It feels like just yesterday we saw the reveal of Split Fiction at The Game Awards, yet here we are in March with the game available now. Josef Fares and his studio, Hazelight, are back with another co-op adventure — and the stakes could not have been bigger. The studio’s last game, It Takes Two, took home the coveted Game of the Year award back in 2021 at The Game Awards.
After spending over 15 hours with Split Fiction, I can confidently say the game is Hazelight’s best yet, offering a must-play experience for any player. Each time I thought the game could not possibly have more ideas to reveal, Split Fiction switched it up and provided new mechanics, gameplay elements, and challenges. Grab a friend or partner and let’s dive into one of the most creative games of 2025.
A Story Born Into Reality
Split Fiction follows Mio and Zoe, two aspiring writers looking to get published, on their visit to Rader Publishing. This visit is for a special experiment with The Machine that is said to allow users to experience a simulation of their stories. Each writer has their reasons for participating in the experiment, with participants placed into a bubble to begin experiencing their stories. Just before Mio can be connected to The Machine, she accidentally falls into Zoe’s bubble, causing the two to be stuck together in an adventure across not only Zoe’s stories but Mio’s, too.
These two writers could not be more different, both in writing style and personality. Mio comes off as cold and introverted, not interested in opening up to others or entertaining their thoughts. Her stories are all based in sci-fi worlds far into the future from reality. On the other hand, Zoe is quite outgoing and has a bubbly and extroverted personality. She writes stories in the genre of fantasy, featuring mystical castles, beasts like dragons, and more.
As you might expect, these clashes make for quite the adventure. Split Fiction divides up its chapters across both Mio and Zoe’s stories, so the scenery is constantly changing as you experience these chapters. One minute, you might find yourself performing an Akira-slide on the top of a Cyberpunk-esque skyscraper, while the next you are hanging on for dear life atop a giant dragon.
Each chapter, your goal is to locate the glitch, a small purple rift, to attempt to break out of the simulation. As the narrative plays out throughout each chapter, Split Fiction reveals what is happening outside of the simulation in between these levels as you switch between Zoe and Mio’s stories. I found this structure quite compelling, as it allowed for a transition and flow between chapters to feel natural and engaging.
The narrative here is solid, with some great backstory for both Mio and Zoe that truly allows you to connect with both the characters. The main theme of Split Fiction being friendship truly shines here, as Mio and Zoe, who start out as strangers, must learn to trust one another. There is meaning beyond the characters here for Josef Fares, as these two are named after his own daughters.
Despite my enjoyment of the narrative, I felt there was certainly a lot to be desired, especially with Rader, who acts as the game’s villain. A co-op game like Split Fiction does not need some mind-bending story, but I would have appreciated a bit more here to really tie everything together. Regardless, the game does more than enough to keep you engaged and interested in the midst of the chaos of these unpredictable worlds. While a somewhat average story can be detrimental to a game, Split Fiction does not need it to be excellent. Hazelight prioritized what matters the most: creative, fun, and innovative gameplay.
Let’s Split Up
Like Hazelight’s previous games, Split Fiction requires that you play with two players. You cannot experience the game with an AI or without a Player 2, so grab your partner, phone a friend, or head over to Hazelight’s Discord to find someone to play with. One of the greatest features of this game is the Friend’s Pass, which allows anyone on PC, Xbox, or PlayStation to play with you free of charge. Almost every co-op game on the market requires you to purchase two copies to play with a friend, but you only need one here. This sits right in line with the mission behind both Hazelight and its games.
As for how that co-op experience is, Split Fiction is a pure joy to play. There’s really no better way to describe it — fun is at the forefront and always the game’s key objective. The creativity is off the charts, with new gameplay elements thrown your way frequently. I constantly found myself smiling ear to ear at the marvels on screen. Thanks to the two vastly different genres, you never stay in an area long enough for it to get familiar, keeping the feeling of discovery throughout the entirety of the game.
Every chapter has multiple new gameplay elements to experience. In one level, both Mio and Zoe gain the ability to shapeshift. Mio can turn into either a giant gorilla or a small amphibian, while Zoe can morph into a fairy or a giant tree that looks like Groot. All four of these transformations are used to do different things, whether to tug plants from underwater, climb vines, or squeeze through small areas. Beyond these abilities, more even surface as you press on to find the glitch. It feels like the new ideas never stop.
This feeling of discovery carries over to the gameplay itself, even, as Split Fiction constantly defies expectations of a traditional 3D Platformer. Hazelight really is incredible at knowing when and how to switch things up. One second you’ll be platforming through a traditional 3D platforming stage, while the next you’re in a shootout that mimics a side scrolling platformer. There is such an impressive use of camera work throughout, with the game frequently throwing new perspectives at you.
