Split Fiction Review – A Masterpiece of Creativity and Co-op Adventure
Hazelight Studios delivers another unforgettable experience, blending innovation, storytelling, and seamless co-op gameplay in their best game yet.
We’re saying it right now from the start so y'all can take the chance to go and play this game - this is one of the greatest games we’ve played, and it's easily a 10/10. A few games have excited us to continue playing to discover what's coming next, the new gameplay mechanics they will introduce, and how wild the world will be. It kept us wondering if the game would slow down or run out of ideas, but as you keep going, you'll be amazed. No developer/game has done it for us in a while. The closest to it was Insomniac Games, with Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. The amount of innovation Split Fiction has is impressive, and the fact that this game exists using Unreal Engine 5 is no easy feat.
Hazelight Studios has been making bangers back-to-back from Brothers, A Way Out, It Takes Two, and now it’s Split Fiction. They always tried something new with each game and succeeded in their attempts. They never shy away from their ideas, which we seriously love. With Split Fiction, everyone's idea in Hazelight Studio was put into this incredible, cohesive story and video game. In this review, the details we will cover are just a fraction of what you can experience in this game. This game is an excellent testament to what a video game should be—fun, exciting, and innovative. The gameplay mechanics are like fresh air, offering a unique and engaging experience to keep you on the edge of your seat. But it is also a great homage to the many video games we played, ranging from Portal 2 to an old-school classic snake game. Yeah, they went way back, but with style. This game made us appreciate video games and family much more.
How Split Fiction Got Our Attention
Ever since Josef Fares revealed A Way Out at The 2017 Game Awards and said fuck the Oscars - he's been at the forefront, and his love for video games oozed out of the screen. So when Josef Fares introduced Split Fiction at The 2024 Game Awards, it caught our attention. The trailer was straight to the point, explaining the ins and outs of the game, and the best thing about it - we could just buy one copy and play with any of our friends or anyone online. Although there wasn't a matchmaking system to find people, we could join Hazelight's discord and find people to play with if we didn't have a friend or family member to do that with.
Not only that - it has cross-play! You only have to buy one copy, and anyone on any platform the game is on could play the game, either from Xbox Series X|S, PS5, or PC. It is an incredible feat, and the fact that they sold 1 million copies in the first 48 hours of release shows that they are doing something right. I liked Josef Fares's commercial about Split Fiction and sending out a physical friend right to your door. I love the cheesy humor, and that was something you got to see all throughout the game.
Fortunately, I had my brother, and we decided to play locally on the PS5. We played it all weekend, starting on Thursday and we finished on Sunday. Our total playthrough was 14 hours, and we had the best time playing the game! The game's cooperative aspect added a new layer of enjoyment as we strategized and worked together to overcome challenges. When starting the game (and at any point), you and whoever you're playing with can switch which character you play throughout the story from the main menu before heading into the game. The way the game sets up everything to ween us into the gameplay is engaging - especially in the times that we are in now, with creativity being forced to change with A.I. and A.I. being implemented by big companies to remove the artist. It hits the right chord as big companies like Activision admit to using AI in their game assets because of Steam's new policies.
The Story of Split Fiction
The game focuses on two characters, Mio Hudson and Zoe Foster. Rader Publishing invited them and others to get their books/stories published and pay them for their work. Something so simple gets terrible really quickly. Fun fact: Josef Fares named these characters after his daughters, who share the same names, adding a personal touch to the story, and it is so sweet!
While Zoe and the rest of them agreed and went into the machines as they believed things were fine, Mio had an inclination that things were wrong with the fact that they had to go through this whole weird process - which, in reality, is going into their minds and taking every single creative idea and putting it into this AI machine to constantly produce new worlds and stories using their ideas. Mio wanted out, but Rader and the scientist wanted her to go back in because they "couldn't stop the process." She tripped into Zoe's machine, and their stories were mixed together.
Now, Zoe and Mio do not know each other - they aren't friends. So, when they saw each other in their stories, it caused some issues. The game's narrative structure is unique in that it intertwines Zoe and Mio's stories, allowing players to experience both perspectives. The machines they went into not only take their ideas but visualize them and allow them to live through those memories, stories, and ideas. That is how it is for Zoe and Mio. Still, because Mio stumbled into Zoe's machine, they experience each other's stories.
Zoe is a Fantasy author who doesn't like much action but loves exploration, whimsical characters, and fantastical creatures. Think of genres like Harry Potter and Dragon Age. On the other hand, Mio is a sci-fi author, very much the opposite of Zoe - her stories have a lot more action/violence, dark themes, and intense sequences, similar to Star Wars or Blade Runner. Throughout the game, you get to learn more about them and why their worlds are the way they are, and that is one of my favorite parts about this game - how it progresses.
Gameplay and Visuals
The game plays very similarly to It Takes Two: if it ain't broke - don't fix it! It felt very fun to have that feeling again. It felt snappy and very responsive when running around and doing different actions. The game is also a co-op split-screen experience, and they did an excellent job within this game. The gameplay involves a mix of platforming, puzzle-solving, and combat, with each character having unique abilities that complement each other. We only got stuck on a handful of puzzles only due to how fast we were moving throughout the world at times, it made us realize to slow down and take in everything!
Each area had an unbelievable level of detail. At each main story level, you jump back and forth from Zoe's fantasy world to Mio's sci-fi world and vice versa. The detail in their world design is incredible. No matter where we were, there was always a moment when my brother and I were looking around and being in awe at how vast and beautiful the world was. Whatever we saw in the distance, we knew we would make it there at some point - the matter of how we would do that was the question. It always got answered with the most incredible gameplay mechanics.
