Split Fiction: The Final Preview

In an era of live services, MMOs, and generally disconnected online experiences, the idea of local multiplayer is quickly becoming a rarity. And while we have seen a handful of great couch co-op experiences pop up here and there, such as TMNT Shredders Revenge, Overcooked, and Hazelight Studios’ very own It Takes Two, I can’t think of anything I’ve played recently that resonated with me quite like Split Fiction. From its plethora of varying gameplay types, such as a twin-stick shooter, a pinball inspired puzzle platformer, and in one instance, a hot dog simulator, to its dazzling graphics and believable character dialogue, Split Fiction is looking to not only be another standout title in a year full of promising releases, but something that anyone who’s looking for a fun and unique local multiplayer game should pencil in on their gaming calendar.

In Split Fiction you play as either Mio or Zoe, two aspiring writers who are chosen to take part in an early test of a machine that will bring their stories to life. From what I saw, this plot device not only helps build the world of Split Fiction, but also provides a perfect excuse to seamlessly transition between its sci-fi and fantasy settings. During the few hours I got to play, jumping back and forth never felt forced or tedious, and while I’m admittedly not the biggest fan of fantasy unless the word “Final” is attached in some way, I never found myself getting bored of Zoe’s fantasy worlds. This was supported by Split Fiction’s well-written and believable dialogue between characters, which helped convince me that I was watching two real people who are polar opposites interact with each other in their own make-believe worlds.

If you played Hazelight’s previous games (It Takes Two and A Way Out), you probably have a pretty good idea of what’s in store for you with Split Fiction. A shared multiplayer experience on either the same or a split screen that’s full of cleverly designed puzzles that require teamwork and communication, all wrapped up in a nice-looking and well-written package. What sets Split Fiction apart from other couch co-op games is its clever integration of numerous gameplay styles, keeping the experience fresh and engaging.

In fact, the variety of gameplay styles in Split Fiction is easily its most standout feature. And during my brief time with it, it was clear that this isn’t another standard two-player puzzler or beat-’em-up experience. Hazelight obviously took its time to refine the variety of gameplay types in here, because nothing felt like it was rushed or created in order to add variety for the sake of variety. One standout moment for me was a section where Zoe and Mio have to snowboard their way out of an active warzone, which felt more like a blend of Sonic Adventure Battle and SSX than your typical on-rails downhill spectacle. In this moment, Split Fiction introduced a points mechanic where I had to compete against my partner, performing as many grinds, grabs, and flip tricks as possible while trying to avoid death. While this mechanic has been done before in more games than I can count, the fact that this instance is just one of dozens really shows the potential of fun things to do in Split Fiction.

That’s not to say they were all hits, though. One section had us playing a hybrid of a platformer and pinball where I was controlling the ball and my partner was controlling the pinball paddles. This required some precise timing on both of our ends, and it was a creative way to introduce a slower puzzle mechanic to a game that has a surprising amount of action in it. While I found myself getting a bit frustrated whenever I messed up a badly timed jump, the satisfaction I felt once my partner and I finished any of the campaign’s collaborative tasks really elevated the experience.

And just to be clear: Split Fiction is 100% a collaborative experience that keeps you on your toes throughout; single-player is not an option. But unlike most co-op games where both players need to fight a screen full of enemies or break a bunch of blocks in order to progress to the next level, Split Fiction requires a heavy amount of teamwork and critical thinking from both players in its heavy action as well as its mellower puzzle sections. Throughout my demo time, I found myself communicating more with my partner and working together to try to figure out the puzzles and bosses because, refreshingly, Split Fiction does not hold your hand whatsoever. Thats not to say this is suddenly a soulslike in terms of difficulty, but there wasn’t a moment where the UI pointed us in the right direction or gave us a hint on what to do. Which is kind of the point of Split Fiction and co-op games as a whole, and definitely made my demo a really fun and rewarding experience.

In a time where every game can either be played solo or is completely full of NPCs or people online who don’t really want to interact outside of a few words here and there, Split Fiction really looks to raise the bar in what a co-op experience can be. I appreciated everything from its interesting use of multiple gameplay styles spanning across many genres, to its cleverly written dialogue and beautiful-looking worlds, plus the fact that it requires you to actively play with someone else and think outside of the box to solve its puzzles. And in a year packed with dozens of promising releases, Split Fiction is definitely looking to set itself apart from the pack in a way that few games can.