Split Fiction Review: Defines Peak Gaming

Hazelight Studios is one of the few ones keeping the co-op heritage strong with extraordinary additions to the genre. I’ve played their previous games, A Way Out and It Takes Two, which brought me back to the couch co-op that has been missing in my life. After four long years, Josef Fares and his team at Hazelight have returned with Split Fiction, a co-op game set in a world where sci-fi and fantasy collide. I’ve eagerly awaited the game’s release since its announcement in The 2024 Game Awards.

Thanks to a copy provided by Hazelight, my friend and I immersed ourselves in a multiversal experience. After finishing 100% of the game including the side quests, here is my full Split Fiction review.

A Tale of Two Writers Journeying Through Their Fiction

Meet Mio Hudson and Zoe Foster, two aspiring authors whose paths cross at Rader Publishing Company. Mio is a sci-fi writer and a nihilistic introvert, while Zoe is an energetic extrovert. They have completely different energies, and their unexpected journey together will change their lives forever.

They are here to get their first book published, but soon we find out that this is no regular publisher. At Rader, the CEO introduces a new machine that can simulate the authors’ stories to experience them first hand. In a series of events, the two dissimilar peas end up in the same pod of the machine, which causes the machine to glitch.

Without spoiling any further, as Mio and Zoe, we are now set to go on an adventurous expedition through the simulation of our own stories. It is the only way to save our tales from being extracted by the evil forces. Now that’s an excellent setup for sci-fi and fantasy expeditions, albeit with cliched characters.

The main characters are a bit stereotypical, but they have great chemistry, and it is beautiful to watch them forge their friendship over time. You can understand the intent behind their characterizations as you progress through the game. Hazelight aimed to provide a wholesome experience for Mio and Zoe. Therefore, I’m cool with playing as straightforward characters as they felt very relatable to me, and it’s easy to experience the game’s friendly themes. So, gear up for a multiversal journey with Mio and Zoe!

An Unimaginable Multiversal Voyage Through Sci-Fi and Fantasy

The various sci-fi realms and fantasy lands we visit in Split Fiction are the main characters’ imagination that have turned into reality with the machine. The developers have painted the visuals strikingly, no matter our setting. My friend and had to make a pit stop every time we entered a new level to adore the beauty of these meticulously crafted areas.

When exploring sci-fi and fantasy backdrops, you get the automatic advantage of unleashing your creativity. The developers seized that opportunity to develop unique environments across each genre that are starkly varying to play.

Kudos to the Art Director, Environment artists, and everyone who made not just Hazelight’s but one of the best-looking video games of all time with their incredible art style.

The Next-Gen Co-Op Experience!

As I mentioned, our task is to exploit a glitch and visit each of our stories to save them before they get snatched away from us. So, in each chapter, the gameplay loop here is to visit Mio and Zoe’s sci-fi and fantasy stories individually. Then, we must stay coordinated, platform our way through hurdles, solve puzzles, and defeat the boss to move on to the next level.

Split Fiction is a very linear game, and in between the main story, you can also experience side stories to take a break. The side stories are wonderfully weaved into the main story, as these are incomplete works of our writers when they were young. I highly recommend you to check them out, as some of the side missions are so fun to experience, equal to a central chapter.

On paper, the gameplay looks plain and simple, right? Let’s see how Hazelight has made use of the sci-fi and fantasy environments to design exceptional levels that we have never seen before:

Level Design

Hazelight Studios have honed the formula for co-op gaming and ingeniously crafted some of the best level designs you will find in a game with Split Fiction. The developers made complete use of sci-fi and fantasy elements such as bikes, dragons, jetpacks, shapeshifting, etc, to design each level that is notably contrasting from one another. So, right off the bat, the game never lets you catch your breath as it is full of nonstop action and adventure set pieces, even in the side stories.

They also effectively utilized spaces such as 2D, 2.5D, and 3D to create top-down, side-scrolling, and isometric levels that are so incredibly fun to play. The developers also developed unique mechanics for all the levels you play that work flawlessly in tandem with the expertly built levels.

So, I bet you will never feel repetitiveness as each level brings a fresh experience. For example, in one of Zoe’s stories, you have to make your way through using the shapeshifting powers.

It’s amazing how the camera angles change as the levels continuously change, and the character movements are incredibly precise. Furthermore, the developers have also cleverly included Easter eggs for various popular games and movies throughout the entire game. I don’t wish to spoil any of them here, and you will find them out as you advance your way in. These tiny moments made the game even more special in our hearts.