Zoe's worlds were beautiful, magical, and lush, with grass and trees everywhere, mystical creatures that could interact with you, and more. She was my favorite to explore; it gave you a break from the combat with intuitive platforming. Certain reviewers, though, may complain about too much greenery in the world. Although we loved Zoe's world, it doesn't mean Mio's world was slacking. Mio's worlds had substantial sci-fi cities that reminded me of Night City from Cyberpunk 2077. It felt like playing through these grand Mission Impossible movies. Every level of Mio's was intense, with incredible action and never-ending movement until the end; it did make my brother hate lasers but love the chaos.
What I loved about each main level was that we always had a new ability to mess with. It was unique to the person's level it focused on, so it could be us transforming into different fantasy creatures in Zoe's story or using futuristic weapons that allow us to have telekinesis and attach ourselves to walls or ceilings in Mio's story. Each had specific skills, so we didn't have to do the same things. It was cool that we always had to use those abilities in various ways to move forward in the game - which I loved a lot because it meant you always had to communicate or just take time to think to figure something out without looking at guides or anything.
Although my brother enjoyed those things, there were some powers he saw me have that he wanted. He mainly played as Zoe, and there was a level with these dragons we had to protect; Mio's dragon could glide and shoot acid while Zoe rolled around and grappled onto the walls, so he felt left out at times with cool stuff and thought the powers he had at times were wack.
In some parts, you had to time precisely what you and your partner were doing to destroy something or get past a section. There would be even puzzles where you both have to put your minds together and abilities to move something around to unlock a door. I loved that we had to deal with our skills - it kept things fresh. It also means we can replay those parts and experience a new gameplay style just from playing as the character you haven't tried yet.
That's what I loved as well. We weren't always just our human selves wondering about the world - we would play as different species or devices at points, and it was so damn cool. Shapeshifting into a swimming creature or even becoming Groot and controlling an entire level is incredible. The controls would change, and so would our perspective in the game. The perspective would change so much that it would feel like a completely different game. It can be a side scroller like Contra, a top-down action game like Diablo, or even an arcade-like sports game like SSX. Oh, the boss fights were insane. Each one was fun to fight using the powers you have at the moment, and teamwork makes you think and plan out exactly what to do with ease. There was so much you were able to do in this game. I want to share it all, but you have to experience it yourself!
The colors of the two characters were such a nice touch; Mio's is red/purplish, while Zoe's is green. On PS5, the character you're playing as the color will show on the controller lights. Their color will also appear throughout the world level - like for Mio - the world can seem real sci-fi like Blade Runner and have her hint of color in the world with the buildings and even with her clothing lighting up pinkish. Same with Zoe, where the colors are vibrant, and the world is covered with the most beautiful greenest grass you'll see with a bright sun in the back and stunning nature scenery. Everything matches their vibe, and with each story, it expands so much, and you'll get a feel of who they are literally with each obstacle you both get through.
Side Stories and Homages
Interestingly, they had these Portals around Zoe's and Mio's main stories. These side stories were these ideas that delved deeper into their minds. They even realized how bad things were getting because of the ideas being taken from them - like stuff from their teens or even a young child. Whose side story you played depended on the main story you were in, so if you were in Zoe's fantasy world - you'd do Mio's side story and vice versa. These side stories can vary in length and content, but they were all extremely fun and a great way to take a quick break from intense moments from the main story. There were side stories where you'd turn into pigs that could fly by farting, and there were side stories where you'd be in a game show fighting for y'all lives. There was never a dull moment in these stories; writing about them just makes me want to replay them.
I mentioned a couple of homages regarding gameplay shifts that can occur during the game. Still, some homages are subtle but make you smile so much remembering those things - like the Assassin's Creed eagle jump, dodging rolling barrels like you're Mario going against Donkey Kong, Halo 5's trailer jump, or even from Hazelight's own game, It Takes Two - Cutie the Elephant, who's ear you can remove from the signage in one of the levels. Unfortunately, it is reminiscent of It Takes Two's infamous and sick scene. These games have many more homages, but it is best to discover them yourself. It'll make you feel happy playing through the game!
Final Thoughts and Recommendation
There was never a moment in this game where we felt bored or tired of what we were doing in the game. We played the entire weekend, excited to see what would happen next or what we would explore. The characters are very much lovable as well, and the more you go through the story, the more you understand who they are and why they have the stories they have (some can be a bit crazy at times!) But we implore you all to play the game if y'all can and stick through the end. This game has one of the best final levels I've ever played in a game, and that's saying something. They implemented many fresh ideas we never expected in a video game. This game is also a tremendous consumer-friendly thing because you can play the game with anyone as long as one of you owns the game. It's amazing.
Split Fiction is a game we would replay with any friend/family and experience all over again. It's our Game of The Year 2025. Hopefully it doesn't become overshadowed by other major game releases later this year. It's still a surprise that it's published by EA. The game is unique, and it has reached our top 10 list. The game did everything it was supposed to, hitting every note of that. If you know anyone who owns the game, message them and ask them to play with them. I guarantee that you will have a great time and enjoy something, if not everything, in the game. We may have missed a few things in this game, but we'll return to catch those! As I mentioned, this is just a fraction of what is in the game - so please take the time to play it! Thank you to the Developers at Hazelight Studios and Josef Fares for taking the time to create this fantastic game!