“Split Fiction” Has Compelling Gameplay Held Back By Pacing Issues

Developer Hazelight Studios has made a name for itself by strictly making co-op games, a genre where two people have to play simultaneously. The studio won the coveted Game of the Year category at The Game Awards 2021 for “It Takes Two.” Now, Hazelight is back with its newest co-op outing, “Split Fiction.” While its level design and gameplay hooks are top-notch, the levels tend to overstay their welcome. Still, “Split Fiction” is one of the best co-op games in recent memory.

“Split Fiction” follows two girls, Mio and Zoe, as they try to get their stories published by a multimillion-dollar company, Rader Corporation. When asked to get into a mysterious machine, Mio fights back and accidentally enters the same pod Zoe is in, causing the machine to go haywire. It turns out the machine just wants to extract the authors’ ideas, and Rader plans to steal them.

As such, Mio’s sci-fi stories and Zoe’s fantasy stories become mixed up as they try to escape the machine’s simulation and put a stop to the CEO’s plans. It’s an enticing set up, with each level telling bits and pieces of Mio and Zoe’s backstories. Mio’s revolves around capitalism destroying her family life, while Zoe’s is about a personal tragedy. There are also humorous moments that offer a sense of reprieve from the heavier scenes, such as how a giant robot chasing the pair ends up just representing how much Mio hates parking tickets.

Throughout “Split Fiction,” both players controlling either Mio or Zoe have to solve increasingly complex puzzles together, such as the girls becoming a single centipede and having to navigate over lava fields or Mio becoming a pinball machine while Zoe is the pinball herself. There’s so much creativity within each level and a new gameplay hook to keep every single moment of the game fresh.

There’s something exhilarating about playing a game in 2025 that doesn’t overly rely on complicated systems like leveling up or managing equipment like you would in an RPG. “Split Fiction” throws that all out of the window to deliver a constant stream of fun gameplay mechanics and platforming.

In each of its main levels, there are separate side stories that Zoe and Mio can tackle. Genre-wise, they’re the opposite of whichever setting the pair is currently in. If the current level is sci-fi, the side story is fantasy, and vice versa. The side stories are much shorter mini-games focusing on a singular mechanic or concept. 

For example, there’s a snowboarding level inspired by “SSX,” where Mio and Zoe compete to see who can reach the finish line. Another sees the pair turn into pigs before being turned into hotdogs at the end. These side stories serve as fun distractions to the overly long primary levels.

The biggest issue with “Split Fiction” is its drawn-out pacing. The main levels can sometimes take hours to beat, making for an exhausting experience at points. When you think you’ve beaten what seemingly felt like the last boss of a particular level, you’re presented with even more platforming and puzzles. There are plenty of checkpoints so you and your co-op partner can pick back up whenever you want, but the subpar level pacing also impacts how the story flows.

As a result of the levels being so long, there’s too much time between story reveals, lessening the emotional impact of those scenes. The relationship between Zoe and Mio also doesn’t feel as organic as the pairings from Hazelight’s previous games. “It Takes Two” depicted touching marriage struggles between a couple while “A Way Out” was a thrilling drama about betrayal. Zoe and Mio seemingly end as best friends, yet their relationship feels shallow and undeserved.

However, “Split Fiction” has an incredibly exciting endgame where its mechanics and dual settings coalesce into one final showdown against the Rader Corporation. Despite the pacing issues in “Split Fiction,” the ending sequence is well worth checking out.

“Split Fiction” is one of those games where it’s easy to overlook the flaws due to its sheer creativity. It’s not easy taking risks in an era where so many other developers and publishers are trying to push out live services with microtransactions and open-world games to maximize engagement and cash flow. Even with the story’s stumbling pacing, Hazelight knows what it does best and has crafted some of its most compelling co-op gameplay hooks yet.

The publisher provided a review copy of this title. It is now available.

from Roger Ebert https://ift.tt/Qi5zKOo