Split Fiction Reviews
This is some of the best co-op platforming around and another must-have for those who want to take a fun journey with their bestie.
Split Fiction is hokey, muddled, and needlessly self-defeating. It’s also lively, inventive, and so earnest that it’s hard to be mad at it for long. These aren’t opposing forces that tear Hazelight’s latest apart; the clumsiness is inseparable from the delight. Both are born from the ambitious vision of artists who still believe in the magic of creativity and are willing to take big swings in its honor. Sometimes it absolutely whiffs. We all do. Fail again. Fail better. But it’s those moments where it connects, where simple ideas turn into unforgettable spectacle, that remind us why art can’t be automated. Even the most advanced machine can never dream bigger than a human with a heart.
Hazelight Studios has done it again and crafted one of the PlayStation 5's best co-op games.
Split Fiction is visually streets ahead of its predecessor It Takes Two, but mechanically the two games are very similar. The game is occasionally in danger of verging into repetitive territory with its constant shifting between two main environments, but its healthy selection of varied side-stories and its constantly changing mechanics ensure its gameplay remains engaging and entertaining throughout, even if the same can't always be said for its story.
Split Fiction may tell a more conventional story than Hazelight Studios’ last couple of games, but it’s hard to get too hung up on that, given how expertly it builds on and refines It Takes Two’s unique approach to co-op action without sacrificing any of its ingenuity. Split Fiction may not end up being everyone’s favorite Hazelight joint, particularly if you’re not up for its sometimes-frustrating level of challenge, but the game is anything but by-the-books.
In case anyone had any doubts, Split Fiction is proof that It Takes Two was not a random stroke of luck. Hazelight's new game is every bit as crazy as the 2021 Game of the Year, and although this year the competition is going to be fierce, Split Fiction might be a serious contender for the title as well.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Split Fiction is a soulful, artfully crafted experience. Mechanically, it is user-friendly, even for those who don’t play games much. It is stunning with its set pieces, character designs, and overall visual appeal that brings these tales to life.
Split Fiction is a clear and early frontrunner for my Game of the Year for 2025. Every moment of this game was enjoyable, even just sitting on a bench and overlooking some epic landscape while the characters shared a bit about themselves.
Split Fiction is Hazelight Studios' best game yet, and stands out as one of the most accomplished and fun co-op titles on PS5 to date. Its peerless variety means there's never a dull moment, and all of its different mechanics are consistently well-executed. There are one or two minor complaints you can throw at this, but they all fade into the background when the game is constantly showing you new ideas and almost never pausing for breath. This is proof, if more was needed, that Josef Fares and his team has found a really special formula, one that allows them to explore an incredible range of gameplay that's only enhanced by its singular co-op vision.
While Split Fiction doesn't necessarily break new ground, it's an entertaining ride and delivers a polished co-operative experience with an infectious level of enthusiasm.
Mio and Zoe’s growth really is where much of the focus is given – to the extent that you can guarantee heart strings will be pulled upon a couple times before you roll credits.
Split Fiction is one of the best genre crossing, action packed, adrenaline rushing, heart wrenching games both Jason and myself have ever played. A few hours in, we were dodging ogres and shooting down ships. By the end of the game, our friendship became stronger, our hearts grew three times larger, and we realized that Split Fiction is one of the best games of this era. Anyone saying otherwise, is spitting fiction.
Split Fiction is a game that tries to advance the studio's formula while retaining the dynamism that made It Takes Two special, which it achieves by creating mechanics that are easy to understand and complex level design, but without forgetting the crazy ideas that are used in specific moments to make players laugh or give them a creative break. Although a deeper understanding of video games is necessary, everyone can appreciate what Hazelight Studios and Josef Fares have created, because, above all, Split Fiction is pure fun, and something that cannot be ignored this year.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Josef Fares' teams have not lost any of their inventiveness, either, and manage to offer us a gameplay experience we never tire of. Most of the storyline could have done with a bit more surprise, but it's a solid one that works from start to finish. What more could you ask for? It's another nugget from a studio that puts the pleasure of playing above all else.
Review in French | Read full review
A title full of references, accompanied by a story that transports us to unimaginable worlds, with memorable characters, situations and moments. Without a doubt, it is one of those surprises that will give a lot to talk about in the coming months. You must experience everything that Split Fiction offers to understand its greatness
Review in Spanish | Read full review
In the end, Split Fiction is, against the odds, a smile-inducing charmer. But it’s for that exact reason that it deserved a script that put its best face forward. Split Fiction offers up a meticulously crafted playground, but it’s disappointing that the framework around it feels like it was fashioned by the 10-year-olds who’d play there.
Split Fiction is a true triumph, a priceless title that not only manages to replicate the qualitative heights reached by the Game of the Year 2021 but surpasses them by ascending to even more astonishing levels of inventiveness.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Split Fiction doesn't reinvent the co-op formula and is similar to its spiritual predecessor in terms of its structure and some of its magical moments. While the wild genre changes almost four years ago gave us one "WTF" moment after another, the element of surprise is now more often missing.
Review in German | Read full review
Split Fiction is one of the most ambitious games ever made. Despite its lofty goals, the team at Hazelight has put together a solid character narrative, with so many fun gameplay mechanics to help the protagonists on their big adventure.
Director Josef Fares' studio Hazelight has carved itself out quite the niche. A Way Out and It Takes Two demonstrated how adept the developer i...