Split Fiction

After [i]It Takes Two[/i], my partner and I were eagerly waiting for Hazelight's next co-op game. When [i]Split Fiction[/i] was finally announced, our excitment was mixed with a bit of hesitation, as we were worried it might not live up to our expectations. Watching the trailer, we weren't entirely sure if the story would grab us or if we'd even like the two main characters. Eventually we bought the game, a bit relactuntatly though. And I'm glad we did, cause this game is [b]amazing[/b]! Honestly, I'd say it's even better than [i]It Takes Two[/i]. The shifting storylines and hidden side-stories make sure the game never feels repetitive. The visuals and audio are top-notch, the story is clever and Mio and Zoe won us over by the end. If I had to point out one small negative, I would've like a few more puzzles that really make you stop and think. But that's a minor nitpick. Overall, this was a fantastic experience, absolutely worth the price. We had a great time playing it and as a couple we are proud we didn't have a major brawl during the process. Except for one moment: the "Space escape" side story. Let's just say that as our characters ran out of oxygen, we almost run out of patience :D [b]10/10 - An unforgettable co-op experience. Thank you, Hazelight![/b]

It Takes Two was great and hard to beat as a (couch) co-op game. But HazeLight has done it again. Another intriguing story line to follow with creative and fun gameplay!

I get the hype now. It's basically a cooperative runner-puzzle platformer. It's always on the move. Only time it stops for some puzzles, but they are easy and more like breathing rooms than a challenge. Its first 8 hours went like we were teenagers again: completely in the zone without ever noticing the real world around us.

This game feels like a focus grouped version of It Takes Two that tries to make it accessible to EVERYBODY, and in doing so reduces the It Takes Two formula to a mindless Disney ride. There is no challenge. The handholding is so extreme that there simply are no way to feel any stakes at any point. The little variation in levels and abilities make it feel repetitive from the start. The writing and voice acting do the game no favors either.

A BEAUTIFUL BUT BORING GAME The art is beautiful but the game-play is very repetitive. A lot of the chapters felt like a slog and the art was the only redeeming factor that kept us engaged. There were some fun utilization of the game mechanics, but the game could've been 50% shorter and had a lot more spark. Furthermore, there's just limited strategy and risk in the puzzle solving. You can respawn an infinite amount of times and the strategy component is simpler than checkers. Really no repeatability... And the credits were 13 minutes long and like a bazillion people made this game. Pretty though.

[h2]Graphics and Sound[/h2] The graphics in the game are simply excellent. I was amazed by the visual design, which creates an immersive atmosphere that draws you into the game world. The story presented in «Split Fiction» is magnificent, and I was blown away by the developers' creativity. They truly poured their hearts into creating this world. [h2]Gameplay[/h2] The gameplay deserves a top score of 10 out of 10. All the mechanics work flawlessly, and I thoroughly enjoyed the gaming experience. Each new mechanic adds freshness and interest, making the game genuinely captivating. [h2]Plot[/h2] The plot is undoubtedly the most compelling aspect of the game. It is interesting and dynamic, keeping you engaged throughout. As I progressed, I fully uncovered the characters' stories, which added depth and emotional weight to the gameplay. [h2]Characters[/h2] I really liked both main characters. At first, they seemed like opposites, like yin and yang, but as they got to know each other and interacted, I noticed how they began to resemble one another. This adds an intriguing element to their development and relationship. [h2]Pros and Cons[/h2] The main advantages of the game are its diverse mechanics and numerous references that evoke nostalgia. I found myself reflecting on how many familiar moments from other games and cultural phenomena were integrated into «Split Fiction». This creates a unique experience for players who appreciate such details. [h2]Recommendations[/h2] I would definitely recommend «Split Fiction» to others. This game is suitable for those looking for an engaging plot and interesting gameplay, as well as for those who value diverse mechanics and nostalgic references.

Easily Game of the Year in 2025 for the best cooperative experience with friend, the most innovative gameplay and best art direction 10/10

Split Fiction is developed from the same group of It Takes Two fame. If you're familiar with that game, you already know what you're getting into. It's a fun, easy time with a touching story and interesting achievements. Just be sure to swap characters with your duo for a second play through to get the full experience.

Another masterpiece. This game is more difficult than It Takes Two and doesn't borrow any of the mechanics. Somehow, they managed to create all new mechanics. Brilliant writing, plot, character development, and gameplay. Full of action - guns, motorcycles, snowboarding, rafting, lasers, and tons more. Loved every minute of it and look forward to replaying this every year. Bravo!

