Release date: March 6, 2025.
Split Fiction is developed by Hazelight Studios and published by Electronic Arts. It is set to bring a new twist to co-op games with its boundless mix of science fiction and fantasy. The game’s main characters, Mio and Zoe, are writers who have retreated into a world where a system attempts to capture their creative minds and ideas. Players join and aid each other as they traverse this chaotic world full of hurdles consisting of dystopian actions and magical realms.
Storyline
The story starts with Mio and Zoe attempting to break a barrier to publishing their stories at Rader Publishing. All goes according to plan until the duo is taken through a new machine meant to make their stories more vivid, like a holodeck in Star Trek. The malfunctioning part stems from James Rader’s aim of claiming their ideas for himself. Mio’s sci-fi world was blended with Zoe’s fantasy world, forcing the two to work together despite their strong dislike for each other.
During interviews, Josef Fares mentions his daughters Mio and Zoe — the two namesakes in the game. The game centers around the topic of friendship formed in tough circumstances: “My daughters’ names are Mio and Zoe… It’s about how these two people from different worlds come together.”
This premise creates opportunities for different styles of gameplay that blend both genres effortlessly.
Gameplay mechanics
Split Fiction is a game meant strictly for cooperative play, whether online or offline. The two players must collaborate equally instead of having a primary and secondary player. Every specific level offers new mechanics custom-designed for the sci-fi or fantasy elements:
- Platforming obstacles. Players will partake in platforming that targets the use of double jumping, wall running, and dashing past obstacles.
- Combat alterations. Engaging in combat where players can use laser swords in sci-fi levels or control dragons in fantasy settings.
- Environmental challenges. Associative with item prescription like magnet balls for wall-crossing or morphing objects to create pieces of puzzles.
Some of the most exciting moments are the following:
- Riding these new gravity-defying bikes or sandsharks.
- Dance fights with monkeys.
- Combat with cyber ninjas or a robotic parking attendant.
- Flying pigs that fart, is a humorous reference to It Takes Two.
All these factors guarantee every level is different from the previous one.
Technical features
Split Fiction has some impressive in-game accomplishments:
- Crossplay support. Utilizing EA’s Friend’s Pass feature allows for cross-platform cooperation by inviting friends on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC through Steam.
- Visual presentation. The game features powerful graphics portraying the more advanced futuristic cities as well as the more mystical magical forests.
Because it has a co-op emphasis reminiscent of It Takes Two, Split Fiction appears to be quite fun and a game where players have to work together:
“This wild ride comes from Hazelight… allowing you to invite a friend to play with you for free on any platform,“ showcases the focus on breathtaking shared experiences without any extra payments except for the base game after purchasing it once.
Conclusion
Split Fiction is set for release on the 6th of March on all major consoles and looks stunning not just due to its epic gameplay capabilities, but also the astonishing experiences that come from friends working together to explore wondrous worlds irrespective of the goals set. While being on fully equipped space stations under constant cyber attack or soaring over enchanting clouds on a dragon’s back — every second requires effortless teamwork from the duo, which makes this game stand out from all other modern-day cooperative games.
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S.