With games likeA Way OutandIt Takes Two, Hazelight Studios has established itself as the premiere developer of co-op video games. Instead of slapping co-op on as an extra feature, Hazelight builds its games entirely around co-op play, opening the door to genuinely unique and fresh experiences that simply can’t be found in single-player titles.Split Fictionis Hazelight’s latest effort, and it follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, delivering yet another thrilling adventure that will go down as one of the best co-op games ever made. The bar was set incredibly high by Game of the Year winnerIt Takes Two, butSplit Fictionhas managed to meet it, if not clear it.
It Takes Two’s story was not its strong point, and admittedly,Split Fiction’s story is nothing to write home about either. Its plot is largely predictable, andSplit Fiction’s Zoe and Mio have some eye-rolling interactions from time to time. However, the actors behind them do a great job and some emotional moments hit home, even if players will see them coming from a mile away.
Split Fiction is Peak Co-Op Gaming
But no one is playingSplit Fictionfor the story anyway. Similar toIt Takes Two, the gameplay is the star of the show, with players ushered from one mind-blowing mechanic to the next. It would be a crime to spoil any of these moments, but rest assured that the stages shown in the trailers - like raising dragons from eggs and transforming into pigs - are just the tip of the iceberg.Split Fictionconstantly surprises, and likeIt Takes Two, its ideas rarely outstay their welcome. Hazelight gets everything it can out of everySplit Fictiongameplay idea and then moves on to the next thing. It’s a rapid-fire assault of genius for much ofSplit Fiction’s runtime, and while not everything quite sticks the landing, the fun ideas vastly outweigh the bad ones.
Split Fiction’s weaker segments are almost all found in the first few chapters. Since there is no real consequence for dying, the early sci-fi sequences that focus on action and platforming lack bite. The scenes are still stunning and exciting, but it’s like sizzle with no steak. Later, as the gameplay becomes more complex and requires more brainpower, the game becomes far more engaging. And while I found some of the sci-fi sections to be hit or miss, the fantasy levels are immediately fantastic.
The sci-fi and fantasy worlds ofSplit Fictionestablish their own identities through their unique art styles and fitting musical scores. Mio’s sci-fi worlds go with a distinct cyberpunk vibe and intense music, whileZoe’s gorgeous fantasy landsfeature an epic score that evokesLord of the Ringsand theHarry Pottermovies.
Regardless of whether the duo is in a sci-fi or fantasy world,Split Fictionis primarily a puzzle-platformer, with cooperation at the root of nearly every challenge. But it’s impossible to assign only one genre toSplit Fiction. It’s mostly a platformer, but it also dabbles in isometric action, third-person shooting, and even jet skiing. It constantly shakes things up, which ensures that it never gets boring.
Split Fictionspends a lot of time in each core sci-fi and fantasy world, but it avoids becoming stale by breaking stages up with special side stories that let players dip their toes back into the opposite genre. So, when going through a chapter based on one of Mio’s sci-fi stories, players can find bonus stages that switch to Zoe’s fantasy theme, and vice versa. Some of these side stories are mind-blowing, with a few helping create what I can confidently say are now among my favorite co-op gaming memories ever. Most ofSplit Fiction’s side stories are nothing short of incredible, and all of them are worth seeking out.
Split Fiction Side Stories Steal the Show
Theside stories let Hazelight stretch its creative legsin ways that the core chapters do not, as the developer can think outside the box when it comes to gameplay features and art styles. The game still looks amazing even when it’s not experimenting with different art styles, though, and miraculously, it all runs at a smooth 60 frames per second on console. Considering the sheer amount of action taking place at any given time inSplit Fiction, the fact that it’s able to maintain split-screen at this level with zero performance issues is one of the most impressive things I’ve seen in any co-op game ever.
It took about 12 hours to roll credits on Split Fiction, but there are still secrets and Easter eggs left to discover to get 100% completion.
Something that may keep everyone from being able to play and fully appreciateSplit Fictionis the fact that the game requires co-op. There is no single-player option, though Hazelight and EA have made it easier than ever before to find a co-op partner.Split Fictionsupports local split-screen co-op as well as online, but only one person needs to have a copy of the game thanks to the Friend’s Pass, returning fromIt Takes Two. This time around, theFriend’s Pass is even cross-play, which is a huge improvement that will ensure players aren’t locked out of playing with their friends because of their platform of choice. Cross-play works just as well as couch co-op, with no hiccups to speak of during our playtime.
As someone who has played thousands of video games, there are times when it feels like I’ve seen it all. ButSplit Fictionliterally made me gasp because I was blown away by what I was seeing. The game surprises, delights, shocks, and endlessly entertains.Split Fictionis one of the best co-op games ever made and something that every gamer should experience.Josef Fares and his team at Hazelightare batting 100, withSplit Fictioneasily on the short-list for Game of the Year nominees come award season.
WHERE TO PLAY
Split Fictionlaunches March 6 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant was provided with an Xbox Series X code for this review.