5 stars across the board!! From the story line to the graphics. I love how interactive the game is to the minute details that the developers implemented from other games. You can really tell that they know how to create a product that really draws you in. I look forward to future games developed by this company and I hope this story between Mio and Zoe is not over. That's its just begun.

Had an amazing time playing this game. So much fun and so much creativity put in this. I don't really like split screen gaming but this one did it quite well, pleasant coop experience and it was hella fun guessing where they got their inspiration from or other game/movie references.

Great game, such an enjoyable story with engaging game play, more difficult and less "hand holding" than It Takes Two, so play that first then this.

Definitely the best game I have played in a long time. Wow. Phenomenal. Absolutely amazing. The attention to detail and amount of cool things. This game is insane.

First off, performance was fantastic. I’ve got a pretty strong PC, but my friend’s computer is basically a toaster. He hasn’t upgraded a single part in 7 years, and Split Fiction still ran smoothly for both of us. That alone deserves praise. My friend and I had an amazing time with this game. The fact that only one person needs to own it makes it incredibly accessible, and the multiplayer was seamless throughout. But what really surprised us was how emotionally deep it got. We started off expecting a fun story-driven co-op experience, but it quickly became a ride that hit much closer to home. We chose our characters based on our favorite genres. I picked Mio because I’m a huge fan of sci-fi. I grew up on Gundam, Battle Angel Alita, and Ghost in the Shell, so anything with guns, tech, and explosions was an easy sell. My friend chose Zoe since he’s all about fantasy. Whether it’s Oblivion, Warcraft, or Age of Sigmar, he’s been living in those worlds for years. (Minor Spoilers Ahead) [spoiler] What I wasn’t ready for was how much I ended up relating to Mio. On the surface, I try to stay polite and composed, but underneath that, I carry a lot of anger and distrust. My family has dealt with a lot of health issues, and I’ve had to juggle three jobs while being the go-to translator since they don’t speak English well. That kind of pressure builds. My friend has always been there for me, checking in and offering help, but sometimes I lashed out, even when he was right. Meanwhile, my friend is very much like Zoe. He experienced a major loss in his family at a young age, but somehow he radiates positive energy and is always ready to help others. I may not always have the right words, and I can be a bit blunt, but I try to support him in my own way by reminding him to take care of himself too. [/spoiler] Split Fiction didn’t just give us fun gameplay. It gave us a space to reflect, laugh, argue, and understand each other better. Whether we were laughing at the chaos we caused or quietly resonating with the characters, it was an experience we won’t forget. If you’ve got someone to play this with, I can’t recommend it enough.

Some games aren't just fun! They're memories. When played with the right person, even the end feels bittersweet. :(

Damn good game, very emotional and inspiring. 1000000000/10 game play. Highly recommend

Its a very good game all around and I would highly recommend playing it if you have someone to play it with

I've had a total blast playing this my sister. It was pure joy of playing with someone in co-op. The story is not original or interesting, but to be fair it did not matter. The experience you have playing with a close friend is what makes this game valuable. We liked it so much that we did all the achievements (yes including the game show and the captcha one). It was very enjoyable and I loved communicating with her to solve the puzzles. Truly an amazing gaming experience, I 100% recommend it!

Decent enough. Not as good as It Takes Two, imo. Many janky interactions can be forgiven due to ease of two-player interaction. Bad re-spawns are also forgivable since there is never any real stakes to any deaths. Bad writing, and terrible jokes kept me and the wife laughing throughout. Then they literally played a near perfect copy of that sad song from the tail end of The Lion King during a sad sequence and I couldn't stop laughing at it. Its a shame the best game mechanic they made was introduced at the very end and only had about 15 minutes of gameplay.

It's an awesome two player game, definitely would recommend. Play this with my girlfriend, and it's quite fun - jumping between different story lines and genres.

One of the most enjoyable gaming experiences I’ve had in a while. There’s so much fun and creativity put into this you can tell it’s a passion project for the developers. Playing this couch co-op reminded me of the PS2 era of gaming, just good fun gameplay, no grind, no micro transactions, etc. I’m still yet to play It Takes Two but compared to A Way Out this was miles better. The developers packed in so many ideas and the game never gets stale because of it.

