Electronic Arts announced back in October 2019 that it would bring several of its title to Steam. Though it started slow with Respawn’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, it’s since released a number of titles like Unravel Two, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Sea of Solitude, and much more. Furthermore, it’s touting that EA Access will be coming “soon” to the platform as well.

How soon is “soon” remains to be seen, but it could launch at next week’s EA Play Live 2020. The digital event will be streamed on June 11th and will feature the publisher’s line-up for the rest of the year, with FIFA 21, Madden NFL 21, and more expected to be showcased. Will we see these same titles coming to Steam at the same as Origin? That remains to be seen.

EA Access is currently available for Xbox One and PS4, with its Origin launcher having Origin Access. There are two tiers for the service on PC. Theree’s Origin Access Basic, which provides access to dozens of EA and third party titles, along with free trials of upcoming games, for $4.99. Then there’s the Premier tier for access to full games one week before the worldwide launch for $14.99.

The Unravel series was one of those interesting indie projects that managed to find its way to the mainstream. It got EA as a publisher, which helped its profile immensely. The second game made its way to the Switch in March, but it looks like this could be the last hooray for Yarny, the adorable main character, for a bit as developer Coldwood Interactive seems to be moving on- at least for now.

In an interview with Sector, Director Martin Sahlin confirmed that the company is working on other things right now. He says that a third game could come later on, but the studio wants to focus on different stories, and as of right now, they just don’t have a natural flowing one in mind for Yarny.

“As for other stories, I don’t know,” said Sahlin. “Stories I like to tell are lived and discovered. That is, the experiences you have experienced and can be transformed into a story. And that depends on what’s going on. Now I’m focusing on other things, but that doesn’t mean we’ll never see more Unravel games in the future. If we find a story that unfolds, then yes.”

We don’t know what the company is working on as of now, but Unravel was an inventive little series, so it’ll be interesting to see what they come up with for the future. Unravel is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Its sequel, Unravel Two, is available on all the same platforms, plus the Nintendo Switch.

After releasing at EA Play last year for other platforms, Coldwood Interactive’s Unravel Two is now available for Nintendo Switch. This recent tale sees two Yarnys cooperating together to solve puzzles and make it through the world. Check out the emotional yet adorably compelling launch trailer below.

Unravel Two can be played solo or in local co-op (which is a bonus for Switch users, since each player can use a single Joy-Con). The two Yarnys can help each other swing through obstacles thanks to being joined by magical threads. The sequel also features a compelling storyline, complete with tougher challenges and levels to unlock.

Head here to read GamingBolt’s official review of Unravel Two and why it might be worth your time. Though its relatively on the short side, the gorgeous visuals and puzzle-solving mechanics – complete with better pacing – help make it a worthy sequel. Unravel Two is also available for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

In arguably the greatest surprise of the Nintendo Direct yesterday, EA announced a game for the Nintendo Switch that wasn’t FIFA. No, they announced that Unravel Two, the lovely puzzle platformer from Coldwood, and the follow-up to the equally charming original Unravel, will be coming to the Nintendo Switch in March.

The game was announced and released for PS4, Xbox One, and PC last E3, but questions of a Switch port for the game were brought up quite often, especially following its emphasis on co-op, something that the Switch, with its two Joycons, would be able to achieve far better than any other system on the market. At that time, all the developers said was that they would look into a Switch version of the game, but it looks like they followed through on their word there, and we have Unravel Two on the system now.

As part of EA’s Originals line, Unravel Two is only published by EA, and all profits from the game go directly to the developer, with EA seeing none of the money in the transaction. The title is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and the Switch version will launch on March 22. You can watch its announcement in Nintendo’s Direct presentation below (the video’s timestamped, so just hit play).

If you missed it, ColdWood Interactive’s Unravel 2 is now available for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. The indie platformer launched at EA Play 2018 right after its announcement. For those still on the fence as to whether it’s worth $20, there’s a free demo available now for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. It contains the first two levels and can be played for up to 10 hours.

The demo will be free till July 30th so there’s ample time to check it out. Unravel 2 isn’t just a straight-up sequel to the original – it adds co-op via a second Yarny that can be controlled via co-op. The same physics based, yarn-swinging puzzles still remain so keep that in mind.

