The Review
Split Fiction released in March 2025 and reinforced Hazelight's position as the studio that understands co-op better than anyone. Two writers - one sci-fi, one fantasy - get trapped inside their own story simulations and must work together to escape. The premise is thin, but it's a vehicle for mechanical invention: the game rarely plays the same way for more than 20 minutes at a stretch.
Where It Takes Two told a story about a marriage in crisis with real emotional texture, Split Fiction is lighter - more of a greatest-hits of game genres arranged as a co-op theme park. Mio and Zoe shift between platforming, bullet-hell sequences, dragon riding, mech combat, and a dozen other modes. The friend's pass (one copy, two players) remains the series' killer feature for convincing non-gaming partners or friends to try it.
The characters are less memorable than May and Cody, and the story doesn't hit the same emotional peaks. But the sheer mechanical density - optional side stories tucked into each chapter, each one a self-contained genre experiment - means a playthrough rarely hits a dull stretch. If you have one friend and three evenings, Split Fiction is the best answer on the market.