I will buy all of Hazelights splitscreen games and give them glowing reviews until other devs realize that PC gamers want splitscreen experiences. Especially with how much more powerful PCs are compared to consoles. Yes, I'm looking at you Halo MCC.

The game itself is a MUST play. If you miss out you missed out on a piece of best gaming in history. Seriously. It's so diverse, and challenging and beautiful and surprising and fun. So much fun. The literal only thing that is bad with the game is the story and the two heroes. They are not funny, annoying and boring as hell. I am not sure who wrote their dialogues. We always made breaks when they were talking because it was so so so boring. But aside from that. Epic game!

Me and my girlfriend were really excited to play this title ever since it came out. From the trailer it looked so much cooler compared to the Hazelight studios previous game It Takes Two, but after playing through it, we finished with a little bit mixed feelings. The game is indeed very cool and epic, that is for sure. But it has some things that we didn´t enjoy that much. Split Fiction introduces two main protagonists, Mio and Zoe. Both of them are writers who want to finally get published. Mio writes sci-fi and is rather introverted and negative, on the other hand Zoe writes fantasy and is completely opposite to Mio. Company named RADER invites them to try new machine that extracts ideas from people and turn them into a simulation. They agree to that, but before they get to their pods, an accident happens and they end up together in the same pod. Soon they realize that RADER just wants to steal all of their ideas so in order to save them and also escape the simulation, they try to go through their stories and collect all glitches. Mio and Zoe are your typical characters that hate each other’s ideas but since they need to cooperate with one another, they become best friends. The story is ok at best. It is very predictable and generic with only few interesting moments. I kinda hoped that it would be more interesting, but it has a little bit weaker plot compared to It Takes Two. Especially the character development is not so well done. The graphics are better. Every scene is cinematic and packed with a lot of nice textures. I also feel like the color pallet is a little bit more saturated and the image is sharper, so the scenes were a lot of times breathtaking. I enjoyed going through the levels and looking at literally every detail and absorbing the atmosphere that the game wanted to create. Sadly I feel like the fantasy themed levels were much better looking and interesting than the sci-fi ones. Maybe that is just my problem, because I prefer fantasy a little bit more. I really tried to find something where sci-fi really stood out, but I feel like a lot of those levels were bland and grim. There were some exceptions of course, but the fantasy was more consistent and maybe more creative. Also I noticed that a lot of time our characters blended with the environment, especially while looking from the birds eye view. Gameplay wise the game is same as It Takes Two, but its more action packed. Once again in every level you have a different set of mechanics that you have to use, but this time the game changes them much more often. It felt like they wanted to introduce as many ideas as they possibly could and they did it very well indeed. With this strategy they managed to keep me entertained and excited to see what comes next the entire playthrough. But this naturally comes with some downsides. First one being that you can´t make every single mechanic fun, for example we hated the side story with the exploding sun where you have to run and hide before it explodes again and that was the whole point. I feel like it didn´t even have a deeper meaning other then a symbol of chaos, anger and maybe frustration that is in Mio's mind, but that is nothing new about her to this point. The second problem is, that it can be very overwhelming for not so experienced players. My girlfriend was complaining that the game changed the mechanics right before she started to feel comfortable using them. In my case it wasn´t a big deal, but I 100% agree with her because sometimes it was very hectic. Also her next point was that she missed those fun minigames in the levels that It Takes Two had. I know that the side stories were meant as a replacement for them, but they can´t really simulate the same relief and break from all the things that happened as those minigames did. Only break that this game gives you are benches, where you can watch some scenery in some parts of the stories, but that's not hitting the same. Other than those few negative points the gameplay is great. Once again it introduced multiple genres and nailed them. What really stood out to me was for example the pinball part of the game, where my girlfriend controlled the ball and I controlled the environment, that was original and a lot of fun. In general I would say that the most fun mechanics were right at the end, more precisely the last three ¨chapters¨. Also the very final boss fight was just epic. We were playing with our mouths opened the whole fight, that was pure cinema. Another thing that Split Fiction nailed was the camera work, there were a lot of cool transitions between 3D platforming to 2D side scroller and so on. So despite all those negatives, me and my girlfriend really enjoyed Split Fiction and someday we will return to it for sure. I think that it is designed for even wider audience than It Takes Two, because here you just explore two different genres and friendship. So if you want a coop game to play with a friend, pick this title. Sadly the game is a little bit weaker in the middle but the start and ending is great. But nonetheless Hazelight studios released a great game once again and I am looking forward to their next work. I kinda hope that it would be something more different or maybe like A Way Out. I am so grateful that these guys exist and keep the couch co-op genre alive.

