Split Fiction Is The New Gold Standard In Co-op Games

When I told my partner I’d need her help reviewing the next game on my docket, she was optimistic but ambivalent. She enjoyed Hazelight Studios' last game, the phenomenal It Takes Two. But she’d also seen me sit down for hours, diligently taking notes and picking apart some new game before a certain deadline. Having to join me in that endeavor didn’t seem like a fun way to spend a couple weekends after a long work week.

But after 15 hours of the most creativity she’s ever seen in a video game, Split Fiction managed to change her tune. At the game’s surprisingly emotional crescendo, I noticed her sniffling and wiping away tears.

“I’m kind of sad this is going to be over,” she told me. She’d fallen in love with the game’s two endearing protagonists, its reverence of the fiction she grew up reading, and the many ways it challenged us to think outside the box. Her sentiments matched mine exactly.

With Split Fiction, Hazelight has yet again raised the bar for what a shared gaming experience can be. From its pertinent story about the devaluing of creativity, strong characters with even stronger character arcs, and the sheer imagination of its moment-to-moment gameplay, Split Fiction lives up to the hype of its popular predecessor and then some. It’s certainly a tougher game compared to the beginner-friendly It Takes Two. But the challenge doesn’t deter Split Fiction from being a new standard for co-op video games.

All About Execution

Split Fiction follows Mio and Zoe, two young, aspiring fiction writers looking for their big break. When Rader Publishing invites them to take part in a top secret test run for a new technology that places authors in their own stories, they arrive hoping their participation will jump start their careers. However, Mio’s last-minute reluctance to take part ends with her accidentally entering Zoe’s pod. With the two now experiencing each other’s work intimately, they get a first-hand account of the other’s inspirations, fears, and anxieties. Along the way, they uncover the nefarious intentions behind Rader’s new technology.

The dual protagonists dictate the theme of the game’s eight chapters. Mio is a guarded, curmudgeonly science-fiction writer, while Zoe is an optimistic, whimsical fantasy writer. Split Fiction’s levels take heavy inspiration from the most popular works of each. One minute you're hopping across the roofs of flying cars in a Fifth Element-style Cyberpunk city chasing down a crime syndicate. The next, you’re taking care of a pair of Dragon eggs in hope of saving the endangered species from an oppressive magical ruler.

Fans of either genre will appreciate the many references made throughout the game’s levels. It’s even better when you’re playing with someone who can fill the gaps in your knowledge. I, a lifelong science fiction junkie, was playing with a fantasy fanatic, and we had a blast calling out some of the tropes and gags lampooning our favorite stories. The game also got us talking about why we love our respective favorite genres, and what it is about the other that turns us off.

“Split Fiction directly addresses the single greatest threat facing creatives today, and it’s a wonderfully relevant game because of it.”

While I’m not sure everyone will have this experience, it was one so fulfilling for me that I can’t help but suggest others find a co-op partner who has a deeper appreciation for the genre they’re impartial to.

Split Fiction isn’t just a bunch of clever references strung together. Thankfully both Mio and Zoe are extremely likeable, even if the latter can be a little mean at first. More importantly, unravelling who Mio and Zoe are and how they ended up here at Rader is half of what drove my partner and I through the game.

The game’s main antagonist James Rader also deserves a shout out. He’s a reflection of today’s worst tech bros and billionaires, the ones who often wield the most power over our artistic institutions despite a total misunderstanding of what makes creative works so precious.

There’s a moment where a company investor shares concerns that the publisher may sacrifice the lives of its writers to this experimental tech, to which Rader flippantly tells an investor, “ideas are easy.” It’s a particularly memorable line that hits like a gut punch when delivered, especially when you know most of those in charge of funding and delivering our favorite games, movies, music, and TV to the masses share that exact mindset. Split Fiction directly addresses the single greatest threat facing creatives today, and it’s a wonderfully relevant game because of it.

A Gaming Page Turner

Where Split Fiction really shines is gameplay. It’s an action platformer that will infuse gunplay, melee, vehicle sections, puzzles, and more at the drop of a hat. Like It Takes Two and A Way Out, co-op mechanics are the name of the game. And once again, the variety of ideas introduced throughout Split Fiction’s runtime is staggering.

Every 30 minutes, Split Fiction introduces a brand new tool or game mechanic for each player to master. Within these sections, Hazelight squeezes so much smile-inducing variety and fresh twists out of how those two mechanics interact, before tossing them out and moving on to the next. Every idea feels substantial too. I didn’t think there was a dud in the bunch. And even if you aren’t a fan of a certain mechanic, none of what’s introduced overstays its welcome.

Within these sections are short bonus levels called Side Stories, where the duo gets a reprieve from whatever genre they're in to experience something short and sweet in the other. Here, the developers introduce even wilder one-off ideas. One Side Story has players playing a deadly, Running-man style game show that fuses Hot Potato with lacrosse. In another, they’re shooting down enemy ships in a Gradius-style shoot-’em-up. I won’t spoil some of the genius surprises in store, as some of these moments are better experienced without knowing what to expect.

There’s a sense of wonder to Split Fiction, the kind that elevates it to an elite class of legendary games like Super Mario Galaxy 2, Portal 2, and Astro Bot. Like those games, Split Fiction’s developers managed to pass on the pure joy they had creating levels around these cool ideas and mechanics directly to the player. It’s a special kind of sensation that only the best video games ever pull off.

I don’t know how Hazelight, let alone any developer making games today, will ever top the near constant stream of innovation and genius presented here. But I know that the bar has been irrefutably raised.

Advanced Reading

While nowhere near as tough as something like an Elden Ring, there’s a noticeable difficulty spike in Split Fiction compared to Hazelight’s past work. The developer isn’t afraid to demand more from the players this time around.

I wouldn’t call this a drawback outright, as it mostly feels like a natural escalation of the kinds of games it’s made since 2018. But do consider this a heads up. On two occasions, I did have to help my non-gaming partner through some of the game’s most mechanically complex and challenging sections.

It wasn’t a deal-breaker. We managed to hit credits with her playing 95 percent of the game. But it’s worth noting she never had to hand me the controller during It Takes Two, a game lauded for its approachability and crossover appeal. Those looking to recruit the person in their lives should know what’s in store here.

A New King Of Co-op

Split Fiction is a generational work. It’s brimming with creativity, tells a resonant story that reflects the current state of the world, and is a sincere love letter to genre fiction that has inspired so many of us. The fact that my non-gaming co-op partner came away just as fulfilled from the experience proves that Hazelight Studios has once again captured that crossover magic that made It Takes Two such a breakout success.

Split Fiction is a triumph in game design and the best co-op experience you can play today, full stop. It’s a work that cements Hazelight Studios as one of the medium's most inventive and ingenious developers making games today. And like the few games great enough to reach these heights before it, we’ll undoubtedly be talking about Split Fiction’s brilliance for years to come.

Split Fiction is available on March 6, 2025 on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Inverse was provided a PS5 copy for this review.

INVERSE VIDEO GAME REVIEW ETHOS: Every Inverse video game review answers two questions: Is this game worth your time? Are you getting what you pay for? We have no tolerance for endless fetch quests, clunky mechanics, or bugs that dilute the experience. We care deeply about a game’s design, world-building, character arcs, and storytelling come together. Inverse will never punch down, but we aren’t afraid to punch up. We love magic and science-fiction in equal measure, and as much as we love experiencing rich stories and worlds through games, we won’t ignore the real-world context in which those games are made.