In Split Fiction, you can ride on the back of a dragon, transform into a ball droid that also doubles as a nifty exosuit, and rollick around as both a pig and a cooked sausage. If I ever needed more proof that Hazelight Studios is the most creative developer around when it comes to co-op adventures, then the debut trailer that dropped last night certainly provided just that. Freshly unveiled at The Game Awards 2024, I’ve already lost count of the number of times I’ve watched the gameplay reveal footage to soak up every detail of its creative concept. The idea behind the story and its protagonists instantly spoke to me – so much so that it’s already skyrocketed to the top of my most anticipated games of 2025.
Take the fact that our leading heroes are two aspiring writers. As Mio who has a penchant for sci-fi, or Zoe who’s all about fantasy, the pair – who are strangers to one another – are both trying to get published by a tech company that specializes in simulations. Enter a Steve Jobs-lookalike villain who appears to try and steal their stories on the company’s behalf… and speaking as a writer myself, that truly is Bad Guy stuff. Everything gets a bit Matrix when Zoe and Mio try to fight back, and are thrown into the simulation themselves. Together with a pal, we’ll have to work together as the writers to make it through their fictional worlds with a wonderfully weird lineup of abilities. As someone who adored the studios previous adventures, A Way Out and It Takes Two, I cannot wait to experience Split Fiction’s inventive genre mashup and variety of mechanics.
Simulated stories
When it comes to a simulated sci-fi or fantasy world, nothing is off the table, which is why the genre mash-up of the setting has me so damn excited. The reveal trailer alone speaks to that very fact, with Zoe and Mio having to contend with everything from a Giant wielding a huge ax, to riding on Zero-G motorcycles that look like they’re right out of Tron. Not only that, but the pair will take on many different forms, with game director Josef Fares saying that, “we at Hazelight love variation, and you’ll have a unique mechanic for every level”. It immediately brought to mind the many creative ways you have to try and make it through the oversized world of It Takes Two. As estranged couple Cody and May, who are turned into dolls by a magic spell, every level saw you overcome obstacles and puzzles in a myriad of ways, and each and every one of them put your teamwork and camaraderie to the test.
Just as Cody and May’s circumstances served up some unique challenges and inventive levels, I can’t wait to see what Zoe’s fantasy world and Mio’s sci-fi one will present us with. One of the great joys of It Takes Two, in particular, was how its imaginative level designs would constantly surprise me, and with the simulation set-up and the promise of variety, I have every hope Split Fiction will more than deliver in that respect.
What Hazelight Studio has also always nailed is the way it uses the co-op formula to explore the different dynamics between its lead characters. In A Way Out, for example, I loved the way it brought two prison inmates – who each have their own motivations – together, and as you work together as a team, you start to learn more about their individual stories as well as their personalities which would sometimes clash and cause friction. Likewise, in It Takes Two, the co-op set up pushes married couple Cody and May to work together out of necessity, but that steadily starts to not only shine a light on the reason behind the rift between them, but also helps them begin to repair it.
In Split Fiction, Mio and Zoe are strangers to each other, but they both get thrown into the same wild circumstances. But since they’re both writers, I can already imagine how they might relate to one another, or possibly even have some conflicts given there’s a notable divide in the genre they opt for. Plus, I’m sure there’s no better way to get an idea of someone else’s work than to be literally being thrown into their fictional world in a simulation. I like to imagine they could even become a major source of inspiration for each other, as they both try to navigate their respective fictionalized spaces.
As a big fan of A Way Out and It Takes Two, I was already excited at the prospect of something new from Hazelight Studios, but I wasn’t expecting to be this bowled over by its concept. While it’s still early days and we’ll have to wait to see how it plays when it launches next year, the varied abilities and imaginative story mean I’ll be eagerly awaiting Split Fiction’s arrival. I’m so ready to ride on the back of a dragon and become a pig. Sign me up right now – with a plus one, please.
Split Fiction is set to release on March 6, 2025. To see what else in store, check our roundup of new games.