What a game!! Great story, loved the character chemistry, the visuals were gorgeous, the music wonderful and the gameplay was so varied and a lot of great fun!

Absolutely phenomenal from beginning to end that finishes on a mind blowing sequence. Somehow with every game, Hazelight keeps raising the bar higher and higher, and I eagerly await their next game. I have played all of the developer's games, and with each new release, the level of quality, variety, and fun just keeps going up. With Split Fiction, there were a handful of points where I thought the game was going to start the ending, but instead continued to provide hours of content. If you're looking for a co-op game to play with a friend, start with any of the games from Hazelight Studios.

Some of the most fun i've had playing games with a friend, all the easter eggs from other games were so cool to find. really recommend

Game of the year contender, Best bonding activity with friend.

A masterclass in puzzle and level design, a love letter to storytelling and video games and art in general, and great character writing to boot.

Every single part of this game requires teamwork! A fun game with an impressive set of game mechanics. The developers for this game did a fantastic job in that aspect. Definitely worth ago if you are looking for a fun co-op game.

Amazing concepts and fun with a friend. Couldn't have asked for a better co-op game!

I don't know of a better Co-Op experience in the gaming world. This is so much fun and each mechanic is well thought out. The story is also excellent and very engaging, the devs have done an amazing jobs with this game.

Amazing game to play as a couple. Great stories that you'll play through with beautiful environments. Especially a great game for a book lover...

[b]GOTY 2025[/b] Amazing, just amazing. Decided to buy this to play with my sister because we both enjoyed playing the demo a lot together and since it's the summer season, decided to try it out with her to spend our free time. The graphics, the ost, the creative platforming stages, bosses and story. Chef kiss. Despite having only played the game for nearly 10 hours and haven't completed it yet, I am having a blast with it. As someone who played and finished It Takes Two few years ago, this game never failed to hit and revive the itch of a challenging, fun and enjoyable multiplayer experience. As for rooms to improve on, maybe if possible, there can be an option for singleplayer mode (2'nd character can be AI-controlled) for people who want to play these kinds of games but don't have a real-life friend, sibling or family member to play with. That would cater for a more inclusive approach :). Other than that, I look forward to more games like this!

Phenomenal game. The new gold standard for coop. Refreshing and creative gameplay. Wish it had a bit more of a challenge, but it's a great game to play with a loved one or significant other that way.

Josef Fares' latest co-op masterpiece doesn’t just test your skills — it tests your friendship. You’ll find yourself: - Trusting your friend… - Immediately realizing that was a mistake - Getting a bomb tossed at you seconds before it explodes - Screaming "WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME BEFORE THROWING THE BOMB?!" while playing the victim card like a pro Then things get weird: - You fly using your pig’s fart propulsion - Your buddy glides through chaos on a dragon - You ride the same dragon like a runaway barrel This game isn’t just a co-op experience — it’s emotional warfare disguised as fun. 10/10 – Thanks, Josef, for making trust issues a gameplay mechanic.

the mini game during the end credits was really challenge, but after a few minutes we finally got it.

OMG, this is one of the best games I have ever played. The story is amazing, bugs are practically non-existent and the whole game just feels amazing, with constant new mechanics making sure the game is never boring at any time during it. I only wish it was longer, but 15 hours is still a decently long game. For £20 each you should definitely get it.

Split Fiction, true to its name, has completely split my friendship apart. 10/10, least optimised game ever

