Hazelight Studios, the developers behind Split Fiction, are well-established masters of making co-op games. Having played A Way Out and It Takes Two, I was confident about their ability to make highly captivating co-op titles that hit the right balance between story, gameplay, and graphics.
We obviously won’t spoil the story for you as Zoe and Mio figuring out the common struggles of two unpublished authors from different genres is quite memorable on its own. However, we’ll explain whether this title justifies its strict co-op setting and if we really have a GOTY contender already.
Split Fiction never feels unfamiliar, even if you’re a gamer or not
As someone who’s well aware of Hazelight’s previous works and general game design, I instantly recognized what I was getting into with Split Fiction. You’re put in a tense situation right away, and your characters must now work together to get out of the pickle.
The gameplay is refreshing and innovative, but a lot of times, I could not help but notice several similarities to It Takes Two. The transitions, the tasks, the puzzles, the writing; there was definitely a sense of familiarity.
On the other hand, my co-op partner for the review was more or less a stranger to Hazelight’s style. Even then, he could instantly link Split Fiction’s mechanics to a wide range of old classics like Prince of Persia, Assassin’s Creed, Snake, and more.
In my humble opinion, this game doesn’t have entry barriers of any kind. Children or even adults, regardless of how avid gamers they are, should be able to navigate through the unique levels of Split Fiction with ease.
This co-op title demands problem-solving and teamwork rather than skill. You’re not expected to improve as you progress. Instead, it’s about identifying patterns and properly communicating with your teammate.
For a frequent gamer, Split Fiction is a celebration of gaming that takes them down a beautiful memory lane, reminding them why they fell in love with games in the first place.
Of course, don’t play this game for an adrenaline rush similar to the one you get while slaying monsters in Doom. It also doesn’t have a live-service model with an aim to keep you captivated for years.
If games were flowers, I would call Split Fiction a breathtaking garden that everyone should visit.
Split Fiction rarely has a dull moment, and you can never guess what’s coming!
In every chapter, Mio and Zoe get new abilities that can be related to mobility, combat, world-interaction, and a lot more. There’s also a fair balance in how you use them.
When both characters choose different paths, you’ll often be alone with only your abilities to take you further. In other situations, only a combined effort will allow Mio and Zoe to unveil the next adventure. The point is that you are constantly reminded that you’re in a co-op game, but that never turns into a booming burden as there’s enough individuality, too.
The primary controls that remain with you from start to end are basic. There’s a sprint, a jump, a double jump, grabbing hooks, and a dash. The abilities shake things up quite a bit. You can shape-shift, walk sideways, tame dragons, shoot items, control morph balls, escape gravity, whip objects, and, surprisingly, a lot more.
What’s amazing is how these abilities are used together to get through puzzles and challenges. For instance, in Chapter 3, Zoe can control the entire world while shape-shifting into a fairy or a large walking tree, while Mio can be an ape or an amphibian. I can’t explain how these strings combine to make a thrilling chapter, but I can assure you that the developers knew what they were doing, and everything was perfectly planned and chaotic at the same time.
While the main stories/chapters stick to either sci-fi or fantasy themes, the side stories take things up a notch. They’re usually inspired by popular games and help you understand Mio and Zoe better.
Going out of your way to complete them isn’t necessary, but considering the game’s length is less than 15 hours, there’s no harm in trying them out as they can easily end up becoming your favorite memory of the entire experience.
The boss fights, like It Takes Two, are likely to always take you by surprise, and timing your moves together becomes incredibly important here. Some of the boss fights might be frustrating but there are enough checkpoints and overall, the game never gets too difficult.
A lot of times, you’d think the game expects you to be Sherlock to figure out the next bit, but in reality, it would be something very basic. Hopping around looking for things to interact with and carefully listening to the characters as they discuss the next steps is key to progress without stalling.
Another trick is to be visually attentive. Anything glowing green is likely to be handled by Zoe and things with a maroon shade are all Mio.
Split Fiction gets very close to pushing the limits of creativity and experimentation like Control and Alan Wake 2. However, it never, at least until the very last chapter, gets too overwhelming and you’d always want to get the hang of it instead of quitting.
The last chapter is a mind-bending masterclass that pushes you to use everything you’ve acquired in the game so far. The screen is divided as usual but Mio and Zoe are in two separate realities with everything happening all at once.
The final sequences certainly helped me put this game above any other 2 player co-op experience I’ve ever played or even seen.
While Split Fiction allows you to switch characters every time you start a session, I would recommend completing the entire playthrough as one character first and then replay as the other. This way, you’ll experience the title in its entirety.
Zoe and Mio are two very real characters in an unreal world
The plot, when it begins, is very straightforward with Zoe and Mio trying to become published writers. They run into Rader, a villain who wants to collect the stories of all writers and gain ultimate control over storytelling and creativity.
Mio and Zoe accidentally get stuck inside a pod that is stealing their stories and by traveling from glitch to glitch, they try to take down Rader. However, with the common goal in mind, it’s beautiful how Zoe and Mio break down the barriers of awkwardness over time and help each other process their lives’ darkest secrets.
It’s not fair to judge this game based on its story because honestly, it promises you the best 2 player co-op gameplay ever and it delivers on that end. Having said that, the gradual friendship of Zoe and Mio is well worth being a part of.
The writing is clever and although silly, the jokes do land well most of the time. Zoe is your typical extrovert while Mio struggles to open up as easily. As you progress, both characters gain each other’s trust and vent out which is heartwarming. Without spoiling, I would just say that there are plenty of wholesome as well as hilarious moments that’ll likely stick with you for a long time.
Luckily, Split Fiction looks well and runs well
I played Split Fiction on a PC with an 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card and an i9-13900HX processor. The gameplay was as smooth as it could be and apart from a couple of server crashes, we faced no problems while playing online. Unfortunately, at no point could we blame the tech for affecting our progress and it was always us overthinking the next step.
As for the graphics and level design, Split Fiction is outright brilliant. You can stumble upon several Easter Eggs, and there’s no shortage of small details to make the open-world interactive. Despite the constant change in the environment, the developers have been able to offer a sense of constant familiarity.
One of my biggest problems while writing this review has been my inability to condense my experience into something singular. This is not to say that the game doesn’t have a rhythm.
Hazelight Studios’ latest title never makes you feel out of place and embracing this roller coaster of a journey with another person is comforting, entertaining, and everything else in between. It’s simply a collection of so many enjoyable things and to be fair, I’m happy that I don’t have a clear favorite.
Every chapter means a new setting with new things to learn about but the developers deserve all the praise in the world for compiling everything in a manner that all the over-the-top transitions feel perfectly timed and everything just somehow fits together without affecting the total package.
In Conclusion
For me, Split Fiction is undoubtedly the perfect game to play with a friend, relative, family member, or even someone who you just met. Most developers, including the big AAA giants, have been struggling to understand their audience because let’s face it, the mainstream genres might have hit a plateau in terms of what more can be added to surprise the average gamer.
Split Fiction has so much to give and it never feels like you’re being treated as a wallet. There are no micro-transactions and only one copy is required for two people to play together.
Considering the current landscape where most developers would want a long-running live-service title under their banner, Hazelight Studios’ proves that people, at the end of the day, wouldn’t think twice about spending money on a game that is genuine and entertaining.
Split Fiction
Score: 10/10
Code provided by: Hazelight Studios
Reviewed on: PC (Steam)
