Split Fiction | Xbox Review

Three years ago, my podcast co-host, Zack, and I had a first since we started working together so many years ago. We collaborated on a review of It Takes Two from Hazelight Studios. To this day, it’s one of the top highlights of my career with The Gaming Outsider. Not only was the writing experience novel, but the game wound up being a personal favorite of the year and has stuck with me since then. I had my serious doubts that Hazelight would be able to top that title, but they’ve pulled it off. There was hardly a moment where I wasn’t grinning from ear to ear while playing. It will be hard to top this game, so 2025 has its work cut out for it.

It Still Takes Two

As expected, Split Fiction requires two people to play. You have the choice to play split screen or online, but it’s literally impossible to play by yourself. Thankfully, Hazelight makes it easy for you to find a partner. When you purchase the game, you can play with anyone else on any other platform at no extra cost to the second person, thanks to the Friend’s Pass feature. It’s a brilliant, consumer-friendly approach to this genre, and I hope it never goes away.

One player plays Mio, and the other as Zoe. The women, along with a group of other aspiring writers, arrive at a corporation called Rader Publishing with the prospect of getting a publishing deal. Instead of signing a deal, Rader offers to hook the writers up to a machine to live out their stories in a virtual world. Mio doesn’t like this idea and refuses, which leads to an altercation. She winds up in the machine with Zoe, and the two exist in the virtual world simultaneously in each other’s universes.

A Little Cheese With That Wine

The rest of the game forces this unlikely couple to work together to navigate the virtual world in an attempt to find their way out. Mio’s writing centers around science fiction, and Zoe’s in a fantasy world. This means that each character must occasionally work their way through unfamiliar territory while slowly getting to know their counterpart a bit better. It culminates in a final struggle against a villain that comes as no surprise.

Their genres of choice aren’t the only major differences between these two characters, either. Mio is very much a no-nonsense type of girl, while Zoe leads with her heart. This is laid on pretty thick at the onset, and it’s clear they’re going for the oil/water mixture of personalities.

I won’t sugar coat it. The writing in Split Fiction isn’t going to knock your socks off. The dialogue is a tad corny, and the sci-fi/fantasy stories buried inside the machine are very cliche. But here’s the thing: I don’t care. In fact, I absolutely loved it. For me personally (and my co-op partner), I found this aspect to add an absolute charm to the game. I understand why some might be distracted by the writing, but it feels completely intentional here, and they nailed it. As you learn a bit more about each character’s past, you learn to love them for their differences, which is part of the overall theme of the game.

One last thing. I wasn’t a fan of the villain here. Even if I understood his ultimate goal, it made no sense how he was going to get away with his plan. How did he really think this would turn out for him? This is the only part of the story that really distracted me, but I felt compelled to mention it.

The Time of Our Lives

Many, many podcast episodes ago, we had a discussion about what we preferred in games: story, gameplay, or graphics. If I remember correctly, I leaned a bit more towards story, which is what’s going to make me sound a bit like a hypocrite. I adored nearly every second of gameplay in Split Fiction. Much like in It Takes Two, you’re never doing the exact same thing for more than a few minutes. In one moment, you’re fighting robots in three dimensions and hopping from vehicle to vehicle in space traffic. In the next, you’re running from massive trolls in a medieval village. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I’m totally blown away by the amount of creativity that is packed into this title. I can’t even put a number on the number of times the two of us said, “Man, that’s so cool” during our 12-15 hours while playing.

“Side Stories” were an unexpected treat in Split Fiction. I assumed that all of the stories here would center around sci-fi or fantasy, but the narrative setup allows for all kinds of creativity. Mio and Zoe aren’t just experiencing their current stories, but ones they worked on as early as childhood and leading up to their full-time careers as writers. These are some of the most creative and hilarious moments in the game. I guarantee that you’re not expecting most of what happens, and that makes discovering each side story an absolute joy.

Just when I thought that they had run out of ideas, they threw something else completely unexpected my way. That’s what makes this game and the others before it so fantastic. You keep pushing forward because of narrative reasons, but to see exactly what surprise they’re going to throw at you next. It’s immensely satisfying to expect a smile on your face and to never be let down. There are even several subtle (some not as subtle) references to other video games, which adds to the enjoyment.

Split Fiction Final Verdict

Split Fiction might be my easiest recommendation of the year so far. Its pacing is purposeful, and aside from a section that slowed things a bit, it’s non-stop fun from start to finish. I even appreciated that there aren’t mundane collectible to find. The game clearly wants its players to enjoy the ride and not be bogged down by tropes with which we’ve grown so accustomed. Even the difficulty feels aimed towards wanting players to push through and not be bogged down by a challenge. With that said, this title does feel a bit tougher than others from the studio. Let’s just say I won’t be asking my wife to play through this one with me. But even still, the tough portions weren’t so for very long, and I never found myself annoyed by an obstacle.

I loved nearly every minute of Split Fiction. I never wanted to stop playing it until I rolled credits. The fact that the person I was playing with felt the same is a true testament to the game’s quality. The best part is that I can play through the entire game again as the other character and have a wholly unique experience.

Up until the mind-bending finale, I found surprises around every corner that never ceased to put a smile on my face. Hazelight seems to have cornered the market on cooperative experiences. I have to admit that I didn’t think they could come up with as many fresh ideas after their last entry. But that’s exactly what they did, and I already can’t wait to see what they do next.

To hear me talk more about Split Fiction, be sure to listen to our March 12th, 2025 podcasts episode.

This review is based on an Xbox Series X/S copy of Split Fiction provided by fortyseven communications for coverage purposes. It is also available on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.