Split Fiction Review
The best parallel for Hazelight Studios would be to label them the FROMSOFTWARE of co-op games. They create games based on their strength, but they’ve also established a reliability for excellence. Split Fiction isn’t dissimilar to Hazelight’s previous work. It’s been slightly expanded and refined, but for me, it’s the pinnacle of their portfolio. The story is broader yet more engaging, the experience is longer yet more concise, the writing has greater authenticity, and the creativity somehow exceeds their previous best. Split Fiction is pure fun from beginning to end.
BEST CO-OP GAME OF ALL TIME?
In 2021, Hazelight achieved success on a level reserved for only a handful of games. It Takes Two would go on to sell a staggering 20 million copies since its release and would also go on to win game of the year at The Game Awards. There is no denying that It Takes Two was a smashing success on multiple levels, but on a story level, it failed to resonate with me and I start here because this is where Hazlight have made the most improvements with Split Fiction.
Split Fiction is about Zoe and Mio, two struggling writers who are trying to break into the industry. One with a penchant for escapism in fantasy worlds and one for science fiction. Both aspirational writers have been offered a vague opportunity at a Rader, a giant publishing house in hopes that this will be the moment that turns their lives around.
This opportunity quickly appears too good to be true as it begins to look like a science experiment instead. Each writer is given the opportunity to become suspended in a bubble where they will be able to live inside of their story. Mio begins to sense something is wrong and changes her mind about the procedure, but in the process of trying to leave she ends up in the same suspension as Zoe, where their worlds collide.
It’s only due to them being trapped together inside these suspensions that Mio and Zoe learn that the machines only purpose is to harvest and steal their creative ideas. The story feels extremely relevant and was clearly an analog to the push from many large corporations to embrace AI and replace artists, which is already happening.
Their only way out is to puzzle and platform their way through each story inside of their minds and by doing so, we learn how their personal trauma is reflected in their art. This is something that AI cant do, as it lacks the ability to replicate the human condition.
Each world only lasted an hour or two, which meant that the gameplay never felt stale, but despite this each story felt fully developed. The story is given authenticity and emotional weight thanks to writing and voice acting that feels genuine. Although the story begins with evil corporations, it wades into emotionally deeper territory about how everyone needs help, which is reflected in the co-op gameplay.
In addition to the main story, there are 12 different lengthy side story portals to find that will help develop these two characters even more and serve as a vessel for Hazelight to explore themes that didn’t fit inside of science fiction or fantasy.
The plot and gameplay have incredible synergy as we bounce back and forth through mesmerizing worlds. Not only do we learn more about the motivations of these two characters, but it allows Hazelight to display their creativity without boundaries. There is almost a breakneck pace at which the mechanics shift as you never know what is coming around the next corner. The result is gameplay that constantly surprises you with new ideas and experiences that feel inspired from a broad spectrum of sources including Spider-Man, Portal, Metal Gear Solid, Donkey Kong Country, Metroid and Dead Space just to name a few.
Split Fiction ratchets up the difficulty from their previous work. There will be moments that will have you on the edge of your seat with sweaty palms, especially if you are less experienced, but it never asks more than you can achieve and thanks to incredibly precise controls, success is always in your hands.
Split Fiction features worlds that are stunning, but more importantly, perform flawlessly. On multiple occasions the visuals are awe inspiring. Not because they were pushing the envelope on a graphical level, but because of the confidence of the art direction. Whether you are driving up a neon soaked skyscraper in a cyberpunk inspired backdrop or flying on the back of the dragon across a world reminiscent of Tolkien.
It wasn’t always stunning as there were a few moments that didn’t meet the expectations set by the rest of the game, but most of these instances were limited to only a few cutscenes.
CRITICISM
Most of the criticism comes down the difficulty of Split Fiction. There is no way to adjust the difficultly outside of damage per player, which meant that the tough platforming sections could pose a problem. The silver lining is that the controls were precise and this means that failure is only skill related and not gameplay mechanics. With enough practice, timing and communication anything was possible.
There is the option to skip to the next checkpoint, but that removes the sense of accomplishment. Something along the lines of an extra jump would have helped players that needed the assistance, but not removed the rewarding aspect altogether.
The boss fights were sometimes unclear, but also came with erratic difficulty spikes, which would lead to some frustration and failure. Luckily the checkpoints are very friendly and respawns are relatively fast.
Some of the epic set pieces required sustained success, which is a lot to ask of inexperienced players, and another way that it would have eased the frustration would have been to implement a mechanic in certain areas where the players were allowed to switch jobs. If one person isn’t good at driving, it could offer a prompt to switch if the players agreed to it.
Finally, for those that are familiar with the studios previous work, you will notice some recycled ideas like instead shooting a nail gun into wood to create platform, you do it with a neon soaked electro-magnetic cylinder. Luckily, there was an abundance of fresh ideas.
CONCLUSION
There are a few minor profanities used and a couple instances of violence throughout the entire journey, but for the most part Split Fiction is a fantastic adventure for all ages. With a little patience from both parties, it’s a great way to share your passion for gaming with your close loved ones, no matter the age.
As someone who liked It Takes Two, but was less enthusiastic than most due to the storytelling, I am elated to learn that not only have Hazelight continued to refine gameplay and push the limits of creativity, but have also refined their writing. Split Fiction was full of moments of genuine laughter, but equally full of emotion.
Split Fiction is a game that gets better as it progresses. At the beginning, sections bordered on overstaying their welcome, but as the journey unfolded, I quickly found myself not wanting to leave these worlds. Split Fiction was a perpetual flow of variety and pure fun accented by resonant story.
Hazelight have solidified themselves as masters of the co-op adventure and Split Fiction is best in class.