The control scheme and lack of coop are fundamental to the design and story telling of the game. The only game i have played that tells a story through actual gameplay. Playing it solo and with a controller are a must.
I actually played it with my son coop a decade ago when he was quite young, he’d sit in my lap and we’d each have one hand on the controller. We played it through that way and had a blast. I remember him being quite scared at some points, and the game was an emotional rollercoaster, but we very much enjoyed playing it together and I could see it working as a coop game.