Split Fiction – Review

There is no one else doing what Hazelight Studios is doing. While the industry is still obsessed with competitive multiplayer titles, this Swedish study has focused on exploring which follies can do in a cooperative game for two players. The curious A Way Out of 2018 was a kind of experiment in this regard and the excellent It Takes Two —Winner the game of the year at The Game Awards 2021– revealed the fantastic potential of his ideas. I did not believe that director Josef Fares and his team could mechanically overcome what they achieved with the adventure of that marriage in danger, but with their new game Split Fiction They are determined to demonstrate that they can go further.

Split Fiction It is starring Mio and Zoe, two writers who – knowing a publication contract for their stories – are called by a company with a revolutionary technology with the ability to turn their works into a virtual world. But things don't start well and our literary applicants get trapped within their own creations.

If they played It Takes Two They know exactly what to expect from this game. We go through different scenarios – ultimately on a divided screen – overcoming platform challenges, solving, puzzles and defeating enemies as a couple. Each level gives mine and zoe different tools that we must combine to move on. There is no way to advance lonely. Teamwork and communication are not only essential, they are the essence of the game.

Something more than inherits from its predecessor is a frantic rhythm in which what we are doing can change every five minutes. You can even completely change the genre of what we are playing. In one moments we are changing the gravity to jump between the cars of a futuristic highway and the next we are exploring a farm turned into pigs with super powers. Then we are flying at full speed on a flying motorcycle, we hunt ghost cats using magical skills, solve riddles converted into a sphere of nanobots and use the acid breath of a dragon to eliminate enemies. It is impossible to know what comes next in this game thanks to its great deployment of originality.

It is true that not all the activities we find are at the same level, but even the most “boring” mini -games offer something interesting. If you do not like what they are doing at a given time, it will not spend much time before changing something completely different. There are some really amazing mechanics with potential to support an entire game and it is a bit disappointing to see that they are abandoned so fast, but there is always a new playable surprise around the corner that makes us forget that penalty. The final part of the game is especially good in this, offering very crazy ideas in which it combines two worlds-

The rhythm to which new mechanics, ideas and scenarios are offered is practically perfect. Split Fiction It is one of those rare games that I can play for many hours in a row without feeling tired or boring. Its history is not very catchy to say, but its development is. The gameplay remains fresh and makes us feel intrigued to know what will do next. It is also necessary to applaud it for the ease of use and understanding that almost all their ideas have, even the craziest. On some occasions there are minor problems of readability and there is no lack of the most complicated puzzles that make us stop to think what to do, but not even these moments manage to break with the perfect rhythm of the game.

Taking advantage that I mentioned the story, I will talk about the weak points of Split Fiction. It is not that the plot is bad, but that it falls in many common places and disapproves many of the issues it touches. This is especially sad because I had a lot of potential to deepen ideas about the creative nature of people, the importance of 'creating' and the way we insert ourselves in what we do.

As you surely know, the two protagonists of Mio and Zoe are science fiction and fantasy writers respectively and from the beginning it is clear that they do not feel much love for the genre on which the other writes. Initially it seems that it will be a parody that mocks the clichés of these genres, but although there is definitely some of that, Split Fiction Accept most of the tropes with absolute sincerity. That makes us think that Mio and Zoe are actually mediocre writers – especially mine, because Zoe levels have more original narrative ideas – but the game does not take advantage of that idea.

If we spread a little under the surface of the plot – not too much, the story is not exactly subtle – we found much more interesting issues. The first one that is obvious to how relevant it is today is the way in which corporations try to appropriate creative ideas for economic purposes while discarding the authors of these ideas. It is impossible not to think of a metaphor for the detested generative tools that only steal the art of others to form mediocre products. This reading seems unequivocal, so it is strange that The same game director does not reject this technology completely.

The other big topic of Split Fiction It is the way we use art to reflect ourselves, express our concerns, desires and even to enclose the worst parts of us. Anyone who has ever worked on a creative art – such as writing or drawing – can be reflected in Mio and Zoe. Both have different ideas about what art means, but in the end they have the same goal: shout something to the world. The proposal of these ideas is excellent and flows into some emotional moments, but in general it does not know how to take them good term. The case of mine history is especially sad, because its development does not have the same quality as Zoe's.

The history of the games loses within itself and the end of accounts is a bit disappointing because of the potential that wasted, but it is pleasant and does not interrupt the rhythm of the game. The protagonists also have their charisma and although they are a bit annoying at times – especially for the way they abuse certain jokes and references – I ended up feeling love towards both.

I could also complain about some technical problems with the collision of objects and control in some specific sections, but nothing serious. I played on PS5 and the performance was always perfect, although my partner – who was playing on a PC – did complain about some occasional slowdown and visual glitches.

Split Fiction It is a perfect game for two – either locally or online – and should not worry about looking for a friend who has also bought the game, because when obtaining a copy We get a code that we can use to play with another person on any platform through 'crossplay' and without having to buy it. We really applaud Hazelight and EA Originals that we can all enjoy this game with someone else.

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Review made with digital copies of Split Fiction for PS5 and for PC (Steam) provided by Electronic Arts.