Split Fiction: A Game That Will Test Your Friendship and Patience

A Review of the New Co-op Game Split Fiction.

What happens when two completely different people get trapped inside their own imagination? Split Fiction, a new cooperative game from the creators of It Takes Two, offers an answer to exactly that question.

Players will have to solve puzzles, fight dragons, become cyber ninjas, and, most importantly, learn to work as a team to escape a chaotic world of imagination and, at times, truly wild ideas.

Will the game become your new favourite co-op experience, or, instead, a reason to fight with a friend? The DeTalks team looked into it.

Technical Features: Cross-Play and Difficulty Level

Split Fiction is a new cooperative game from "Hazelight Studios", led by Josef Fares, known for his previous work like A Way Out and It Takes Two. The game released March 6, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Like previous Hazelight games, Split Fiction can only be played by two people — locally or online. One distinctive feature of the game is cross-play: the ability to play across different platforms, whether PC and PlayStation or Xbox, or PlayStation and Xbox. And thanks to Friend’s Pass, it's enough for just one player to own the full version, while the other only needs the free demo installed. This makes the game far more accessible.

Players, on the other hand, note that this project is more difficult than its predecessor, It Takes Two, since it demands a higher level of skill and experience. So if you haven't played the studio's previous game and don't play often in general, it's better to start there before moving on to this new release.

The Game's Heroines and Story (Mostly Spoiler-Free)

In Split Fiction, players take on the roles of two writers — Mio and Zoe. They work in different genres and have completely different creative approaches.

• Mio — a serious, disciplined science fiction writer who carefully thinks through every detail of her stories.
• Zoe — an emotional, expressive fantasy author who writes guided by inspiration and imagination.

The two heroines have radically different personalities and outlooks, which adds an extra layer of interest to playing through each of their worlds. And by choosing which of the two girls to play, players unwittingly start identifying with that character's personality.

When Mio and Zoe agree to take part in a literary experiment, something goes wrong: their thoughts and ideas literally materialize, creating a chaotic world where dragons, cyber ninjas, and mystical horrors collide.

To escape, the girls have to make their way through a world created by their own imagination and find a way out. But the main problem is Radar Corporation's artificial intelligence, which controls this world and is trying to 'steal' their creative abilities to use them for crafting the perfect story.

Every world the heroines get through unlocks new skills and a better understanding of how the system works. To win, Mio and Zoe have to ultimately embrace each other's uniqueness, combine their creative approaches, find compromise, and learn to work together.

Split Fiction's story isn't just an adventure — it's a metaphor for the creative process. The game explores the conflict between logic and imagination, and shows just how important it is to learn to cooperate, even when you hold radically different views of the world.

Gameplay and Mechanics: True Team-Based Play

Split Fiction is designed for exactly two players, forcing interaction and cooperation to get through each level. For instance, one heroine might be able to see hidden objects, while the other controls time. Together, they solve puzzles, get through dangerous zones, and even fight bosses that change the game's mechanics on the fly.

What makes Split Fiction special is the sheer variety of its levels. From a medieval kingdom to a cyberpunk megacity — every chapter has its own unique mechanics, keeping players on edge right up to the end.

The game is divided into several chapters, each built around a different genre. Players will need to make their way through cyberpunk cities by running along flying trucks, flee from trolls in a medieval town, fight a robot enforcer over an unpaid parking ticket for their flying vehicle, solve puzzles in a magical fantasy world while transformed into a monkey and a fairy, ride a bone shark across sand dunes, or make their way through a world of giants. And that's far from all the adventures waiting for players in Split Fiction.

The game combines elements of classic shooters, platformers, and action combat scenes, and is packed with references to other iconic games.

Split Fiction doesn't let you play through levels solo — every task requires cooperation. For instance, one player has to activate a mechanism while the other makes their way through a transformed world. On puzzle levels, one character sees one part of a clue while the other sees the second part, so players have to share information.

Unlike the studio's previous game, Split Fiction doesn't include competitive minigames, but instead offers a different element — side stories. Almost every location has additional quests to find, unlocking access to small worlds with contrasting themes. If the main storyline takes place in a fantasy kingdom, for instance, a side story might transport players to a futuristic megacity or a cyberpunk world.

These levels are presented as unfinished ideas from Mio and Zoe that haven't yet taken final shape, letting players experiment with mechanics. You can find truly unexpected gameplay experiences here: everything from a snowboarding simulator on magical slopes to a fun transformation into pigs on a farm.

Visuals and Atmosphere

Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, the game looks absolutely stunning — colorful worlds, detailed characters, and effects immerse you in a fairy-tale atmosphere. The blend of sci-fi and fantasy 'freed the hands' of the creators, letting them bring every possible fantasy to life.

The game constantly throws new challenges at you, never giving players a chance to get bored. Split Fiction plays with genres, styles, and mechanics, forcing players to constantly adapt. At one moment, you might find yourself in a platformer where you have to calculate every jump, and the next moment, the game transforms into a racing level with dizzying speed.

Thanks to this pacing, every level feels unique, and the unexpected shifts in gameplay keep you on edge while constantly delivering new emotions. The soundtrack also deserves special attention — it adapts to what's happening on screen and makes every scene feel even more epic.

Who Will Like the Game?

• People who love cooperative games that require interaction and trust.
• Fans of It Takes Two and A Way Out.
• Anyone who wants a game with an interesting story and unpredictable gameplay.

What the Game Gets Criticized For

The previous game's massive success often prompts players to compare mechanics and level design. A certain lack of originality, and the sense that something very similar already appeared in It Takes Two, might get in the way of some people appreciating Split Fiction as an entirely new creation.

Despite this, Split Fiction has its own unique component — it combines familiar game elements that many players have already seen and used before, but with a level of finesse and polish that's rarely found.

Split Fiction is a game that can either strengthen a friendship or lead to an argument late into the night. But one thing is certain: the experience will deliver a wave of vivid emotions and an unforgettable cooperative adventure. If you're looking for a game that will surprise you, make you think, and make you laugh all at once, don't pass this one by!