: In split-screen, you have the unique advantage of seeing exactly where your partner is. Use it. If you see they are about to hit a surge, tell them.
- Double Jumping Unnecessarily: A double jump keeps you in the air longer, which sounds good, but it actually makes you vulnerable to obstacles hanging from above. A short, single hop is usually enough.
- Forgetting to Dash: You can actually dash while grinding to clear gaps faster, but use this sparingly. Speed is usually the enemy of precision in this sequence.
The visual cues are everything. The blue electricity has a specific rhythm. It’s almost musical. If you treat the grinding sequence like a rhythm game rather than a platformer, it becomes significantly easier. Think of the sparks as beats you need to avoid.
The Role of Perspective
The camera angle shifts constantly during these grinds. Sometimes it’s behind the back, sometimes it’s side-scrolling. This is intentional. It’s meant to disorient you. When the camera shifts to a side-on view, the depth perception changes. You might think you’re clear of a wire surge when you’re actually right in its path.
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Keep your eyes on the point of contact where the skates meet the wire. That is your "hitbox" anchor. Ignore the rest of the flashy effects happening in the background. The gears, the clockwork, the flying debris—it’s all window dressing designed to distract you from the simple binary choice: stay on this wire or move to the next one.
Mastery and Flow State
There is a moment in the It Takes Two electric wire grinding bits where it finally clicks. You stop thinking about the buttons. You stop yelling at your partner. You both just enter this weird "flow state" where you’re weaving between surges like it’s second nature.
It’s satisfying.
When you finally reach the end of that rail and fly into the next platforming section, there’s a genuine sense of relief. That’s the magic of this game. It pushes you to the brink of frustration just so the success feels earned. It's not about being "good at games"; it's about being good at communicating.
Practical Steps for Success
If you're stuck on this part right now, take a breath. It’s not as hard as your brain is making it out to be.
- Check your lag: if you're playing online via Friend's Pass, even a tiny bit of latency can ruin these wire sections. The person with the more stable connection should probably take the lead on the more complex rail.
- Communicate the "Swaps": Instead of saying "move," say "left" or "right." Be specific.
- Focus on the Spark, not the Gap: Your brain is wired to look at the "safe" space, but in high-speed grinds, you need to track the "danger" so you can move around it proactively.
- Watch the animation: Cody and May actually lean into the direction they are about to jump. If you see your partner leaning, get ready to react to their move.
The electric wire grinding is a microcosm of the entire game. It’s dangerous, it’s fast, and it requires you to be perfectly in tune with another human being. Once you get the rhythm down, it stops being a chore and becomes one of the most exhilarating sequences in the entire Cuckoo Clock chapter. Just remember: don't touch the blue stuff.
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Next Steps for Players
To get past the most difficult wire sections, have the player with the better "rhythm" call out the jumps for both of you. Use "Now!" as a verbal cue. This bypasses the split-second delay of the other player seeing the obstacle and reacting. Also, make sure to utilize the "Checkpoints"—the game is very generous with them here, so don't be afraid to fail a few times to learn the pattern of the electricity. Usually, the surges follow a fixed loop that doesn't change between deaths. Locate the pattern, memorize the three-step movement (e.g., Left, Jump, Right), and execute it as a single combo rather than three separate reactions.