Split Fiction Review

Hazelight is the master of the split-screen experience from A Way Out, a game that allows you and a second player to get out of jail while learning valuable lessons in friendship. Or to the wonderful world in It Takes Two, where Rose's parents have to work together to repair their relationship for the sake of both themselves and their daughter. In Split Fiction, we are invited to Mio and Zoe's worlds, or should I say multiple worlds they have created.

After the success of It Takes Two, winning Game of the Year at The Game Awards, it was no shock Hazelight knocked it out of the park yet again with another fantastic two-player experience. The incredible gameplay, which has been developed and improved on with each installment of their split-screen games, along with their storytelling, which had already started at an incredibly high bar with Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, has also done nothing but improve.

Split Fiction introduces the world to Rader, a company that has welcomed aspiring writers to submit stories that will be published in a very nontraditional way. Mio and Zoe are two of these young writers, and they meet in the elevator on their way to the meeting about their stories. Even from this initial meeting, it is clear that character work will be a key aspect of the story we are about to witness.

The two women could not be more different. Mio is a loner. She plays by her own rules, is brash, and is not afraid of what anyone thinks of her. Zoe is her foil to a tee. She is fun and excited by everything life throws her way. She is eager to share her stories with the world and can't wait for the opportunity Rader has to offer her. The two women are very different, which makes for an interesting dynamic throughout the story as they learn about each other and grow together.

When they are in the Rader offices, Mio is taken aback by the size of the machine they will be hooked up to. She is immediately intimidated by the whole affair, not wanting to get into the machine that is helping them develop their stories into a playable experience. It is from this moment that a fight breaks out, as Mio is desperate to go home, and she falls into Zoe's tank and into her story.

It is from here the story has the opportunity to grow and develop in the worlds each of them has created. Zoe lives in a world of fantasy and delight; she has created worlds for her and her sister to experience together that are filled with amazing creatures and a sense of fun and wonder. Mio's stories are action-packed sci-fi adventures that always feature an overlord who needs to be defeated. The juxtaposition of the stories is a wonderful back-and-forth as you explore the tales each aspiring writer wishes to tell.

As they explore the stories, the women discover that the glitches that seem to be transporting them through the stories are also breaking the tank in which they are suspended. The women go on a journey to hunt down the glitches in order to escape the tank they are in. While in the world, they have the option to break into side stories. This is a great way to learn more about the characters and how they have grown in the years they have been writing stories.

The story in Split Fiction is amazing. It will make you laugh and cry. The characters have real life to them. They feel like fleshed-out characters who have real stories to tell. Beyond this, the story grows and develops along with them. The workers at Rader, as well as the director, have room to grow in the very real environment.

To say Hazelight's stories always have a message to them is an understatement, and Split Fiction is no different. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons told the stories of boys having to work together to help their dying dad while also speaking about the relentless cycle of life and death. A Way Out is about friendship, the power of choice, and who you can trust. It Takes Two lets you see a marriage between two floored people and the ways it has changed over the years.

Split Fiction has messages of personal growth, letting others in, and the importance of forgiveness, particularly for oneself. Aside from the personal, it also appears that Rader is an allegory for AI taking over the creative world, preventing those who wish to make a living from the arts and leaving the artists to become machines. The story is again incredible, like the other Hazelight games before it.

If you have played It Takes Two, you will know that Hazelight has no trouble with varied gameplay that changes with every chapter. Split Fiction takes this even further. The shifting genres allow this to happen to an even greater extent. You can be in a sci-fi chapter using gravity whips, then swiftly change to a fantasy world where you can turn into a tree. It is truly incredible.

But let's start more simply. The base mechanics are already really smooth and well done. Both players have a sprint, jump, double jump, dash, and lasso, which allows you to zip onto an object as well as swing below certain hooks. These are then added to each level. They even have levels that can take these basic skills away (just wait until I tell you about the side stories).

Even without the insanity of each level, these mechanics are clean and work really well. When you first launch the game, you will have a small introduction period that teaches you the core mechanics as well as introduces some examples of the worlds you will meet. You also get to know the assisted jumps. It will be down to personal preference if you like this or not. While some would appreciate the challenge, it would be tough to hit the exact point you need to, so the help can be appreciated.

Along with the varied powers at every level, there are also moments of fantastic gameplay that add to the storytelling. One of the best moments in the whole game involves one character having to take part in a high-speed bike chase while the other has to unlock a capture and agree to terms and conditions on a phone while the chase is happening. It is an amazing moment of fun gameplay while adding to the characterization of the characters as they, with the player, become furious with what is happening on the screen.

But if you think this is wacky, it is nothing compared to the side stories. Have you wanted to be a pig, surrounded by giants, part of a deadly game show, or a tooth? Well, then, I have the game for you. The side stories in Split Fiction are insane but in the best way. They are placed perfectly with the levels. They make a fantastic break from the main story without interrupting the flow of the level or being too big a distraction from the action, and sometimes heartbreak happens.

The side stories often have a new mechanic and a fun story to accompany it. There are a few standouts for being a lot of fun—Mio's bomb game show comes to mind in this one—as well as those that are suitably wild—the pigs and teeth are great examples of this. The more strange and twisted stories also often have a lot of twists and turns while going in a funny direction.

There are also side stories that are far more stylized. One of the best is an idea Zoe had, which she was only part-way through developing; it seems to almost be a writing exercise rather than a story. The whole screen looks like a notebook with the characters being scribbled drawings in a 2D game. As Zoe changes her mind about certain ideas, the characters and scenery change, and the bosses adapt as she comes up with new ideas. It is a really fun section and shows off the creativity of the team.

There is another side story that brings the characters into a world that is hugely reminiscent of 1080° Snowboarding on the N64 and other more recent snowboarding games that focus on tricks. There is also a great shoot 'em up section where the players are in a fully 2D space, which is just like games such as R-Type or horizontal Astroids with all the power-ups and excitement you would expect. These homages to other games are all so well done and packed full of nostalgia.

There is a section that is very reminiscent of Metroid Prime, with the 2D scrolling in an escape section. The whole of this level is based on many space games and is done in a way that feels like the perfect nod to the genre without feeling like a cheap copy. Hazelight has really found the perfect balance to respect the games they are referencing, as both the player and in-game characters marvel at what they are experiencing.

This gameplay is already so incredible, but remember, the whole time you are playing the game, you are side by side with another player. Split screen is nothing new, obviously, but Hazelight has had an incredible gimmick with a split screen in their last few games. A Way Out, It Takes Two, and now Split Fiction have a split screen, which is viewable whether you are playing on the same console or across the world together in online play. It is a great addition to the game, particularly in the later sections of the game when it becomes very creative.

The graphics in Split Fiction are amazing. The aim clearly isn't to create photorealism in the characters; instead, the characters are stylized while still being distinctly human and holding all the emotions and expressions that come with it. Mio and Zoe are very well designed and fit into every world they are in perfectly. Each world is also a credit to the design team.

The sci-fi worlds come with epic sceneries, such as a cyberpunk night city or a spaceship on its way to a different world. Within this world, there are unique interactives, debris, and even different control panels in each world. And the fantasy is just as well developed. There is a great amount of biodiversity in the main worlds as well as the side stories. There is a world with crystals and tones of purple and blue, which makes an amazingly different world from the leafy greens and yellows of Zoe's previous story.

And, of course, the side stories are similarly different and exciting. Wanted to explore a Dune-like planet? Done. A world made of cafes? Yep, that is there too. What about a land of witches with potions and lots of cats? Well duh.

On top of this, the sound design for each of the worlds is equally different and just amazing. The world is vast, and the soundscapes made are a huge part of this. On top of this, the voice acting is simply incredible. The voice actors for Mio and Zoe are emotive and expressive; they make you feel every moment of fun and heartbreak with you. It is truly inspiring acting and is a really great addition to the game. The only bug I experienced on release day was a slight audio glitch, although restarting from the very forgiving checkpoints seems to fix it every time.

Split Fiction is an incredible game for audiences of all ages. The story is tender and heartfelt, with a real sense of personal struggle and magic to it. The characters are really fleshed out, and this is helped by the voice acting, which is second to none.

The worlds they have created really represent who they are as people, with Zoe being amazing at pointing this out as she tries to learn about Mio from her stories. Split Fiction is a really great game, anyone who plays it is in for a unique experience that will stick with them for a long time.