Some games are better with friends.

Split Fiction is built around that idea completely.

This is not a game that simply allows co-op. It needs co-op. Every mechanic, every challenge, every chaotic set piece, and every emotional beat is designed around two players learning, failing, laughing, arguing, recovering, and somehow making it through together.

Hazelight Studios already proved with A Way Out and It Takes Two that it understands cooperative storytelling better than almost anyone else in the industry. Split Fiction continues that legacy, but pushes the studio’s imagination even further.

It is sci-fi. It is fantasy. It is platforming. It is action. It is puzzle-solving. It is comedy. It is chaos.

And somehow, most of it works beautifully.

A Co-Op Game That Actually Needs Two Players

The best thing about Split Fiction is that co-op never feels optional.

This is not one of those games where a second player is just extra firepower. The entire experience is designed around cooperation. You solve problems together, combine abilities, react to each other’s mistakes, and constantly adjust to new mechanics.

That makes every moment feel social.

Sometimes you are coordinating perfectly. Sometimes one player understands the puzzle immediately while the other is completely lost. Sometimes both of you fail at the same time and laugh because the game has already moved on to another ridiculous idea.

That is the magic.

Split Fiction understands that co-op is not just about teamwork. It is about shared memories.

Sci-Fi And Fantasy Collide Beautifully

The premise is simple but effective.

Mio and Zoe are writers with different creative styles: one leans into sci-fi, the other into fantasy. After being trapped inside their own stories, they have to work together across constantly shifting worlds. Metacritic’s game details describe the setup as a co-op action-adventure where the two protagonists must master different abilities and jump between sci-fi and fantasy worlds to escape with their memories intact.

That setup gives the game permission to do almost anything.

One level can feel like futuristic action. Another can feel like magical fantasy. Another can suddenly introduce a mechanic that could have carried an entire smaller game by itself — and then throw it away ten minutes later.

That confidence is wild.

Most games protect their best ideas.

Split Fiction burns through them like it has too many.

Variety Is The Game’s Superpower

This is where Split Fiction feels special.

It almost never sits still. New mechanics appear constantly. The game keeps changing rules, perspectives, movement options, combat styles, puzzle ideas, and visual themes.

That could have become exhausting, but Hazelight keeps the pace fast enough that it usually feels exciting rather than messy.

OpenCritic’s review roundup includes praise calling Split Fiction one of the most inventive and joyful co-op games to date, while PC Gamer described it as an inventive co-op adventure that keeps moving quickly.

That variety is the reason the game is so easy to recommend.

Even when one idea is not perfect, another one is already waiting around the corner.

The Story Works Best When It Focuses On Friendship

The emotional core of Split Fiction is not as instantly powerful as It Takes Two, but it still has heart.

Mio and Zoe begin as very different people with different creative instincts, different insecurities, and different ways of seeing the world. The game uses their genres — sci-fi and fantasy — as reflections of who they are.

That is clever.

The story is not just about escaping a strange machine. It is about learning to understand someone else’s imagination.

Some writing can feel familiar, and a few emotional beats are predictable, but the overall journey works because the gameplay constantly reinforces the relationship.

You do not just watch the characters cooperate.

You cooperate through them.

Gameplay Feels Like A Toy Box

The gameplay is hard to summarize because it changes so often.

There is platforming, shooting, puzzle-solving, chase sequences, boss fights, timing challenges, vehicle sections, and strange one-off mechanics that appear just long enough to surprise you.

The key thing is that almost everything feels built for two players.

A good co-op game creates moments where one player says, “Wait, I need you here,” and the other replies, “I’m trying, stop yelling.”

Split Fiction is full of those moments.

That is not a flaw.

That is the point.

It Is One Of Hazelight’s Strongest Games

Hazelight’s formula is very clear now: cinematic co-op adventures with constant mechanical variety and emotional storytelling.

But Split Fiction feels like the studio at its most confident.

Metacritic-related coverage reported that Split Fiction reached a 91 Metacritic score with 77 critic reviews around launch, making it Hazelight’s highest-scoring game at that time, ahead of It Takes Two.

That is impressive because It Takes Two already set a high standard.

Split Fiction may not replace it emotionally for every player, but mechanically, it is arguably even more ambitious.

The Weaknesses

Split Fiction is excellent, but not flawless.

Some story moments are predictable. Some characters may not hit as hard as Hazelight’s best previous work. A few mechanics feel slightly underdeveloped because the game moves on so quickly. And because it is fully co-op, your experience depends heavily on who you play with.

That last point matters.

With the right partner, this game is magic.

With the wrong partner, it can become frustration wearing a pretty costume.

It is also not ideal for players who want slow, solo exploration. This is a loud, fast, two-player rollercoaster.

Verdict

Split Fiction is one of the best co-op games in years.

It is creative, fast, funny, stylish, and constantly surprising. It takes the Hazelight formula and makes it bigger, stranger, and more mechanically ambitious, while still keeping the emotional focus on two people learning how to trust each other.

It is not perfect, and some story beats are familiar.

But as a two-player adventure, it is absolutely fantastic.

Score

9.1 / 10

Pros

Brilliant co-op design
Constantly creative mechanics
Great sci-fi and fantasy world variety
Fun, fast pacing
Strong two-player teamwork moments
One of Hazelight’s best games

Cons

Story can be predictable
Some mechanics disappear too quickly
Depends heavily on your co-op partner
Not ideal for solo-focused players

Final Verdict Line

Split Fiction is a wildly creative co-op adventure that proves Hazelight still understands one thing better than almost anyone: games are better when memories are shared.