Every level of Split Fiction is built around teamwork. It takes both players’ brain power to solve puzzles or it splits players up by having one try to disable a phone from self-destructing while the other drives a motorcycle through the city avoiding bullets. From fantasy realms brimming with magic, to sci-fi cities filled with neon lights, the mechanics stay fresh across all eight distinct worlds.Â
An impressive aspect of Split Fiction is how intuitive the gameplay feels; controls are responsive and puzzles escalate in difficulty without becoming frustrating. Frequent checkpoints and optional skips ensure less experienced players won’t hold back their team, making it perfect for mixed-skill duos. Very few other games shift genres this boldly. One hour you’re racing Tron-like lightcycles, the next you’re in a 2D Metroidvania segment (think side-view platformer gameplay, where you explore by running and jumping, and unlock abilities and ways to fight!), or you’re challenged with a big boss fight. Hazelight Studio’s genius lies in avoiding overuse of a gimmick — mechanics appear, make the game fun, and vanish before becoming tiresome.
Zoe and Mio function as archetypes: the bubbly fantasist and the cynical sci-fi nerd, which gets to evolve into a very authentic friendship. Their banter becomes heartfelt as the player uncovers how writing helps each character navigate personal struggles, reflecting their unique ways of facing life’s challenges. The dynamic feels a little cliché, and their early interactions can come off as a bit forced, but patient players get to see their friendship deepen beautifully throughout the game. The antagonist’s AI-driven plagiarism scheme evolves into themes about artistic ownership, something very interesting when compared with the current real-life problems around AI generated content. His character is clearly meant to be a parody of the Silicon Valley excess, but he often lands into cartoonish territory. His dialogue sometimes turns into very on the nose lines about maximizing content and profits, which can minimize the game’s usual thoughtful and insightful critique of AI and corporate exploitation.
Split Fiction runs great on the platforms it’s available on which include the Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and PC, with no bugs or frame drops even in the most chaotic scenes. The greatest aspect about Split Fiction is that it was made with crossplay in mind — meaning that you can play on your Xbox while your friend plays on their PlayStation. You no longer need to play on the same platform to enjoy the game together.
Even though Split Fiction addresses the fact that some player duos might have different skill sets and tries to avoid players holding each other back, there are a few instances where the game falls out of sync. There are rare moments where one player might get ahead during platforming sections, leaving their partner behind and stuck respawning repeatedly, killing the flow of the usual smooth experience. That said, these moments are infrequent, and the generous checkpoint system usually softens the blow.
Split Fiction is Hazelight’s most ambitious game yet, blending great co-op design with a funny and heartfelt story. For anyone tired of solo gaming, or just wanting to play with a friend, this is a must-play. Beyond refining Hazelight’s formula, the game delivers a timely message: the villain’s AI-driven plagiarism scheme mirrors the very real current world debate about art, ownership, and the cost of human creativity by the hands of tech’s hunger for content. In an era where algorithms and coding replace creativity, Split Fiction makes a compelling case for protecting what makes us human: our stories, our collaboration, and our messy, incredible, imperfections.
