Renowned Hazelight Studios has returned to the scene, led by the passionate Josef Fares, who tirelessly proves that couch gaming is not dead. After escaping from prison and the craziest marriage therapy, their new game has arrived, with a bigger budget, more ambitious production, and even bolder ideas that promise spectacular dynamics. Although Split Fiction is predictably a cooperative game, its world is anything but predictable.
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The Story of Split Fiction
Zoe is cheerful and optimistic, which is reflected in her tendency to write fantasy stories full of wondrous worlds and creatures. On the other hand, Mio is introverted and rational, so her creativity leans toward science fiction adventures, where strict rules shape the technological narrative.
Fate has decided to play with them, trapping them in their own stories, and they have no control over what awaits them. Although they know the worlds they have created, the writers realize that they cannot overcome the obstacles alone. They are forced to collaborate, as only by joining forces can they find a way out of the Fiction they themselves have created.
Thematically, the game has an interesting foundation, but the pacing and the way key story information is revealed are not the most fortunate. The problem lies in the fact that a good portion of the first half of the game takes place without a fundamental understanding of who Mio and Zoe are, their motives, and what truly drives them. This is not helped by the constant switching between worlds or the banter in moments when the conversation should be more serious.
Far from disappointing, the story here shouldn't disappoint you—it's decent. However, when you see what the team has achieved with other game segments, the story takes a backseat.
Two Stories, One Chaos
Split Fiction retains the recognizable cooperative spirit of It Takes Two, but it raises the action bar even higher this time. It brings more aerial manoeuvring, wall and pillar jumping, obstacle avoidance, escaping enemies… Right from the start, the game throws you into a series of exciting sequences that don't give you a moment to catch your breath. The unique cooperative mechanics add an extra layer of excitement and challenge, making the gameplay experience truly engaging.
What makes this adventure special is the incredible diversity of gameplay. Although Split Fiction is linear in structure, with a clearly defined beginning and end, you are never in a situation where you know what's coming next. Each section within a world brings a new approach to gameplay and constantly surprises with fresh mechanics and perspective changes.
At one point, you're walking on normally inaccessible surfaces, using gravity to your advantage to unlock a passage, while the world is turned upside down. The next moment, you're in the middle of an adrenaline-fueled chase with the police on your tail, maneuvering a motorcycle through narrow alleys between skyscrapers, constantly shooting and avoiding traps.
At the same time, your co-op partner is desperately trying to complete authentication before time runs out, as even the slightest delay could mean the end for both of you. The game constantly serves up something unexpected, and you never know what's coming next.
If this sounds exciting, it's just a tiny part of the diverse adventure full of surprises. The game constantly introduces something unexpected through the environment, gameplay rules, or innovative puzzles. These unexpected twists keep the gameplay fresh and exciting, ensuring that players are always on their toes and never know what's coming next.
Side Activities in Split Fiction
Some of these surprises come through optional side activities. In each chapter, you may encounter portals that will take you to a side world of the opposite genre. Each brings different gameplay rules, offering chaotic fun and a unique visual style that will immerse you in the game's world. Additionally, these side worlds occasionally supplement the main characters' backstory, so they shouldn't be avoided if you want to hear the whole story.
Unfortunately, they lack competitive elements. Unlike It Takes Two, where mini-games like tank battles, tug-of-war, or curling offer fun distractions, the additional activities have no room for friendly competition, which is a missed opportunity.
Coop Or Bust
It's important to note that for Split Fiction, you must once again drag someone by the hand, whether a family member, friend, or someone else. You can't play alone, and there's no matchmaking. And it's even more important to say that Split Fiction is mechanically more demanding than other Hazelight titles. It Takes Two had a perfect balance of challenge, where the design was accessible enough for complete beginners to quickly grasp the basics of gameplay. Split Fiction won't hold your hand as much this time.
The combat here is more challenging, there are more enemies, platforming sequences are more intense, and puzzles require greater precision and cooperation. This will be especially felt by those who aren't used to quick reactions and coordination.
However, the game is fair enough to complete without significant difficulties if you have essential experience controlling 3D games or, perhaps even more importantly, if you're persistent enough. Split Fiction won't punish you too much, as it offers frequent checkpoints and prevents loss of progress even when things don't go according to plan. There's no frustration, even during boss battles—if both of you fall, you won't be sent back to the beginning of the fight but just a few seconds earlier.
When it comes to main bosses, during the 16-hour gameplay, you'll encounter only a handful of them. Perhaps there aren't as many as in It Takes Two, but each brings a unique challenge. Some are far more memorable than others without revealing too many details, and specific battles are so creatively designed and intense that I can rank them among the most unforgettable game experiences.
The Look and Feel
In addition to the diverse gameplay, the visual presentation is worth praising. Each map is impressively designed, with apparent differences between regions, so convincingly executed that it can be compared to iconic worlds from other media.
When you're inside the futuristic story created by Mio, expect high-tech landscapes reminiscent of Cyberpunk 2077 or Blade Runner, where neon lights illuminate rainy streets and giant holograms stand out above skyscrapers. On the other end, you might find yourself in a vast industrial factory filled with mechanical arms and steel walkways, evoking the visual aesthetic of Metroid Dread. On the other hand, the stories created by Zoe take you to worlds of magic and mystical creatures, with kingdoms reminiscent of Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and The Chronicles of Narnia.
For the PC version I played, technical stability and optimization are high. Occasional frame rate drops are only felt in areas with dense vegetation, but they don't significantly affect gameplay. At the start of the game, you need to wait a few minutes for shader compilation, but after that, the game runs smoothly without major hiccups. I didn't encounter any significant bugs during gameplay, and the game only crashed once.
For cooperative gameplay, you can play locally with two people on the same screen or use the Friend Pass, which allows a co-op player to join for free via the internet. A new feature in this concept is cross-play, meaning you can send an invitation to play to anyone on any platform. The audio design is top-notch, with every detail coming through crisply—especially when using our XP-Panther Glitch headphones.
In Conclusion
I could go on for a long time about all the details that make this game unique, but I'd leave you the opportunity to discover them yourself. Unlike other games of a similar genre, in Split Fiction, you don't know what to expect next, precisely because it constantly jumps from one genre to another, from one theme to the next… It's brimming with creative ideas, and each segment lasts long enough for you to master it but never so long that it becomes boring. The game's greatest strength lies in teamwork; each player has their path and tasks but ultimately depends on their partner to progress.
The story of Split Fiction may not pull you forward, but it has enough weight and meaning to justify your adventure. Despite all the clichés and predictable moments, Split Fiction tells an interesting allegory about the clash between creativity and corporate greed, posing an intriguing question: what happens when art ceases to be personal and becomes just another product for mass consumption?
Fortunately, there's no such danger for Split Fiction—this game is a living definition of interactive art with an authorial stamp packaged in an enjoyable product. And let it be for mass consumption—everyone should play this to see how co-op games can be exciting beyond the established ideas of collaboration in extraction shooters and survival titles.
Rating: 8.7/10
Split Fiction delivers a highly creative and diverse cooperative experience with stunning visuals and innovative gameplay mechanics, though its story pacing and lack of competitive elements slightly hold it back.
Recommended Age: 12+
The game's complexity, challenging mechanics, and mature themes make it more suitable for older kids and teenagers who can appreciate its depth and handle its difficulty. Split Fiction has an official rating of T for Teen on ESRB.