Split-Fiction is the latest title created by Hazelight Studios. The game follows the adventures of Mio and Zoe, two aspiring authors hoping to cash in on the chance of a life time by offering up one of their stories to the games main antagonist, Radar, the most non-threating villain in the universe. Our two protagonist get into trouble when Mio enters Zoe's story, and from then on its a crazy adventure that leads the two girls on a journey of reflection.
The Good
Visuals & Art Design- To start off, this game is a visual spectacle. From Character models, colors, effects, to level design, every aspect of it is designed to be appealing to the visual senses. My friend and I were constantly blown away each time we stepped into a new level or side story.
Level Design & Puzzles- The amazing visuals are matched by the games excellent level design and puzzles. Gustaf Gretberg and his team at Hazelight studios have absolutely outdone themselves with the puzzles in Split-fiction, my favorites coming from the lab and prison levels. Many coop games often allow one person to carry the other, which makes it feel less like a puzzle game and more like babysitting or hand holding. Split-fiction, on the other hand, actually has puzzles that require actual teamwork and coordination. I can remember several moments when playing the game with my friend where we weren't able to communicate over the phone, and many of the puzzles felt nearly impossible without direction or feedback from one another. I love it when a game's mechanics make you so engrossed in what you are doing that you forget you're even playing a video game.
Lots of Fun References to Popular EA Games of the Past. The puzzles and visuals are great, but I think my favorite aspect of the game came from the many references to older EA titles spread throughout the game. Some of the game's side content will include references from games like Dead Space and even SSX, which are some of my favorite games from my childhood. Be careful, though; much of the side content is easy to miss, so be diligent when looking for it. If a path looks like it leads to something interesting, it probably does.
The Bad
As much as I had fun jumping through different fantasy and sci-fi stories, I felt the overall story was a step down from "A Way Out." A way out was a gripping tale about revenge, bromance, betrayal, and forgiveness. While Split-Fiction has better puzzles and utilization of its cooperative mechanics, I don't feel like the narrative had to be presented to us as a cooperative game. I feel like this narrative could have been told through the lens of a single player perspective, unlike "A Way Out," where the ending of that game wouldn't have been nearly as awesome if it were single player. In "A Way Out," the characters go on an entire adventure together, forming a somewhat strong friendship, only to have that bond shattered by a crazy twist leading the characters and players to be forced to kill each other. That experience made the cooperative aspect feel like a must, like a bigger theme is being presented to us. Split-fiction, on the other hand, feels like you're playing a Pixar movie, which is very similar to their previous title, "It Takes Two," which won Game of the Year in 2021. Seeing the success of that game, they obviously wanted to make something similar to repeat its success. A bit disappointing, but understandable.
The bigger complaint I have with this game is with the lead characters, Mio and Zoe. It's not the characters themselves, but the way they were written and much of their dialogue. Both characters are extremely clichéd; Mio is edgy and emotionally distant, while Zoe is upbeat and cheerful. It's a classic trope to pair up clashing personalities in these kinds of stories. Two people from different worlds and beliefs, who are extremely unlikely to get along, bond together over an adventure. My issue isn't that the characters are cliched, but the fact that nothing interesting was done with them. Nothing about the characters or the story ever surprised me or my friend. Everything you expect to happen, just sort of happens.
The mixed
Story length is a bit on the long side. Longer stories in video games are generally good. I mean, no one wants to pay 70 dollars for a game they wind up beating in one day, but long coop games can be problematic. Why? Because working around people's schedules can sometimes be extremely difficult, especially as you get older. It took my friend and I three weeks to finish the game, because we could only play the game on the weekend, and me and him only have somewhat busy schedules. I couldn't imagine how long it could have taken if we both had families to take care of alongside of our busy work weeks, we probably would have never finished it.
I generally think coop games, especially those that have a narrative, should be no longer than either 8-12 hours. This makes it easier for people to fit the game around their friends' schedules because they don't need that much time to complete the game. At the end of the day, its not that big of a deal, in fact, Im not even taking points off for it, because a person could debate that issues with game length in terms of time scheduling is a personal issue and not a game design issue. However, I felt it was worth at least mentioning.
Closing thoughts
If you love intricate puzzles, laughing at your friend’s mistakes, and being engrossed by amazing visuals and level design, then this game is an absolute must. Sure, the writing can be awkward and cringe at times, plus the game's lack of replay value can make that $50 price sting a bit, but the amount of laughs and genuine fun you will have with your friend makes the experience worth it. You probably won't play a better coop game this year. #BestCOOPGame
