From a conceptual standpoint, Split Fiction is an absolute home run. A co-op game that changes genres and styles based on the protagonist’s own stories – stories that presumably delve into said character’s psyche? Yes, please. And coming from the developer that won many Game of the Year awards in 2021 with It Takes Two, it’s next to impossible to call Split Fiction a losing proposition. Well, after finishing it with my co-op partner, we can say it’s certainly not bad or anything, but it’s not quite the GOTY-contender we were hoping it to be.
The plot of Split Fiction begins when our two unpublished authors, Mio and Zoe, head to Raider Publishing in hopes of finally getting their stories recognized. Things don’t go as planned, as Mr. Raider, the CEO and titular villain of the game, lures them into a simulation of the duo’s numerous stories. If you’ve seen any isekai plot, this one won’t blow your socks off. My co-op partner and I managed to guess the entire plot as well as the character’s motivations and developments from a mile away. But I can ignore a predictable plot if the narrative element of the game , something that Hazelight is known for, nails it.
The studio’s previous games featured interesting relationship hooks that few other games explored within the co-op space. A Way Out followed the journey of two prisoners as they perform a jailbreak, and It Takes Two famously portrayed a married couple considering divorce as they get transported into storybook dolls. Both intriguing setups that manage to hook and compel us, at least initially. Meanwhile, Split Fiction gives us a scenario that has been played out time and time again: two young rivals forced to work together despite being polar opposites. There’s nothing wrong with a more formulaic premise, but Split Fiction does little to warm the player up to these characters and the familiar situation they find themselves in.
“My co-op partner and I managed to guess the entire plot as well as the character’s motivations and developments from a mile away.”
So, at least the characters and villains are full of personality and charm, right? Well, that’s what I was hoping, but the game falls flat in that aspect too. Raider is such a one-dimensional villain, and an incompetent one at that. The game would’ve been better off without a villain at all, simply throwing the two protagonists into the bizarre situation like It Takes Two did. Mio and Zoe aren’t exactly all that interesting either, but at least they go through arcs and develop throughout the game a bit, even if it is as predictable as the plot.
The duo find themselves trapped together in their distinct stories with an initial distaste for one another’s company. Mio is more reserved and introverted, while the extroverted Zoe can’t help but pry some personal info while divulging her own tastes in literature. The perfect match, right? As you play the game, you’ll be barraged with a constant stream of chatter from the pair. The duo’s banter is filled with tired cliches, Marvel-esque quips, and your usual exaggerated reactions (and lots of screaming) to every little thing happening in the game. If you don’t care for these characters, the game will wear on you exponentially, as their presence inescapably envelopes the entire experience.
Of course, the upside of the duo’s distinct personalities and distinct tastes in stories is we get some neat variety in gameplay. Split Fiction, as the title implies, is structured through chapters based on Mio’s sci-fi worlds and Zoe’s wild fantasy escapades. Thankfully, on this front I was impressed. The game makes good on this foundation with oodles of distinct mechanics, perspectives, themes, and gameplay gimmicks. Unlike the story and characters, you’ll rarely anticipate where or what you’ll be doing next.
Mio’s sci-fi setting lends itself well to bullet hell shoot-em-up sequences, stealth infiltrations, and some fun third person shooter action-platforming. I found the controls for Mio’s levels to be a tad more intuitive and snappier than Zoe’s fantasy sequences. One fantasy chapter has the pair raising some baby dragons in an effort to preserve them from the devastating dragon eater (itself a giant stone dragon). Lugging around dragon eggs through puzzle-laden swamps and ruined fortresses is fun and all, but the dragon flight doesn’t control as well as other aspects of the game due to its floaty and imprecise nature.
We ran into some small glitches and snags through Mio and Zoe’s various worlds too. Objects occasionally clip through characters and getting stuck on terrain isn’t that rare. The biggest gripe we had were the numerous invisible walls. The game emphasizes platforming and curiosity, so it feels incongruent just how much punishment there is for jumping to that far-off platform or seeing what’s off to the distance. It’s not game-breaking or anything, but still worth mentioning. As a whole, the gameplay of Split Fiction feels responsive and intuitive and the platforming and shooting is about what you’d expect from the respective genres the game constantly shifts between.
“Split Fiction, as the title implies, is structured through chapters based on Mio’s sci-fi worlds and Zoe’s wild fantasy escapades.”
Some gameplay sequences, though, went above and beyond the norm. One chapter puts the duo in control of some rolling power balls reminiscent of Samus’ morph ball in Metroid Prime. Tunnelling through tight intricate floorboards and snapping from wall to wall is an absolute blast. I won’t spoil it, but my ball transformed into something that assisted my partner through some really cool environmental puzzles, forming what I’d consider the peak of Hazelight’s creative and fun opus through the years.
