Split Fiction Review: Jaws Will Drop

Hazelight Studios is one of the very few video game developers of the current era whose projects carry an assurance of quality even pre-launch. This is not a privilege but hard-earned trust with video game enthusiasts, thanks to their groundbreaking games like A Way Out and It Takes Two. Josef Fares and his team of less than 100 creative individuals have strived towards pushing splitscreen co-operative gameplay as well as the business side of things to new heights. It’s no surprise that Split Fiction, the studio’s third venture under Electronic Arts, was deemed a hit even before it hit digital. And to no one’s surprise, it certainly is- garnering rave reviews and hitting a peak of 254,756 players on Steam, making It Takes Two’s peak player count of 71,039 looking like rookie numbers. If it isn’t obvious already, then yes, Split Fiction is an incredible game and a testament to the fact that creativity triumphs above all else. Presenting Gameffine’s Split Fiction review!

Peak Fiction

Split Fiction has two players take on the role of Zoe and Mio (named after Fares’ daughters), two aspiring writers invited to Radar Publishing, a successful publishing company every writer yearns to be published under. Zoe and Mio, along with other amateur writers, are allowed to have their stories published, as long as they take part in an experimental simulation that allows them to experience their stories as reality. Things go very wrong and Mio accidentally enters Zoe’s simulation, making the machine go haywire. Hence, Zoe and Mio get trapped inside their own stories. The duo form an unlikely partnership and work together to surpass overwhelming odds as they drift from one story to the next.

Similar to their past two projects, Split Fiction, too, is about unlikely situationships forcing two contrasting personalities to work together and bond with each other. From a purely narrative standpoint, Split Fiction’s story is not as impressive as It Takes Two. There’s a reason for that. Split Fiction is a gameplay first and story second kind of game, in the sense that the narrative is there to justify all the “wow” moments the game provides by the relentless shifts to the game’s environments and tone. Split Fiction offers an endless barrage of tonally and artistically distinct scenarios that will make all of your jaws drop. That’s a guarantee.

One moment Zoe and Mio will be slashing and dashing their way through a futuristic neon-filled city and the next, they’ll be exchanging fireballs and riding on dragons in a fantasy world. How about transforming into pigs and using rainbow farts to fly around pigsland? Better yet, why not dance your hearts out with the monkey king? Split Fiction takes all these sci-fi and fantasy tropes and runs wild with it, while also using these set pieces to delve into the backstories of the main duo and explore their story-writing process. While Zoe and Mio do come across as somewhat bland (compared to other Hazelight heroes that is), the game cleverly covers up the shortcomings in its writing by focusing more on the “story-within-the story”.

No Stops In-Between

Perhaps its pacing is the most drastic change in Split Fiction compared to A Way Out and It Takes Two. While the first two games gave players ample time to refresh their minds after a hectic set-piece, Split Fiction revels in its breakneck pacing. Depending on the world that they’re in, Zoe and Mio will be running, platforming, fighting, and puzzle-solving their way through epic and often silly set-pieces. Taking inspirations from all the greats that came before it, our dynamic duo will be tasked with clever but not overly difficult problem-solving that requires co-ordination and teamwork, complementing the themes at play. Local splitscreen, online splitscreen and the godsend that is the Friend Pass makes the whole process a whole lot convenient.

Moments of respite are hard to come by but Split Fiction makes it work by introducing new mechanics with each level that I would rather not spoil. Variety is the name of the game. No other game series other than Yakuza effortlessly blends the deadpan serious and outright bizarre themes as well as Split Fiction. There’s something new to see and do every 30 minutes and no single mechanic overstays its welcome. Shapeshifting, portal jumping, flying, driving, vehicular combat, boss fights, fourth wall breaking, these are all just the tip of the iceberg. And these are just some of the things you can expect from the main story. Side missions are a different beast altogether. Let’s just say that there is one peculiar side mission that is as impressive as that one mission from Titanfall 2. Like I said, jaws will be dropped!

If there’s anything to complain about the gameplay, it’s that the game might seem a bit too casual for many players, offering fast respawns and frequent checkpoints. The game keeps going as long as one player is still standing. But hey, as a 30+ old man with less and less time to play games each day, I found the whole experience to be perfectly balanced.

Worlds Apart

The game features a wide variety of levels with their own unique aesthetics that complement or contrast each other (I’ll let some screenshots do the talking). The majority of them are just unbelievably good-looking. Split Fiction is made on Unreal Engine 5. You wouldn’t know this if it wasn’t for the shader compilation upon booting up the game. Unlike many recent UE5 projects, Split Fiction runs as smooth as butter and looks spectacular, thanks to the gorgeous art design. On my RTX 3070 desktop, and RTX 4060 laptop, the game runs smooth as butter on max settings (except shadows, which is set a notch below ultra) without any upscaling. On the RTX 3070 R5 5600X setup, Split Fiction runs between 70-120 fps at 1440p and the same at 1080p on the 4060. Heck, my co-op buddy Cheez had no trouble running it on his ancient i7 4790 (that too, the non-K variant) and RX6600XT build. This is how you optimize a game. Other studios. please take note.

The music of Split Fiction, on the other hand, did not seem particularly impressive to me. Sure, they all fit the themes of the levels they’re featured in. But they did not offer anything special to pull my attention away from the chaotic gameplay. They are not bad by any means, but pretty run-of-the-mill stuff. On the other hand, the voice acting, particularly that of the main duo, is pretty impressive. They all do an excellent job with the script that they’re given. Overall, Split Fiction is a complete package, something that is hard to come by these days.

Real Talk

Split Fiction is another golden feather in Hazelight’s impressive portfolio. Filled to the brim with a wide variety of themes, tones, genres, and gameplay mechanics that are polished to a shine, Split Fiction is a visual marvel and a certified GOTY contender.

FINAL SCORE: 97/100