Split Fictionmarks another co-op story from innovative developer Hazelight Studios. The Swedish-based company has built a reputation for inventive stories that balance creative gameplay mechanics with compelling dual leads.Split Fictioncontinues this tradition, and it has managed to one-up the gameplay of its predecessors.
Over the years, Hazelight Studios has continued to improve upon its own concepts, andSplit Fictioncould potentially be the developer’s peak. Now that the developer has proven it can reach the same heights as its last game,It Takes Two, many are now left wondering where the studio can go from here. AfterSplit Fiction,Hazelight Studios has its work cut out for it, but switching things up in favor of a single-player project could be the key to further success.
Hazelight Studios May Find Even More Success With a Dive Into Single-Player Waters
The Case For a Single-Player Hazelight Game
So far,Hazelight Studios founder Josef Fareshas made co-op stories his bread and butter. Before he founded Hazelight Studios, he broughtBrothers: A Tale of Two Sonsto life in collaboration with Starbreeze Studios. Co-op gaming is simply in Fares' veins, but even he himself has mentioned recently that a single-player project is not off the table. In an interview with Fall Damage, Fares stated, “Single-player is not an impossibility for Hazelight, but it will be done in a Hazelight way,” which is bound to be another practice in inventiveness.
Before forming Hazelight Studios, Josef Fares worked in film as a director.
Since the studio’s first game,A Way Out, experimentation has been at the center of each project’s development. Now thatHazelight Studios has three strong co-op offerings under its belt, venturing into single-player territory might actually be a natural progression for the team. Subverting expectations and shaking up its own formula is now a tradition for the developer, and pivoting to single-player would merely be following that tradition.
Even better, going the single-player route for its next project would introduce Hazelight Studios to a much larger pool of gamers. Granted,Split Fictionhas amassed impressive player numbers, but that could be doubled or tripled with a single-player story. As great as Hazelight Studios' games are, not every gamer enjoys or has the means to play co-op. A single-player offering could finally showcase what Hazelight Studios is all about to a valuable untapped resource.
Hazelight Studios was founded in Stockholm, Sweden in 2014. The studio would go on to releaseA Way Outin 2018.
The Case Against a Single-Player Hazelight Game
The biggest issue with Hazelight Studios potentially attempting a single-player story is that it may run the risk of not feeling like it was made by the studio at all. Hazelight Studios has now made co-op games the heart of its approach, and stepping away from that may prove to be too big of a change. However, if co-op gameplay is the studio’s heart, creativity is what makes it beat, and that may ultimately be the most important part. So, a single-player entry could be a major risk, butHazelight Studios has proven that it isn’t afraid of a challenge.
No matterwhat Hazelight Studios has in store next, Josef Fares' guarantee of making a hypothetical single-player game in “a Hazelight way” is already a promising sign that the developer’s identity will be put first.Split Fictionhas been one of the strongest releases of the year so far, and it will be thrilling to see what Hazelight Studios offers players next.
