There is a severe shortage of cooperative games in modern games. Especially those that can be played locally, sitting next to each other. The "co-op makes any game better" paradigm further thins out the selection. While it is partly true, it leads to the addition of cooperative mode to frankly mediocre games, devaluing this mechanic that was once almost an industry standard.
However, the situation was partially corrected by the developers from the Swedish studio Hazelight. They have established themselves as masters of creating exclusively cooperative games, as evidenced by the Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2021 and many other awards received by It Takes Two. And most importantly, the sincere love of players for this project, which they still recommend to each other, especially to gaming couples in love. The success of It Takes Two shattered the myth of the niche nature of cooperative games, and the release of the studio's new game was only a matter of time.
| Game | Split Fiction |
| Genre | cooperative action/adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S |
| Languages | English |
| Developer | Hazelight Studios |
| Publisher | Electronic Arts |
| Link | ea.com |
The long-awaited announcement took place at TGA 2024, exactly three years after the triumph of the previous game. Josef Fares, in his signature style, showed Split Fiction for the first time from the stage, less than half a year before its release. And very soon, on March 6, 2025, the new cooperative adventure from Hazelight Studios will be available to players. And how this game turned out, read further in the review.
How corporations are losing face and what AI has to do with it
At the heart of Split Fiction's simple and straightforward plot is the story of the birth of friendship and reflection on one's own experiences through the prism of written stories. It all begins when two young authors, Zoe and Mio, meet on their way to the office of a large publishing house, hoping to sign a contract to publish their own stories. They sign up to participate in an experiment that, according to the head of the publishing house, should help to get the best version of the participants' works by living them in virtual reality.
But something goes wrong and both heroines end up in a joint VR session. This strange virtual world mixes science fiction, which Mio loves and writes, with Zoe's magical fantasy. The heroines must travel through various worlds to get answers and escape the trap inside the computer. And in the depths of the plot twists, the dilemma of the use of AI by large companies, as well as the disregard for copyright by generative AI models, is unexpectedly revealed.
And again, it takes two
The main mechanics and gameplay features migrated to Split Fiction from the previous game. Since cooperative play is mandatory here, the screen is almost always split between players. And this does not depend on whether you play locally on one device or connect via the network. After all, the game mechanics are designed for this display format. Depending on the events in the game and the focus on a particular character, the screen split can shift to one side, giving one of the players more space and opportunities for maneuver. And sometimes the opposite happens, throwing players onto one screen, where you have to coordinate and skillfully share the common space.
Movement is very similar to It Takes Two: there's a run, a jump, a double jump, and a dash. All of these features feel very similar to the previous game, but in Split Fiction there's more control over the characters and less inertia. As a result, all of the movement mechanics feel very good and you quickly get used to them.
Although this time the characters are very similar to each other - they are ordinary people, just in different costumes, most levels have asynchronous cooperative. That is, the roles between the heroines are clearly divided and constantly alternate. For example, one player breaks through by force, while the other at this time moves the platforms on which the first is located. This happens with the help of unique devices, or the transformations of the characters into different creatures depending on the theme of the level.
The levels in Split Fiction alternate with each other. Like the genres of the heroines' works, levels with sci-fi and fantasy themes follow one after another. At some point, players have a huge cyberpunk city with neon lights and speedways with flying cars at their disposal, and the heroines take on the roles of cyberninjas. And then the plot throws the girls into a green magical forest and gives them the opportunity to take on the appearance of a tiny magical fairy and, unexpectedly, a giant monkey. Moreover, with each alternation it will be a different world from Zoe's or Mio's fantasies with new powers and transformations into new strange creatures.
Split Fiction does not have competitive minigames, as was the case in the studio's previous game. However, almost every location is dotted with side stories - additional quests that send players to another small world, which always has the opposite theme to the current location. That is, if the plot of the characters is in a fantasy world, then the side stories will develop in sci-fi . These levels are presented as unfinished ideas from the girls' fantasy and often have unique mechanics. For example, a snowboarding simulator, or turning into a pig on a farm.
Game locations offer a variety of designs and perspectives. It can be a familiar three-dimensional platformer, or it can be a racing track. It can be a Run and gun level with a side view, or it can be in an isometric projection. Each time the tasks, tools and opportunities are different. Most of the tasks in the game are spatial and platform puzzles of varying complexity with the addition of various combat systems, or unique means of interaction with the game world. As before, if there is a big difference in skills between players, then the one who passes the section faster will wait until the other catches up with him.
Split Fiction is full of references to cult games and pop culture phenomena. And these are very good references that are well integrated into the gameplay and correlate well with the main idea of the plot. Not mindless copying, but a balanced inspiration from the best features and mechanics of prototypes. As in Ready Player One, you can see a lot of references here, but unlike the film, these references make sense and are not made just "for show".
The bosses in Split Fiction deserve special attention. They all have unique mechanics and require the player to react quickly and move precisely, and also provide a sense of real challenge and reward after victory. There are only remarks about the final boss. Its concept with several phases looks interesting and gives a lot of emotions. However, the battle in the arena itself is somewhat secondary and boring compared to the other bosses in the game.
How nice is the packaging?
From the very first trailer, the visual style of Split Fiction looked a bit more down-to-earth than in It Takes Two, where events literally take place in a reduced toy world. However, this down-to-earthness is only the tip of the iceberg, because during the game so many worlds and incarnations of the main characters will change that your head is spinning. And each location is very well designed. The locations in Zoe's worlds look especially exciting - fantasy ones. They are all green and bright with a lot of details and soft lines. The fantastic levels of Mio's worlds also look very good, but some of them get lost against the background of others and seem to repeat the general tone. It feels like it's sci-fi by default, which has gray textures both in space and at the megafactory. However, this may be a subjective perception and a greater love of fantasy on the part of the reviewer.
The cinematography deserves credit. In the transitions between scenes and during important moments of character interaction, the camera captures simply wonderful shots. Some of them deserve to be on your desktop wallpaper.
And why so little?
In fact, Split Fiction's runtime is quite long. This is the studio's longest game - it will take an average of 16 hours to complete. Which is not bad for a game in which you have to synchronize the time and schedules of two people. But the dynamics and emotions that the game gives you demand more and more. And when you see the final credits, the question immediately arises: when will there be a new game? The answer is not soon. After all, 4 years have passed between the release of Split Fiction and It Takes Two. And Josef Fares called the production cycle of 3-4 years the most comfortable in one of his interviews. And it's hard to disagree with him, because as a result, players get a great game for many evenings in the company of a friend or/and loved one, which leaves a very pleasant impression.
Replayability adds additional value, because often the key and most interesting moments in the game are very intense and require concentration on your own half of the screen. There is simply not enough time to pay attention to what is happening with your partner. So after a while you can safely go through Split Fiction again, but by switching roles, or in co-op with another friend.
Split Fiction turned out great and did not disappoint one bit. Players will get an adventure full of interesting and unique experiences, and a lot of emotions. Isn't that what we actually love video games for?
