Split Fiction: Cooperative Creativity at Its Best
Even after the success of It Takes Two, it’s admirable that Hazelight continues to commit to an exclusively cooperative experience, especially in an era when many studios rely on paid add-ons and season passes for revenue. Adding to this, the game retains the Friend’s Pass feature, allowing you to invite someone who doesn’t own the game to play online, and now this also works with crossplay. With dynamic camera and perspective changes, precise platforming mechanics, and level designs reflecting some of the best recent art direction, Split Fiction constantly surprises players, offering experiences that go beyond what people typically expect when they buy cheap PS4 games.
On the PS5, the game runs smoothly at 60 frames per second, with almost flawless technical performance—no stutters, glitches, or bugs disrupt even the most intense sequences. The atmosphere is further enhanced by a dynamic soundtrack and sound effects that balance intense moments with calmer sequences and adapt seamlessly to the game’s variety of genres. Orchestral pieces evoke the grandeur of classic fantasy, while futuristic settings are accompanied by synthesized and psychedelic themes.
The constant switching between realities keeps gameplay fresh and introduces inventive team-based mechanics for puzzle solving. Throughout the campaign, players will pilot vehicles, glide in wingsuits, shoot high-tech pistols, wield swords and whips, transform into magical creatures and objects, and even ride dragons. It feels as though the imaginative stories we dreamed of as kids have been brought to life in one of the finest interactive experiences ever created. On top of this variety, skill development grows with each chapter, creating a satisfying learning curve and showcasing Hazelight’s boundless creativity. Every level introduces unique mechanics that never feel repetitive, ensuring high replay value. After finishing the campaign once, you’ll likely be eager to start again and explore the adventure from the other side. Gameplay continues to blend platforming elements across 2D and 3D planes, often placing the protagonists in alternating perspectives at the same time. Many sequences heighten the sense of urgency, requiring players to execute commands in sync during intense action scenes.
Split Fiction: Side Missions That Surprise and Delight
This combination of rapid responses and constantly shifting gameplay tests players’ reflexes and challenges them to apply not only the skills developed throughout the game but also lessons from Hazelight’s previous titles. Supporting this accessibility, the game offers options to adjust enemy damage, remap buttons to simplify QTEs and analog stick movements, and skip ahead to the next checkpoint if needed. Checkpoints are generous, so dying doesn’t force players to replay large sections, and it ensures you remain close to your partner, even if they’ve advanced further through the stage. One noticeable omission is Brazilian Portuguese voice acting. While subtitles are well-localized, including natural, everyday phrasing, full dubbing would have improved comprehension of dialogue and in-action commentary, making it even more appealing than the average title people buy cheap PS4 games to try.
The extra activities remain, but traditional minigames take a backseat, largely replaced by side missions. These function as brief, self-contained stories that weave the themes of each world into the campaign, continually introducing new elements. While some of these side missions provide comic relief, many are action-focused and encourage friendly competition without slowing the story. They often contain the game’s most surprising moments, so skipping them would be a mistake. Thankfully, most are placed along the main path, making them easy to discover.
Split Fiction: A Triumph of Creativity and Co-Op Design
It proves that exploring the essence of games remains one of the best ways to captivate players, without relying on predatory monetization or market trends. The mix of inventive gameplay, creative problem-solving, compelling storytelling, and technical polish highlights Hazelight’s maturity as a developer. Split Fiction is not only an outstanding choice for cooperative play but also one of the most impressive games of our time. In an era when experiences like this are increasingly rare, it deserves recognition, while also leaving players eager to see how far Josef Fares and his talented team can push their creativity.
By combining constantly evolving gameplay, a captivating narrative, and exceptional technical execution, Split Fiction solidifies Hazelight’s reputation as one of today’s best studios. It proves that fun and creative freedom remain central to game design, offering an unforgettable cooperative experience that consistently introduces fresh ideas.