A review of ‘Split Fiction’, from the makers of ‘It Takes Two’ and ‘A Way Out’

Pushing the envelope for two-person gaming

Succeeding a game of the year like ‘It Takes Two’ is never easy but Hazelight Studios finds a way to not just give us a worthy successor but to elevate the two-player co-op experience that it has become renowned for.

In ‘Split Fiction’, the play starts almost immediately as its two very different protagonists Zoe and Mio meet at Rader publishing to get their stories published only to realize that their stories aren’t being published in written form but are being captured and rendered into experiential realities.

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Zoe, a writer of sci-fi is suspicious and resists. In the ensuing scuffle that breaks out she accidentally ends up in the same bubble as Mio and just like that the two-player adventure begins.

‘Split Fiction’ is the most fun I have had this year while playing a game. It is fast, dynamic, and is inherently designed as a 2-player experience. It is important for me to say upfront that this isn’t a game that can be played in co-op or with two players but rather a game that can only be played in tandem. You can play the game side by side using two controllers on the same console locally or remotely with a fellow player online.

The game’s makers have crafted the characters of Mio and Zoe quite well. While Mio is an extrovert and is willing to go out of their way to speak with other people, Zoe is more likely to stay silent and to herself. The difference in their personalities is established at the beginning of the game right when the two of them meet in an elevator.

In terms of gameplay, the game requires a lot of puzzle-solving, fast movement, wall running, and synchronized action. No two levels are similar and in my time with the game.

The game also alternates between the two authors’ worlds at random and adaptability is key. The gameplay experience is smooth and in my experience it neither lagged nor hung in both split-screen or single screen modes.

The more time you spend in ‘Split Fiction’, you will realize the strength of the game’s design as running, dashing, dodging dragon fire andfalling spaceships, and overcoming classic challenges becomes the norm and you begin to focus on the main plotline of Zoe and Mio’s escape.

Play the game for its novel two-player experience and to enjoy the chaos it offers. A must play for 2025! Strong contender for Game of the Year.

Sneak Peek:

Title: Split Fiction

Developer& Publisher: Hazelight Studios for EA Originals

Game Type: Action-adventure two-player platformer

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S,and Microsoft Windows

Price: Rs. 3,999 on PlayStation and Xbox store and Rs.2,499 on Steam.

Verdict (all scores out of 10):

Innovative Gameplay: 9.5

Game Handling & Quality: 9.5

Value for Time: 9

Overall: 9.3

What Stands Out:

• The two-person experience in both online and local mode remains of consistently high quality. There was never a moment in my two playthroughs where I felt lags, delays, or errors in synchronization.

• The shift between the two narrative strands and their two virtual worlds based is seamless.

Fails to impress:

This game isn’t as easy to grasp as ‘It Takes Two’ for first time players. The mechanics here are more complex and the room for error is much smaller.