Even in 2026, I still think It Takes Two is one of the best cooperative games to play with a friend, and the Giant Octopus fight is a perfect example of why. I went into this boss battle expecting another straightforward action sequence, but instead I found myself steering a tiny two-person boat with my partner while trying to survive tentacles, whirlpools, and exploding rubber ducks. The fight is chaotic in the best way, and it forced us to communicate constantly. This is how I approached the Giant Octopus, phase by phase, and what I would tell any co-op pair who wants to bring it down without losing their patience.
Why This Boss Feels Different 🐙
The first thing I noticed is that this is not a normal run-and-jump boss encounter. Cody and May hop into a small ship, and both players have to pilot it together. If one player moves their side, the boat turns. If both players move, the boat goes forward or backward. That control scheme sounds simple, but under pressure it becomes a real test of teamwork. My partner and I quickly learned that shouting left, right, forward, and stop was not just helpful; it was essential.
The Giant Octopus also changes the rhythm of the fight. Instead of letting players attack whenever they want, it pushes them through distinct phases. I had to stop thinking about the boss as a single health bar and start thinking about it as a sequence of survival puzzles. Once I understood that, the fight became much less intimidating.
Phase One: Aim for the Head 🎯
At the start, I aimed the boat at the Octopus head and opened fire. This is the simplest part of the fight, but it is also where bad habits can form. If both players panic and steer in different directions, the boat wastes time and the Octopus gets free openings. My advice is to agree on a driver for turning and let the other player focus on calling out attacks.
Eventually, the Octopus uses one of its tentacles to strike. I learned not to ignore the tentacle. Avoiding it is important, but turning to attack it is just as useful. Once the tentacle pulls back into the water, I returned my attention to the head. This loop of head damage, tentacle defense, and renewed head damage is the foundation of the entire encounter.
Phase Two: The Whirlpool Changes Everything 🌊
After enough damage, a large whirlpool appears and the boat loses its forward and backward movement. That was the moment my partner and I had to adapt. We could only turn, which made positioning feel much more restrictive. The Octopus then attacks with tentacles and explosive rubber ducks. I found the ducks especially distracting because they demand immediate attention.
My rule was simple: destroy the ducks before they can deal damage, then keep attacking the tentacles. It is tempting to focus only on the boss, but the ducks punish that greed. The whirlpool phase rewards calm hands and quick target switching. If one player starts firing at the wrong target, the other player should call it out immediately.
My Phase-by-Phase Checklist ✅
| Phase | What I Saw | What We Did |
|---|---|---|
| Head attack | The Octopus exposed its head | Aimed the boat and fired together |
| Tentacle strike | A tentacle swept into the arena | Avoided it, then turned and attacked it |
| Whirlpool | Forward and backward movement stopped | Focused only on turning and survival |
| Rubber ducks | Explosive ducks entered the fight | Destroyed them before they could damage us |
| Body returns | The main body reentered the arena | Repeated the head and tentacle cycle |
What I Learned About Teamwork 🤝
The biggest lesson I took from the Giant Octopus is that cooperation is not just about doing damage at the same time. It is about sharing attention. One player can watch the tentacles while the other watches the ducks. One player can steer while the other confirms the target. When my partner and I stopped trying to do everything individually, the fight became smoother.
I also learned to slow down during the whirlpool. Panic makes the boat spin, and spinning makes every attack harder to avoid. Short, clear calls like left, right, ducks, and tentacle worked better than long explanations. The fight is designed to make players rely on each other, and in 2026 I still think that design holds up beautifully.
Final Thoughts 🎮
The Giant Octopus is not the hardest boss in It Takes Two, but it may be one of the most memorable because it turns the players into a two-person crew. I would tell new players to expect a vehicle fight, not a standard platforming battle. Aim for the head, respect the tentacles, destroy the ducks, and repeat the cycle until the Octopus is gone. With patience and clear communication, it is a fight I would happily replay with a friend.
Expert commentary is drawn from Rock Paper Shotgun, whose long-form coverage of co-op design helps frame why encounters like It Takes Two's Giant Octopus remain so effective: the challenge is not just mechanical execution, but synchronized communication, shared spatial awareness, and quick adaptation when the fight shifts from direct offense into hazard management.