The full Unravel 2 experience consists of six levels in total and it can be completed rather quickly. However, many reviewers have confirmed the sequel to be a good improvement in terms of platforming, exploration and art-style. Check out GamingBolt’s official review here for more information.

Ultimately, Unravel Two does feel more like a co-op spin off than a true sequel to the original, which may not be a problem for many, but I couldn’t help but wonder what else might have been achieved if the developers spent their time on experimenting with level design generally, instead of putting themselves in the box of needing to construct everything around two-player cooperation. Admittedly, they did get respectably close with striking the balance between making a co-op game and also a game that can also be played solo, as Yarny can latch on to another Yarny at any time, controlling like one character. This makes traversal between the challenges seamless. You still need them separated to get through the bulk of the puzzles though. You can also change their yarn color, which I thought was a nice touch and I found myself experimenting with that far more than I had any right to.

"A well thought out hint system is a nice addition as well, and can pull you out of most of those intellectual slumps that puzzle games eventually put most gamers in from time to time, while also providing a sense of direction and clearly illuminating your goals."

I was very relieved to notice that the general aesthetic of the original game is fully intact. It’s important to note that most of the fundamentals that made the first game so memorable did make it into this sequel, including the fetching look of such shallow depth of field, adorable visuals and art design, and an emotional soundtrack that guarantees to elicit vague feelings of childhood wonderment from anyone who’s heart isn’t completely made of stone. There is also a subtle fleeting sense of eeriness that comes and goes, which adds some welcome emotional texture to the overall experience.

A well thought out hint system is a nice addition as well, and can pull you out of most of those intellectual slumps that puzzle games eventually put most gamers in from time to time, while also providing a sense of direction and clearly illuminating your goals. On top of that, the sheer amount of content from story levels to bonus stages is quite a bit more than I was expecting, and should keep fans of this world coming back to it for longer they probably expected. The puzzles themselves did get a little repetitious for me after a few hours though. Perhaps, this is just a side effect of it being a puzzle game with such a clear style, as there are only so many combinations of the same puzzle elements that can be created, but at the same time I would have appreciated one or two more puzzle types to keep things a little more fresh. However, the combination of refinement over the original game and sheer quantity of content is still a great trade for the friendly price.

The controls feel a little tighter this time around, but still have that same near perfect harmony between the bounciness of LittleBigPlanet and the raw precision of Super Meat Boy. Its a nice space to occupy for a puzzle platformer and I wish more games would. Controlling Yarny and other Yarny feels great, and guiding them through the various stages is every bit the whimsical delight it needed to be.

"Clearly the team behind Unravel is capable of better storytelling than this, and I was a little disappointed to see how minimal and ineffective it ultimately was."

One thing I couldn’t shake though was the feeling that the puzzles themselves were just meant to be played with two people. Switching back and forth between Yarnys while playing solo certainly gets things done, but it just doesn’t feel like the way the levels shouldbe played. I guess it’s just in the game’s DNA to have two independent players to maximize the experience. While I can tell lots of thought went into making the game fun both ways, playing the game solo just makes it feel like less of a return to the world of Unravel and more like trying a different flavor of it. This might turn you off a bit, it might not, but personally I would say it distracted me more than a few times during my solo play sessions. On top of that, there are some long stretches where you might detect some repetition, which is a feeling I don’t remember having in the original.

Sadly, the background story about two kids escaping from some sort of ambiguously unpleasant home life fell pretty flat for me, and just doesn’t add much to the experience. I suppose it further drives the concept of cooperation and friendship into the game thematically, but other than that it basically had no effect on me, and I feel like this is another area of the game that probably could have benefited from gettingsome  more attention and really felt like an opportunity missed, especially considering how moving the story of the original was.

Clearly the team behind Unravel is capable of better storytelling than this, and I was a little disappointed to see how minimal and ineffective it ultimately was. There just isn’t much to analyze here, and even though it is presented to us in a tasteful, and at times endearing way, I just never felt connected to it at all. Granted, the story isn’t really why you should play Unravel or Unravel Two, you should be playing these games for the atmosphere and the gameplay, but it would have been nice to see the story make me feel an ounce of what the original’s did.

"The puzzles are often satisfying to figure out and pitch perfect when it comes to difficultly, the musical score is outstanding, and the overall presentation continues to make Yarny stand out in a very old and crowded genre."

