I have played about six hours of Split Fiction with one of my friends (shoutout to Fire!). It was developed by Hazelight Studios, the same studio that created It Takes Two. It was released March 6, 2025. Whether Split Fiction and It Takes Two are similar at all, I cannot be sure first-hand, but from the gameplay I’ve watched online it seems to be the same idea: you and a friend are playing two separate characters with the screen split, and you need to play through the game together in order to finish the story and beat the it. Granted, It Takes Two appears to be more stylized in the artistic department, whereas Split Fiction has been mostly realistic in art style.
So, coming into this without playing anything else from Hazelight Studios gives me a completely fresh take. The split screen mechanic that they have where you and your friend are playing together real-time really does take me back to the days where you and one of your friends/siblings would play together on a PlayStation 2. The split screen is so nostalgic, and it really sets Hazelight Studios apart, especially given that I know It Takes Two did extremely well (Game of the Year 2021). Like I said, I never played it, but it was all I heard about when it originally came out.
Split Fiction is the same in that respect. A lot of people are playing it, and already just in the first six hours, I think this will be a Game of the Year nominee.
I’ve already talked about the split screen mechanic, but that coupled with how smooth it feels to play is impressive. The friend I’m playing it with is in New Zealand, so we do have difficulties playing games with each other sometimes; oddly enough, this isn’t a game that we have had too much trouble with in terms of lag.
The plot of Split Fiction is so intriguing; I am a person that really needs a plot when I play a game, and Split Fiction is very compelling to me while it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Split Fiction is about a corporation stealing the ideas of writers right out of their heads. This is extremely relevant to current events, too, because it is a direct commentary on generative A.I. infiltrating the game industry–much like a rash, if I’m honest. It really does feel like a good plot to release right now in the gaming sphere because of how rampant that is becoming; all generative A.I. does is steal from other artists, whether it’s visual or written work. This game’s plot allows us to overcome it and take our characters’ ideas back.
There were a few drawbacks I noticed while playing Split Fiction, even as much as I liked it. There are not as many graphical settings as I would have expected. So far in the story, it does feel like Mio is focused on a lot more than Zoe. Maybe it’s because Mio clearly has a conflict in her life, but I don’t know why Zoe couldn’t also have one. I felt like the polar opposite dynamic between both main characters felt forced at some times. The voice acting was great, but some of the writing felt a bit disjointed or unrealistic. Especially given the fact that Mio gives complete main character energy, while whichever player plays as Zoe is placed into a sidekick type of role since Zoe has no conflict. I kept waiting for something to come up, some information that would show depth to Zoe. I was left waiting on that, still waiting.
I think maybe the way I could explain it is that the plot is fantastic, but how it was actually written and paced felt shallow. I wish they dug deeper.
All in all, I do think the game is a success! I highly recommend giving it a try if you have a friend that’s interested! (Only one of you needs to purchase it, so theoretically just split the cost for Split Fiction. Insert obnoxious laughing emoji here.)
Split Fiction is available on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Crossplay supported.