Puzzles

Of course, co-op games are incomplete without puzzles. Split Fiction features well-designed puzzles that are tricky but easily solvable as you mess with them. I’ll be honest I suck at puzzle games but even a player like me could crack them with enough time. The joy of figuring it out is entirely worth it.

Hence, look out for clues and put them together to easily navigate the puzzles with your friend/partner’s help. As seen with their previous games, the developers always ensure the puzzles aren’t head-scratchers hindering the players’ co-op experience. That’s what I call a perfect experience.

Bosses and Difficulty

Split Fiction also features a variety of thrilling boss battles that are super entertaining to defeat. They are thoughtfully designed with multiple phases to keep you at the edge of your seat, and you get the perfect power-ups to triumph over them. For example, in the Parking Attendant boss fight, you can use Mio’s gravity katana and Zoe’s gravity pull to slay the laser ball machine.

The game gets slightly difficult in some platforming regions and boss fights, but you can overcome them all by mastering the movements. The developers also ensured a stress-free experience by placing optimal checkpoints and quicksaves that don’t ruin the game’s flow or pace. The game will restart from a checkpoint only if both players die, as one can revive as many times as they want as long as the other stays alive.

Captivating Musical Score Energizes Our Escapades

Music is always essential in making the adventures feel special. As such, the main composer of It Takes Two, Gustaf Grefberg, returned and teamed up with Jonatan Järpehag to compose a fantastic soundtrack for Split Fiction. The Swedish musicians delivered an outstanding score and cinematic sound effects that hit all the right notes when exploring the sci-fi world and fantasy settings.

The cast has done an impressive job when it comes to voice acting. Whether it was a cheesy humorous scene or a heartrending moment, both Kaja Chan and Elsie Bennett excelled in their roles. You spend most of the time with these two characters, and they will gradually win you over as their characters begin to unravel as you progress.

Performance

My Setup: CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D @4.20 GHz
GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti SUPER
RAM: 32 GB (2×16) DDR5 @6000MHz
SSD: Samsung 990 PRO 1TB
Monitor: 1440p @170Hz

If you are worried about Split Fiction’s performance on your PC, fret not! Split Fiction is a perfect example of a truly well-optimized game that runs flawlessly without needing upscaling. I finished my playthrough in 2K resolution and very high settings. I consistently hit over 170 FPS, even crossing the 200 FPS mark in certain places.

There was only one instance where the FPS dipped unexpectedly to 60 in a demanding icy region. Apart from that, I had a seamless experience with Split Fiction. More importantly, playing a game without any upscaling and the visual artifacts that come with it was an enjoyable experience for me.

In case you have a lower-spec PC, my co-op friend played in his GTX 1650 Super card and mentioned that it was also a finely smooth experience for him. Thus, Hazelight Studios also absolutely nailed the performance aspect and continues to be a great example to follow for other studios.

Verdict: A Worthy Addition to Hazelight’s Lineup?

When I was a kid, there used to be 8-bit video game cassettes marked as 10 in 1. Split Fiction is reminiscent of those titles, with the game packed with plenty of mini-games.

I’ve played A Way Out and It Takes Two, which I immensely enjoyed. Hazelight Studios has stepped up its game and once again poured its hearts and creativity into making a masterpiece full of nonstop thrills, laughter, and fun. Split Fiction is undeniably the biggest feather in Hazelight’s cap….yet.

The studio has perfected the art of making co-op games and wonderfully keeps pushing the boundaries. It is a complete bundle of joy and pure entertainment offering plenty of fun as you navigate Mio and Zoe’s new life challenges. Playing and watching the two main characters overcome their hardships and form a meaningful friendship is nothing short of a beautiful experience.

Split Fiction marks the new era of co-op gaming by redefining the genre with its groundbreaking level designs. It also feels like a heartfelt tribute to the rich gaming history. We laughed a lot, had our minds blown, and thoroughly enjoyed our time with the game. I assure you, you will also feel the same once you give this game a chance.

I get the characters can feel a little trite, but they can be easily overlooked by the overload of creativity the game brings. It is the most fun I have ever had in a game this year, and I’m adding it to my all-time favorite games collection immediately. I’m sure this game will be remembered as one of the greats that took the co-op gaming experience to a new level.

Sure, single-player gaming experiences are something else. But co-op gaming lets you experience the rollercoaster of emotions with your close friends or partner, becoming a core memory in our lives. For me, Split Fiction had that very effect.

So, what are you waiting for? Call your friend or partner, and start playing Split Fiction as soon as possible.

PS: The final act of Split Fiction was the literal definition of a mind-blowing experience, and I haven’t experienced anything like this before in any game. So, I couldn’t talk about that here and make sure you don’t get spoiled before experiencing it yourself.