Because of the solid foundation that original built, Unravel Two gets far more things right than it gets wrong, and the things it gets wrong aren’t even that wrong. Ultimately, it might feel slightly more derivative than fans were expecting from the first sequel to the original, especially considering that nobody was really complaining about the original’s lack of a two-player mode, but it largely serves up its changes to the formula with finesse and care, minimizing any negative side effects of them.

The puzzles are often satisfying to figure out and pitch perfect when it comes to difficultly, the musical score is outstanding, and the overall presentation continues to make Yarny stand out in a very old and crowded genre. Faltering only in small ways on occasion, the second outing into Yarny’s world is still absolutely worth having, and if you want to get the most out of it, share the experience and bring along a good friend.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

ColdWood Interactive’s reveal of Unravel Two during EA Play 2018 wasn’t terribly surprising – Electronic Arts had already confirmed a new Unravel was in the works in May. However, it was incredibly surprising when Unravel Two launched at EA Play itself for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Why not Nintendo Switch though especially given how popular the platform is these days? ColdWood producer Michael Gill spoke to Games Industry Biz about the same. Essentially, it boiled down to extra time and resources but getting it ready in time for the surprise reveal was also a factor.

Gill said that the Switch version “would have taken another half a year or so,” on top of the other platform versions. The game’s more technical elements, including the different physics being used, defied its classification as a “simple platform”. Though the Switch is “a machine made for Unravel Two,” it still would have been difficult to adapt for the platform.

Regardless, you can still play Unravel Two for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Unlike the original, co-op is supported as well.

Unravel Two is a sequel to Unravel which had released back in 2016. That game had introduced us to the creature known as Yarny, which is essentially a creature made up of yarn. The game was praised for its puzzle platforming, visual style, and more. In this sequel, all of these elements are improved upon and there’s also the new addition of another Yarny which can be controlled by a friend in co-op mode. This time around, the puzzles and environments require the work of two Yarny creatures, and there are a number of creative ways in which you can make use of them.

The game also looks absolutely gorgeous, and is quite relaxing and fun to play. The game is now available on PS4, Xbox One and PC, and if you’ve got a buddy to play the game with, you’re in for a memorable gaming experience. If you’re ever feeling stuck at any point in the game, then the following video walkthrough will help you out.

As noted earlier today, ColdWood Interactive’s Unravel 2 was rated by the ESRB. The description seemed to indicate that there would be co-op and sure enough, the developer took the stage at EA Play 2018 to announce the same. Shockingly enough, not only was the first gameplay footage revealed but EA CEO Andrew Wilson also confirmed that Unravel 2 is out today. Yes, today. Like right now.

If you’re not sure about it, then check out the first gameplay trailer below. The story sees Yarny’s bonds being broken and him seeking out a new spark. Fortunately, he finds it in another Yarny and together, the two must work together to make it through the world. Along with the same yarn-based puzzles from the previous game, there are more frantic moments like escaping a hostile bird.

Unravel 2 is available for PS4, Xbox One and PC for $19.99. If you’re a subscriber of EA/Origin Access, then the beginning portion can be played today. What are your thoughts on the sudden release? Let us know in the comments.

In a day that will have numerous surprises, it’s perhaps not all that surprising that ColdWood Interactive’s Unravel 2 has been rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Even though EA Play 2018 will take place later today, the publisher had announced last month that it was collaborating with ColdWood for another project (which was later confirmed by PC Gamer as the “next Unravel“).

The ESRB listing actually provides a few clues as to what the sequel could hold. It will be a side-scrolling platformer like the original but there will be multiple Yarnys this time around.

“This is a side-scrolling platformer in which players control a pair of fantastical creatures called Yarnys as they navigate environments. Players traverse platforms and avoid hazards by swinging from yarn lassos; some areas contain animals that chase/menace the player’s characters. The Yarnys are defeated when they are eaten by a fish, grabbed by birds, crushed by boulders, or run over by cars.”

The sequel will be heading to PS4, Xbox One and Windows PC but will it actually release this year? Given the number of high profile releases coming Autumn and Winter, it would make more sense for it to arrive in early 2019.

If you’ve never played the original Unravel, the free trial is available here. Check out GamingBolt’s official review here as well to decide if it’s worth the time. EA Play 2018 will start today at 11 AM PT.