Split Fiction Review – CO-OP MASTERY

Josef Fares has been on a roll ever since the release of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons in 2013, and Split Fiction is undoubtedly the culmination of all his efforts. It gives me great joy to say that Josef and his team have taken the best parts from their previous titles and have landed on something truly special here.

Creativity in Abundance

There’s just so much awesome stuff going on at all times, that before long, you’ll suddenly realise it’s 03:00 AM the next morning. It’s so addictive! With Split Fiction’s moment-to-moment, co-op exclusive gameplay always offering something distinct and exciting, it’ll make you go “Oh! That’s nice!” every couple of minutes.

Mixing in a bunch of different genres across sci-fi and fantasy-themed worlds, it still controls and runs extremely well all around, sitting at a constant 60FPS on both the base and PS5 Pro. Considering that couch co-op games are a rare breed these days, the fact that you can also play Split Fiction online with a mate who doesn’t even own the game or the same console, and somehow cross-play with them for free is wild. Absolute madness, I say.

I won’t spoil much of which gameplay styles you’ll find in Split Fiction, but rest assured there is a big box of chocolates that Forest Gump himself would be proud of. Throughout the the roughly 10-hour main story, players can also partake in “side stories” as the game calls them, which act as fun little distractions along the way. These add a few extra hours to the runtime and are more than worth seeking out. Filler does not exist in this dojo.

Pushing Forward

The Easter Eggs littered around Split Fiction never failed to put a smile on my face—no spoilers from me again. But even if you’re a simple, fleeting fan of pop culture, I’m sure your co-op buddy will be more than happy to explain why they’re chuckling… hopefully.

While it may not have the same broad visual variety as It Takes Two, the story and pacing are markedly more tight and compelling. Some segments of It Takes Two felt like they had little to do with anything, but that’s certainly not the case here.

At the beginning of this story, polar opposites, Zoe and Mio thought they’d be signed as first-time writers by a company named Rader Publishing, but shenanigans ensue as they’re forcefully pushed into this orb-like device that actively steals their ideas. While our two main leads may seem cliche at first, what follows is a slow peeling back of layers that ultimately expose much deeper truths beneath. And by the end of it all, a few tears might even be shed. A step up from It Takes Two, that’s for sure.

Decision

A triumphant blend of co-op gameplay, diverse genres and solid storytelling; Split Fiction makes every moment fresh and exciting. With its tight pacing, addictive mechanics and generous online/couch co-op features, Hazelight Studios has easily delivered their strongest title yet. If you’ve never played a game from this developer before, now is a better time than ever.

By Anthony Culinas – Reviewed on PlayStation 5

Must Have

Split Fiction is hands down the best entry from Hazelight Studios we’ve ever played! If you’ve got a friend or family member who’s even the slightest bit interested in gaming, you’re both going to have a killer good time.

This game was reviewed using a download code provided by EA. The Beta Network uses affiliate partnerships, however, this does not influence reviews or any other content published. The Beta Network may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links that are on the website.