When it launched in 2021, It Takes Two represented the pinnacle of what Hazelight Studios had been striving for with its previous titles: a thrilling, varied, expressive co-op experience. Indeed, It Takes Two is one of the best co-op games ever made, and now Hazelight is looking to recapture that same magic with Split Fiction, a co-op game that looks to be taking more than a few cues from its predecessor.
But while It Takes Two follows an estranged couple finding their way back to each other by way of inexplicable transmutations and other magical happenings, Split Fiction adopts a science-fiction angle. Based around two strangers, Mio and Zoe, rather than a long-term couple, it also seems to be moving away from the more cartoonish aesthetic of It Takes Two, opting instead for more photorealistic graphics that may contrast nicely with its more outlandish settings and gameplay set-ups. But despite these differences, Split Fiction will seemingly still have a fair bit in common with It Takes Two, and could even beat it at its own game.
Related
One Niche Marvel Couple Would Be a Perfect Fit For a Game Like It Takes Two
Marvel has no shortage of large-scale teams, but there’s one smaller duo that could make for a perfect co-op game like It Takes Two.
Split Fiction Is Positioned as an Evolution of It Takes Two
Variety Is at the Center of Split Fiction
Perhaps the best part about It Takes Two is its commitment to constant variety. Each level is distinct, not only visually or thematically, but mechanically as well. Of course, platforming games are known for introducing new mechanics or twists on a central gameplay system over time, but It Takes Two‘s switch-ups are so dramatic, so substantial, that it almost feels like each new idea could be the backbone of its own game. One minute, players will be shooting hostile creatures with exploding goo, and the next, they’ll be shifting gravity or manipulating time in a bizarre clockwork tango.
It would appear that Split Fiction is adhering to this same design principle; Joseph Fares, the game’s Creative Director, says as much in its reveal trailer. Some of the specific mechanical shake-ups Fares highlights in the trailer include:
- A pair of dragon companions who grow throughout the level
- A ball droid mechanic, where the droids later turn into exosuits with different abilities
- A level where the players transform into pigs before falling victim to a barbecue
Interestingly, Split Fiction seems to emphasize variety within individual levels, as these highlighted mechanical premises all evolve throughout the course of a given area. This is a natural evolution from the variety on display in It Takes Two, which is already astonishing in its own right. Time will tell what the micro and macro levels of gameplay variety will look like in the final product, but given the sparse promotional material and Hazelight’s own pedigree, it’s safe to assume that Split Fiction will be an ever-changing experience.
Split Fiction Will Be a Cooperative Game Through-and-Through
It Takes Two isn’t a game that is simply “better” with another person—two players are required for the game. The second player can hop on locally or online, but either way, there must be two live participants for the game to work. To this end, the in-game characters function markedly differently, with distinct, synergistic powers for each level. For instance, in the chapter The Tree, one player has to fire flammable tree sap, while the other is given a gun that fires matchsticks, which ignites the sap. Neither implement is useful without the other, so teamwork and communication are essential.
Just like
It Takes Two
,
Split Fiction
will allow two players to play online, even if only one of them owns the game.
This emphasis on cooperative play also looks to be at the center of Split Fiction, whose gameplay trailer showcases a number of unique mechanics for the two protagonists. With this same focus on variety and novel co-op gameplay, Split Fiction could very well be the next social gaming phenomenon.
The co-op masterminds are back, pushing the creative limits with their new action-packed buddy adventure, Split Fiction. From the studio behind 2021 Game of the Year Winner It Takes Two, venture into a world that jumps between Sci-Fi and Fantasy to overcome varied and unexpected gameplay challenges with a friend. Split Fiction’s vast array of ever-changing mechanics keeps you on the edge of your couch with surprising moments. Find out what happens when two radically different worlds collide in this fortuitous story of friendship.
Story
Mio and Zoe are contrasting writers who become trapped in their own stories after being hooked up to a machine designed to steal their creative ideas. To escape with their minds intact, they’ll need to overcome their differences to crash the system that holds them, uncovering secrets and personal struggles hidden within their own fiction.
Key Features
● True Co-Op Adventure – Split Fiction is an adventure tailored for two. As Mio and Zoe, you’ll experience split screen co-op gameplay where you have to coordinate your actions and timing, as well as work together to overcome challenges through unique worlds of fiction like lush Fantasy environments and Sci-Fi skylines. This wild ride comes to you from Hazelight, the co-op thrill-makers that brought you It Takes Two and A Way Out.
● Unparalleled Variety – Discover new mechanics and abilities in every level of your adventure, which will alternate between sci-fi and fantasy settings. Escape a sun that’s going supernova, challenge a monkey to a dance battle, try out some cool hoverboard tricks, fight an evil kitty, and ride everything from gravity bikes to a sandshark. Experience worlds that are entirely different from each other, unexpected new abilities, and a range of gameplay that includes platforming, puzzles, and more. There are surprises waiting for you and your partner around every corner.
● The Power of Friendship – Mio and Zoe don’t get along at first, but soon enough they become each other’s only hopes. This journey will throw unexpected twists at them and if they want to make it through, they’ll need to have each other’s backs. They’ll encounter both bizarre situations as they traverse stories born from their own wild imaginations. Most importantly – they’ll face it all together.
● Sci-Fi and Fantasy Worlds – Venture through fantastical realms and discover idyllic villages and mystical sanctuaries filled with magical beings in Zoe’s world of fiction. Board a flying train and explore Mio’s imaginary realms of futuristic space stations, intense battlefields and more. Engage in hidden “side stories” – vivid snapshots extracted from the depths of Mio and Zoes’ minds that go beyond Sci-Fi and Fantasy – where you can learn more about their past and the roads that led them to by Rader.
● More Ways to Play Together – Friend’s Pass – Hazelight’s staple feature that allows one player that owns the game to invite a friend to play for free – is back and makes playing with friends even easier with crossplay options enabled for PlayStation, Xbox and PC (via Steam).
Action
Adventure
Sci-Fi
Fantasy
- Released
- March 6, 2025
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op , Local Co-Op