And then there’s the seamless perspective shifts from top-down, side-scrolling, to the aforementioned ball tunnelling seen in games like Metroid Prime and the like. There’s a level of Nintendo-esque quality to some puzzles, which deeply impressed me despite my misgivings with the characters and plot. Navigating through the mazelike labyrinths in ball-form utilizing each character’s unique abilities to assist the other forward was addictive. In fact, the large collection of varied playstyles and mechanics parody or outright rip-off other popular games. You’re bound to see dozens of references to other game franchises here, often prompting one to say “Ah! This is like that dungeon in such and such Zelda game!”
Besides the variety of puzzle-platforming sequences, there’s also some significant boss fights awaiting the duo at the end of levels and chapters. These fights require teamwork and fast reflexes (picture a boss from the Ratchet and Clank series). The pacing of these battles more or less echoes the rest of the game with its steady rapidity of constant motion. There’s very little downtime in Split Fiction, and on those rare occasions when there is, the game lets you explore a tiny bit with little interactable props in the environment. Walking up to some chalk on the ground as Zoe plays hopscotch can be a fun little diversion, but these moments typically don’t reward or progress your character in any way (although, you may get some obscure trophies). Split Fiction is above all, a linear co-op experience. So linear, in fact, that there’s nary a collectable, no score tallies to keep track of, or skill/levelling progression whatsoever.
It’s somewhat of a relief to have a game in 2025 not succumb to the RPG-ification of everything like other titles, but there’s also no denying that with nothing to collect or customize, most players may view Split Fiction as a one-and-done game. One way to squeeze that extra amount of replayability is by playing as the other character. Mio and Zoe have distinct skills and playstyles through their varied stories, so two playthroughs can feel remarkably different. And what’s more, playing with a different friend doesn’t require two copies of the game. Like Hazelight’s previous games, Friend’s Pass gives access to your online friends so they can experience the full game with you.
“Yhe gameplay of Split Fiction feels responsive and intuitive. The platforming and shooting is about what you’d expect from the respective genres the game constantly shifts between.”
Split Fiction contains at least some missable content in the form of Side Stories. These pocket worlds contain some of the most creative ideas in the entire game. Three to four Side Stories permeate each chapter, providing incentive to go back and revisit prior checkpoints, of which the game has many, and all accessible from the menu. These side stories are filled with quirky moments that will put a grin on my face in a way the characters of the game failed to. Where the main plot often takes itself too serious with dramatic pauses and cliched melodrama between the duo, the Side Stories exhibit true charm and outlandish scenarios worth going out of your way for.
Despite the excellent gameplay, my main gripe throughout the experience is one that just cannot be ignored. Mio and Zoe spout gallons of cliched quips and uninspired anecdotes, and their own stories’ plots aren’t anything interesting. It’s hard to take these characters seriously when every single story they come up with directly reflects a key moment in their life or a tragic situation they had to deal with. At one point, Mio remarks that fiction is meant to serve as an escape from reality. A sentiment I would take more seriously if every single aspect of her (and Zoe’s) fiction wasn’t a direct allegory to a mundane memory or an event they experienced in their own past. I know why this kind of framing was done – to establish Mio and Zoe’s backstory and create rapport between them – but it doesn’t make it any less formulaic, uninspired, and perhaps most unfortunate of all, cringe.
The presentation of these character and story moments don’t enhance things either. The musical score is more ambient than thematic, but I can’t remember any of it. As we were playing, we’d consistently ask where the music was and whether we just had the sound too low to hear it. Likewise, the voice acting didn’t particularly impress. Mio and Zoe’s lines are delivered competently enough by the actors, but it’s all so generic and rote without the ability to elevate the characters beyond how their written.
“If you can get past the bonding between Mio and Zoe and the incongruous isekai plot, you’re in for a great time.”
The writing in general feels amateurish at times. Take the generic isekai plot and Raider Publishing’s role within it. The CEO is an incompetent buffoon, an evil greedy man with no motivation beyond “steel idea, make money”. Yet, the very stories he wants to steal are threadbare and half-finished. Mio and Zoe are not good writers, not because they haven’t been published up to this point, but because the stories you visit within their simulations whittle down to simple elementary picture book scenarios. Why the big bad genius CEO risks his company and livelihood on a couple of unpublished works is beyond me.
If you can get past the bonding between Mio and Zoe and the incongruous isekai plot, you’re in for a great time. The breakneck pacing of the game’s constantly shifting genres and gimmicks really make for prime co-op gaming. The puzzles are usually creative, while the action generally controls well, and the constant reliance on the other player’s input really drives home what the essence of cooperative play is all about. Split Fiction doesn’t rise to the heights of It Takes Two, but it’s a solid co-op adventure with fun, highly varied gameplay.
This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
