REVIEW: Split Fiction is an ode to creativity 2c2d28

Split Fiction is the new title of Hazelight Studios, a company famous for games It takes two (GOTY in 2022 at The Game Awards), A Way Out e Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. The indie studio has been gaining ground since 2015, always adding new flavor to its catalog and with a huge focus on cooperative games, whether local or online. With a new bet on the genre, this time featuring two protagonists, Split Fiction mixes the world of fantasy and sci-fi and leaves a question: do we have a successor worthy of It Takes Two? Let's find out now! s6i48

Importance of Josef Fares and his games 673410

Josef fares has established itself as one of the most innovative developers in the industry by combining cinematic storytelling and unique mechanics in its games. Since Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (2013), which introduced emotionally engaging gameplay, until It Takes Two (2021), winner of the Game of the Year award at The Game Awards, Fares and his studio, haze light, redefined how stories can be told in video games.

What makes their success even more impressive is that their games are published by Electronic Arts, a company widely criticized for its emphasis on microtransactions, loot boxes, and high-cost releases. However, its titles are part of the EA Originals, a label created to independent studios without creative interference, allowing Fares preserve your artistic vision.

A clear example of this is A Way Out (2018), a must-play cooperative game that innovated by introducing the “Friend ”, allowing a player to invite another person to play without both needing to purchase the game. It Takes Two further refined this approach, offering an accessible and engaging co-op experience.

The work of Fares reminds us of the classic era of video games, between the 90s and early 2000s, when creativity and innovative gameplay were at the heart of major productions. Its games reinforce the importance of local cooperation and interactive narratives, bringing back the spirit of games that valued shared experiences and striking mechanics.

Em Split Fiction, he returns to direct the game, with a performance that proves to be extremely important. Not only in the scenes with dialogues between the characters, but mainly during the phases with action and use of the game's mechanics, the direction of Fares It is very intelligent and in line with all the creativity that the game offers us.

History 6r4t5f

Split Fiction puts us in the role of Mio e Zoe, two distinct writers. Mio writes about Sci-fi while Zoe writes fantasy stories. The beginning of the game takes the protagonists to the Rader, a corporation that, in theory, will publish their books and those of other writers. However, when they arrive at the location, they discover that, in fact, they have gone there for a technological experiment where they will enter capsules to “live” their stories.

Zoe easily accepts the idea, but Mio gets angry and says she's just there to get paid and leave, but ends up staying anyway. When they find out they'll have to go into capsules, Mio gets into trouble with everyone and, in the middle of the confusion, ends up inside the capsule Zoe, thus mixing the history of both and giving us the starting point for the adventure.

As they progress, they discover that Rader is not interested in publishing their books, but rather in stealing their creative ideas to feed a machine capable of transforming concepts into absolute corporate power. Now, trapped in this distorted universe, Mio e Zoe will need to overcome their differences to escape with their minds intact and overthrow the system that imprisons them.

I have to confess that the theme and everything that was developed in this game moved me a lot, after all, I also work as a writer. So, while it was extremely fun and interesting to be able to see the girls' text lines come to life in a visual way, it's horrible to think that someone simply stole my creativity and is using it for their own benefit, which, for us, is in line with the existence of AIs like Chat GPT and Gemini, for example.

All of this could be very generic, after all, we have already seen this type of story with the “hero” against a megalomaniac villain from a large corporation in several works. However, the development of the two protagonists by having to work together to solve the problem makes everything more special.

A Way Out it was a game about trust, It Take Two about collaboration and Split Fiction It's about friendship. And putting two completely opposite characters to solve the biggest problem of their lives — to the point of revealing their biggest dilemmas to each other even without knowing each other — proves to be a very valid and important theme for our current world, where no one can deal well with opinions and thoughts that differ from their own.

Gameplay and mechanics 2v6t4o

Made in Unreal Engine 5, Split Fiction is one of the coolest and most creative experiences in modern gaming. If you enjoyed It takes two, for me, the new game takes this even further. Some may see it as a problem, others may not, but playing this game is like having a little bit of every title ever created in each of the stages.

Made of Split Fiction It's a platform game, where we can move everywhere, run, double jump, dodge on the ground and in the air, as well as other tools that every good platform game has — like being able to run on walls or grab onto specific hooks in the scenario, either to jump onto a platform or simply stay attached there.

From this structure, new mechanics are applied. According to the studio, the game was inspired by several genres, including: shooters, platformers, stealth action, puzzlers, and more. I can assure you that these inspirations make a lot of sense, always arriving with a lot of variety. It is worth noting that in almost every stage, each of the characters has unique powers, guaranteeing a good replay factor so that you can get to know each side of the adventure for yourself.

In the first world, for example, we are thrown into a universe at war. sci-fi. With Mio, besides having a sword, we can play with gravity in places with purple platforms. Already with Zoe, although she doesn't have a weapon, she can use her suit to pull and drag practically anything in the environment, from enemies to elevators, levers, doors and even portable toilets.