A key element of gameplay I enjoyed was the numerous boss fights. It’s hard to describe just how humorous and creative some of these can be, with my favorites including a Simon Says-like dance-off battle with the Monkey King and a face-off with a giant mech that feels like something straight out of Contra. Hazelight made every encounter unique, allowing for battles that never felt formulaic at all.
Beyond boss battles, the real shining area of overflowing creativity lies in the game’s Side Stories. These shorter quests can be found throughout some of the game’s levels, and they act as unfinished ideas that Zoe or Mio were never able to complete for one reason or another. This is where the unhinged creativity of Hazelight shines its brightest. I would have never expected half of the scenarios to occur, often thinking, “How did someone come up with this?” It feels like almost every Side Story could be its own game, which is remarkable to say the least.
While I will refrain from going into detail for the sake of spoilers, the final chapter of Split Fiction is truly one of the most creative things I have ever seen in the video game medium. Josef Fares previously teased that he believed this was the case, and I can confirm I have never seen anything like this. It is genius, and I believe Split Fiction is worth playing for this innovative segment alone.
The theme of friendship truly shines in the gameplay, where a deeper meaning is conveyed. Just as Mio and Zoe must rely on one another to navigate through these complex stories, you must simultaneously rely on your friend in the game. There are numerous puzzles and sequences where you’ll hit a road block without the help of a friend, and it is imperative that you are able to communicate with each other to complete the game. Sure, you might run into a few instances where you find yourselves shouting at one another for failing, but that’s the fun of it.
Another aspect I think you have to appreciate is replayability. Due to each character handling vastly different roles through each level, you can essentially get an entirely new experience by playing as the character you did not play as first. In my case, I chose to play as Mio for my first playthrough, with my friend going as Zoe. In our quest for the Platinum trophy, we swapped characters, opening up a new way for us to play the levels. While many co-op games have different characters, very few can offer the striking, diverse experience you get with Zoe and Mio. To truly experience everything Split Fiction has to offer, it’s best to play through the game twice, once as each character.
Overall, Split Fiction has everything I want from a 3D platformer and more. It’s creative, innovative, and simply a blast to play. However, beyond gameplay, an area where it truly shines above its predecessors is the technology powering it.
Technically Brilliant
Split Fiction is an absolutely gorgeous game. There is a high amount of fidelity everywhere, with endless high resolution textures, lighting, and more. I wondered how Hazelight would balance two completely opposite genres in the same art style, but the team has done it with ease. Every area looks beautiful and is filled with charm and wonder to explore. Some Side Stories can completely change the art style, yet the transition always felt incredibly natural.
Performance is also excellent, with the game running at a locked 60 frames-per-second. I ran into absolutely zero bugs, frame dips, or stutters in my playthrough. As a game using Unreal Engine 5 as an engine, I am really impressed. We’ve seen numerous UE5 releases end up with problems here and there, but this is as polished as it gets. No bugs, no performance issues, nothing. This is already fantastic news, but things get even more impressive. I was playing with a friend online across the country the whole time, and I did not even for an instance experience any form of lag. It felt as if we were playing together in local co-op, which was critical for this experience.
Additionally, the motion capture and voice acting work is fantastic. For me, the extremely expressive mocap animations sold the scenes, especially coupled with the voice work. Both Elsie Bennett and Kaja Chan as Zoe and Mio were excellent, with each able to convey many different emotions throughout the game’s fifteen hour runtime. Although the narrative has its flaws, the outstanding performances more than compensate, making it easy to connect with the characters.
Finally, composers Gustaf Grefberg and Jonatan Järpehag have crafted a score that strongly complements this experience. Whether a cyberpunk city, magic-filled forest, or even a visit to the dentist, Split Fiction constantly offers music that is always right in step with the scene. This tied a bow on everything for me, packaging together endless fun, gorgeous visuals, excellent character performance, and a strong soundtrack into a game that I will be thinking about for quite some time.
A Reminder of Why I Love Games
Overall, Split Fiction is just an incredible time. I cannot remember the last time that I had this much fun playing a game with a friend. Each level is filled to the brim with ideas, offering one of the most creative games I’ve experienced in the last five years. While the story left a bit to be desired, the memories and laughs I’ll forever hold from this action-packed adventure leave me in adoration of Split Fiction. You never know what to expect, and every level never failed to leave a smile on my face.
In an industry filled with games that look to grab every dollar possible from you or ones littered with bugs, Hazelight shines bright as a studio focused on the only thing that matters — having fun. Split Fiction is a must-play game of 2025 for that reason alone.
Disclaimer: EA provided Final Weapon with a PlayStation 5 copy of Split Fiction for review purposes.