Got about 17 hours of play out of this with my wife. This game has a lot of great stuff, and some stuff thats not so great. Good: - Gameplay is excellent all around. This game strikes a really good balance of referencing other games, but not ripping them off. Challenging, but not impossible for newer gamers to get through. Crazy abilities, but not any that are hard to use. - Side stories are really good, short bursts of polished fun and surprises. I'd rec playing all of them tbh, this is where the game shines - All of the boss fights are pretty well done in this game. Each one is unique without getting too repetitive. - Movement in each section of the game is pretty great. - Friend pass is a huge plus. 17 hours of play with a friend for $50 total! Thats a better price than most games, and this game is certainly worth that price tag. - Played this entirely on my steam deck in docked mode. No crashes, no issues with multiple controllers connected, played on medium settings. (Had few frame rate dips) - Story is decent with a fine enough ending. Bad: - The dialogue is BAD. Between this game, and "It Take Two", this company really needs to hire better writers for their story and dialogue. VA's did a pretty good job, but can only do as well as the writing allows - The shift in audio quality when a character dies in a boss fight is goofy. It feels like a glitch, but it's actually just a weird feature. - The Villain is very poorly written. He acts like a normal CEO in the beginning, and starts talking like a Spider man villain in the end? His arc makes little sense, and certainly isn't believable in any context. - The characters take FOREVER to talk their problems out. Pacing needed a kick in the pants. - Mio is kind of crappy as a person? [spoiler] She goes from SUPER mean to Zoe throughout the first 75% of the game, with very small amounts of growth, to suddenly the happiest person on Earth because her and Zoe destroyed the bad (fearful and closed off) part of her in her brain? You gotta earn that transformation, and she definitely didn't. [/spoiler] - In trying so many ideas, some of the land and some don't as far as the execution goes. ALOT of them were very good, but another handful of sections were clunky and had me begging for the section to end. Despite some of it's flaws, this is probably one of the best games I've played this year. It's more than worth the price tag, especially because of the friend pass. Even though the writing and dialogue are rough, the game is just REALLY FUN. It's easy to look past some of those flaws when you're enjoying some really good platforming. TLDR: Pick this up because it's cheap and really fun

amazing. Best game from Hazelight by far and that's saying something.

Simply good coop fun with many creative twists that keeps surprising you. It isnt very challenging and the story is quite cheesy, but play with the right person and youll have a blast without a doubt

Played this with my boyfriend and had such a great time! The levels, puzzles, and graphics are all really well done. You can tell a lot of love and effort went into it. The story is beautifully written with the perfect balance of humor, sadness, and challenge. Highly recommend for co-op play!

Played it with the wife. we had arguments, we had angry looks but most importantly, we had so much fun =) highly recommended.

A great game for COOP , and in general a fun experience . I would like to mention that through personal experience, the previous title IT TAKES TWO , game play vise was more fun , where as this title focused more on world building of the individual characters and story ... Later game parts are definitely much more game play oriented and ALL together made the overall experience quite fun !

This game is a lot fun and easily is one of the best couch coop games out there. It's different than it takes two and I'd say we preferred it takes two better due to setting and levels being more diverse. Here it's pretty much either sci-fi robot stuff or nature green levels. That's it. There are side stories that introduce different settings but those last 3-5 mins tops. Boss levels are meh, robot robot robot and then a big cat. Last level and boss fight were the best in the entire game. Story is ok, nothing ground breaking but you play those games mostly for game play so that's fine.

This game is pretty good. There were a lot of credit or "easter eggs" that referred to other video games, so the uniqueness was not fully there for me, but the idea of playing as writers and what not, that part was cool. The story line with A Way Out and It Takes Two, those pulled the heart strings, this one not so much but it was still pretty good. I recommend it, because how can you play the other games and not this one. I do not think its worth buying if you are playing with a friend, at least, not full price.

A unique experience did not expect i would be this astonished by the gameplay and the beautiful scenes. Perfect game to play with your family member or partner, if u liked it takes two you will love this, it build on that experience and just hit every note correctly.

[i]This was a triumph; I'm making a note here, huge success[/i] It's a decent enough cooperative experience. Some of the coordination requirements can be a bit frustrating and there is a lot of trial and error gameplay. The story and characters are serviceable but not notable nor memorable. But for what it is, the game does its job well.

Its not a difficult game, and the themes do seem cliche, but its executed very well in the context of a split screen couch co-op game. The story is about two authors who meet during a project where a machine can bring their fiction writing to life in a simulation, like the Matrix. Their worlds collide, and they must navigate a mix of both their ideas. It definitely belongs to anyone's co-op collection. It plays like a ride, there's enough here to keep casual and veteran video gamers alike entertained. There aren't many games in this style these days. I've only played two hours and can already tell from having played It Takes Two, A Way Out, and other casual co-op games, this ones well worth it, bringing an upgraded and lighthearted fun nature, giving subtle nods to other major titles like Assassin's Creed, Spider-Man, and Tron with Cyber-ninjas. The hardest part is finding someone to play with. There's no grinding, no looting, just two different people bumping into each other and figuring things out in a mix of puzzles, portals to other worlds with new puzzles, nothing stays the same for too long.