Split Fiction – A Brand New Genre Spanning Co-op Adventure!

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” – Maya Angelou

Overview

Split Fiction is an exciting new co-op adventure from Hazelight Studios, creators of It Takes Two and A Way Out, the founder having also previously worked on Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. Split Fiction offers boundary-breaking gameplay as it follows two writers on a journey that entangles both their stories.

Narrative

Split Fiction boasts an engaging and well-woven narrative which begins when two writers, Mio Hudson and Zoe Foster, are invited to Rader Publishing House to sell their stories in a unique interactive format. In order to convey their stories to the publisher, they need to be connected to new technology and experience their stories first-hand. A kerfuffle caused by uncertainty and trepidation on Mio’s part, results in her accidentally being connected to Zoe’s story. Together the two writers find themselves having to traverse an entangled web of both their writing in order to escape the simulation. It soon becomes apparent that the head of Rader Publishing has ulterior motives and that all the ideas and stories of the writers are being extracted, not just the intended tales, meaning the pair must work even harder to keep possession of their intellectual property.

The two protagonists in Split Fiction are, in some ways, polar opposites. Zoe, an empathetic, optimistic extrovert, was raised in the country and writes enchanting fantasy fiction. Mio, on the other hand, is a reserved and decisive introvert; raised in the city and struggling financially, she writes exhilarating sci-fi stories. The pair make for an intriguing match and the contrast lends itself to interesting interactions and dialogue. It becomes gradually clear that each has her own flaws and set of personal issues to work through, these influence the individual’s writing but also add a believable and grounding human touch to both their characters and the narrative as a whole.

The overarching narrative is told in a variety of ways, including through dialogue, visuals, cinematics, details in the different worlds each protagonist has created, and also the gameplay itself. The back stories and lives of Mio and Zoe are interwoven in the fantasy and sci-fi stories that the players journey through creating an intricate and highly satisfying narrative experience. There are also some fun references to other games such as the leap of faith from Assassin’s Creed, the sands of time from Prince of Persia, and even a somewhat harrowing reminder of a scene from It Takes Two.

Gameplay

Split Fiction is a thoughtful and enjoyable game with its co-op gameplay at the heart of its design. It successfully delivers a cohesive experience that requires players to work together whilst also providing unique skills, tools, and mechanics for each player. This adds a layer of interest to the gameplay but also affords the game an element of replayability as a player would need to play through the game as both characters in order to get the full experience. The core abilities include run, jump, and dash, but each level and side story equips the players with distinct and varied abilities such as shapeshifting or gravity weapons. These will need to be used in tandem for the pair to successfully navigate different areas.

The gameplay is incredibly fun and can be quite fast-paced and high adrenaline with speedy platforming and parkour, chases, and combat. However, there are more calm and easy-going sections involving things like environmental puzzles to break things up and provide more variety. The combat is sometimes worked into the traversal of each level, but there are also a number of boss-like fights, with different stages in which the enemy uses different abilities, weapons, AOE damage, or multiple smaller enemies.

There are eight main levels including Neon Revenge and Rise of the Dragon realm, mostly alternating between Mio’s sci-fi stories and Zoe’s fantasy worlds which are portrayed authentically and true to genre. Additionally, each level contains several side stories, also written by the protagonists. These are short mini-levels that tend to be of the opposite genre to the current main level. These are optional but contain some of the more quirky mechanics and scenery, they offer novel and worthwhile interludes in which players can do things such as ride sand sharks or play as a pig!

Split Fiction can be played using local or online co-op, with crossplay available. If using the online co-op system, the game can be played with one other player using the ‘friend pass’ system, meaning that only one player needs to purchase a copy of the game. This makes the experience much more financially accessible. Hazelight also included a selection of accessibility options in terms of gameplay such as subtitles, key binding, modifiable prompt actions, camera assistance, reduced damage, inverted flying, and even allowing skipping to the next checkpoint (though they suggest this should be a last resort). Checkpoints occur very regularly, and death/failure is very forgiving. Split Fiction is also highly polished and well optimised, with smooth, seamless transitions and gameplay.

Styling

Split Fiction utilises a mostly realistic art style with a subtle hint of cartoonishness that befits its genre-splitting narrative. It uses saturated, vibrant colour palettes and expressive, dynamic lighting that convey the different scenes in a compelling way that does not ever feel stagnant or repetitive. The contrast between the two types of worlds is emphasised by the use of cool colour palettes in the sci-fi sections, whilst warmer colours are used for the fantasy sections. The overall visual design is vivid, evocative, and enthralling, encouraging the player to explore further, observe details, and take many, many screenshots!

The soundtrack is suitably varied, with very different music used to accompany the two genres being portrayed. This is done effectively with a satisfying mix of energetic and upbeat tracks as well as more serene and relaxing melodies. A myriad of sounds and instruments are used to convey the different scenes and narrative moments, creating a diverse yet cohesive soundscape that really adds to the player’s sense of immersion and connection to the characters and story.

Summary

Despite the success and quality of Hazelight Studios’ previous games, Split Fiction surpasses them, really stretching the limits of co-operative gameplay and offering deliberate variety and unity in every aspect of the experience. The gameplay is truly mind blowing at times, providing a decent level of challenge whilst remaining accessible to less experienced players. The game is of a substantial length for its genre, and each play session provides the player with something new, whether that be visually, story-wise, or mechanically, it is truly engrossing. The aesthetic is dynamic enough to work well with the shifting narrative and gameplay and the experience as a whole seems to be meticulously crafted with a lot of care, as such, it boasts extremely high quality in all areas.

Even though 2025 has not long started, Split Fiction is already a strong contender for game of the year as a unique and extraordinary experience spanning both narrative and gameplay genres. Based on previous experience of Hazelight’s other co-op games, I was sure I would enjoy this game but it surpassed all my expectations and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone!

Looking for more co-op games? You may also enjoy these reviews:
In Sink – Top Quality Co-Operative Conundrums! – Wobbly Life – The Cutest and Wobbliest Open-World Sandbox Game! – Hellbreach: Vegas – A Flawed but Fun Post-Apocalyptic FPS!

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