Split Fiction brings players a fun-filled co-op experience, but one of the shining points of the game is how well it blends multiple genres. The most blatant genre-swap is the game’s central premise of bouncing back and forth between fantasy and sci-fi worlds, but there is even more hidden underneath the main schtick. At many points throughout the story, Split Fiction feels like a love letter to gaming in general.
Developer Hazelight Studios has fit a myriad of fun references throughout the game, and some of these fun Easter eggs actually help drive home the genre-bending qualities of Split Fiction that much more. Hazelight Studios has already proven itself as a standout studio with its co-op focus, but even single-player games could learn a valuable lesson from Split Fiction‘s unapologetic experimentation with genres.
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Split Fiction is a Demonstration of How Opposing Genres Can Come Together
Protagonists Mio and Zoe Represent Two Different Worlds
- Mio prefers to write stories set in sci-fi worlds.
- Zoe prefers to write about fantasy.
These two genres are often seen as polar opposites, but Split Fiction wonderfully demonstrates that opposite doesn’t have to mean ill-fitting. Between the beautifully crafted fantasy worlds that Zoe has imagined and the neon-filled sci-fi settings created by Mio, Split Fiction showcases that these genres are more like two sides of the same coin instead of two worlds that are completely foreign to one another. Mio and Zoe’s journey and backstories are more similar than one might think at the beginning of the game, and the differing level genres help drive that point home even further.
The genre-bending doesn’t just stop at the constantly-changing levels, though. Within each level there are nods to other beloved games that allow the sci-fi and fantasy levels to lean into their respective genres even harder. A futuristic nod to the SSX snowboarding franchise, an Assassin’s Creed reference, and a wonderfully blatant shout-out to the iconic Dark Souls bonfire showcase the genres in unique and fun ways.
Split Fiction also references Hazelight Studios’ other games, It Takes Two and A Way Out. The former’s character, Cutie the Elephant, and A Way Out‘s Leo and Vincent can be found in specific levels.
Future Games Should Take Note of Hazelight Studios’ Experimentation
If Hazelight Studios is anything, it’s inventive, and Split Fiction proves that the studio still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve. So far, the reception to Split Fiction has been strong, and it will be fascinating to see how the co-op title influences other games down the road. It’s bound to inspire other co-op titles, but it could also be a great source of inspiration for single-player projects, too. Combining multiple genres into one story can work wonders if done well, and it would be exciting to see a rise in single-player stories taking the same road as Split Fiction.
Split Fiction feels like a love letter to gaming in general.
Split Fiction Makes its Mark in a Huge Year For Gaming
Right now, 2025 is stacked with major releases, and Split Fiction is a fun addition to the continuously growing list. Between Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Doom: The Dark Ages, and the hugely-anticipated GTA 6, the industry is launching offerings for nearly every type of gamer. Split Fiction being in this mix makes it that much more powerful, because it boasts two major genres while also having the uniqueness of purely being co-op. