Split Fiction offers a co-op experience like no other

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Before the launch of Split Fiction in March, Shacknews was given a detailed preview of Hazelight’s new co-op adventure. I had the opportunity to play three hours worth of Split Fiction, which included main story missions and side quests. Given the success of It Takes Two and A Way Out, Split Fiction appears to be Hazelight’s most ambitious endeavor so far.

According to the trailers, Split Fiction tells the story of two women who find themselves in fantasy and sci-fi realms. This unexpected journey takes place when Rader Publishing, a company hosting an event for aspiring creatives, secretly intends to exploit them and their original ideas. As Mio, the introverted protagonist, and Zoe, the optimistic extrovert, are unwillingly thrust together, they must collaborate to find a way out. The unique qualities of each woman become apparent as we delve into the worlds spawned from their creative minds.

In the game “It Takes Two,” Hazelight Studio experimented with various genres. With their new title, “Split Fiction,” they’re fully immersing themselves. One level found me and my partner traversing a post-apocalyptic landscape, scaling walls and piloting a warplane through a sandstorm as adversaries chased us relentlessly. Just minutes later, we were in a magical village, equipping ourselves with armor to escape an enraged horde of ogres.

As I journeyed through Split Fiction, I found myself captivated by its unique fusion of fantasy and sci-fi elements that kept the game feeling novel throughout my adventure. The attention to detail in each level’s design felt genuine, while the exchanges between Mio and Zoe unveiled their individual inspirations behind crafting these captivating worlds. And true to Hazelight’s style, there was a touch of absurdity that made itself known during side missions, where my partner and I controlled bouncing, flatulence-emitting pigs before being transformed into hot dogs!

In Split Fiction, the rapid transitions between scenes are mirrored in its diverse gameplay. During my playthrough, I encountered various genres such as traditional 3D platforming, snowboarding reminiscent of SSX, pinball, and a fast-paced action sequence akin to Contra.

According to Senior Editor Ozzie Mejia’s initial review of Split Fiction, teamwork is crucial for conquering all challenges within the game. Characters Mio and Zoe possess distinct skills, equipment, and weapons in each level, necessitating collaboration with your partner to create paths for one another, defeat adversaries, and solve riddles.

In the intense battles against bosses in Split Fiction’s games, your skills are pushed to their limits. During my preview, I battled a few bosses and found that each one required multiple attempts to defeat. If a player is knocked out, the remaining player must keep going until they can respawn. If both players are defeated simultaneously, the battle restarts, leading to nerve-wracking situations such as surviving the hail of bullets from the Parking Attendant boss at the end of one of Split Fiction’s futuristic stages, which is like navigating a bullet storm.

After wrapping up my three-hour stint with Split Fiction, I just couldn’t suppress a grin, knowing that the complete game was almost within reach. Eagerly, I wished to continue playing to explore further the game’s captivating environments, innovative gameplay elements, and unravel the eventual outcome of Mio and Zoe’s tale.

The content you see here is derived from an early version of the game Split Fiction, which I had the opportunity to play at a pre-release event. My trip and accommodation were sponsored by Electronic Arts. The game will officially be released on March 6, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and personal computers (PC).

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2025-02-13 20:27