And I can safely say that, with each new phase, these ideas will be amplified, bringing new mechanics and, best of all, always with creativity at its peak. As I mentioned, playing Split Fiction It was like revisiting every game I've ever played in my life. This may sound repetitive when mentioned, but when you combine the elements of cooperation and creativity, it becomes a unique experience.

Side stories 6l483j

Unlike the company's previous games, in Split Fiction we don't have moments with minigames like in It Takes Two, which simulated children's games and shopping mall games. In the new game, however, we are not without a similar element. Called here Sidestories (or Secondary Stories, in Portuguese), these optional missions are spread throughout the game and act as poetic licenses from the minds of each of the characters to live a new adventure.

These are anomalies that occur because the two characters are sharing the same simulation. In addition to the protagonists commenting when each of them appears, you will know of their existence when you see a portal in the scene — usually with a completely different aesthetic from the current map.

An interesting thing about these side stories is that they are basically plots from the past of the characters that Rader's machine is trying to steal. In addition to being fun, you will be saving the protagonists' minds by embarking on each of these tales, which add up to 12 in total.

Friend q1d46

As it is a 100% cooperative game, it could not be missing the Friend , which has already become a trademark in the studio's games. To use it, simply search for it and install it on PlayStation Store, Xbox Store ou Steam. Once that's done, just wait for a friend who has the full game to invite you to play.

The news in Split Fiction is that, now, the works on crossplay, meaning you can invite anyone from any platform to play as long as you have their EA ID. Not only that, but the studio has created a server on Discord so that people have access to a friend to play with. A trailer was even released about it. Check it out:

graphic quality 691z4p

As I mentioned earlier, Split Fiction works at Unreal Engine 5 and for me, so far, this is the best use of the new version of the graphics engine. Epic Games. The game was played, for this analysis, on a PlayStation 5 Slim and the experience was great from start to finish. In of settings, Split Fiction does not have any type of option for mode Performance ou Fidelity, but features a high level of detail and a stable frame rate of 60 fps.

A haze light remains an indie studio and therefore it is a delight to see it doing what it does in a graphics engine as interesting as Unreal Engine 5. It would not make sense to compare the present title reviewed to games Triple A (high budget) as Death Stranding, Horizon: Forbidden West ou The Last of Us Part 2, but it's impressive how well polished it is and, even though it doesn't have photorealistic graphics, it delivers an excellent level of detail, especially when it comes to the scenery and stages.

In addition to the graphic issue, we also owe everything to art direction of the game. Even though the game is completely inspired by much of what we know from pop culture — be it Blade Runner, Cyberpunk 2077, Akira, Dune, Assassin's Creed and dozens of other references — this accumulation of ideas makes perfect sense to the writer characters.

Precisely because it has impeccable art direction, even though it is an accumulation of often hackneyed ideas, Split Fiction manages to be remarkable in each of its adventures. The mixture of these already known elements with well-resolved mechanics and always mixing makes the experience become something emblematic without having to constantly show us how the reflection of a mirror is much more realistic than in other games. That doesn't matter here.

In short, what you will find in this game is a wealth of colors and excellent details that make it, fortunately, the pinnacle of what haze light has done so far.

Minimum and recommended requirements (PCs) 12193b

	Minimum requirements	Recommended Requirements
Operational system	Windows 10/11 64 bit	Windows 10/11 64 bit
Processor	Intel Core I5-6600K or AMD Ryzen 5 2600X	Intel Core I7-11700K or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
Memory	16GB	16GB
Recorders	NVIDIA Geforce GTX 970 with 4GB or AMD RX 470 with 4GB	NVIDIA RTX 3070 with 8GB or AMD Radeon 6700 XT with 12GB
DirectX	12 Version	12 Version
speech	Broadband network	Broadband network
Storage	85GB of available space	85GB of available space
Resolution	1920×1080 (1080) native	2560×1440 (2K) native
frame rate	30	60
Graphic Preset	Low	Alto

Price and availability 1s705x

Split Fiction was released on March 6, 2025 to PC, Playstation 5 e Xbox Series S | X. The suggested price is R$199 on the PC e R$249,50 on consoles (PS5 e Xbox). I highly recommend it if your circumstances are favorable to that price — that you can buy a single copy and then invite your friends who don't have the game to you on this adventure.

Conclusion 60664y

Split Fiction is the pinnacle of creativity and good work haze light quality Josef fares. Even if you haven't played any of the studio's previous games, this one is definitely worth checking out. I already consider it one of the big releases of 2025 and, who knows, a great contender for Game of the Year.

If you like platform games with a strong focus on action, adventure, puzzles and that use maximum creativity at once, Split Fiction and to you.

Comment below what you thought of the game and if you plan on playing it soon. Also, check out our other articles, such as review of Monster Hunter Wilds.

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Text review done by Jaime Ninece in 19 / 03 / 2025.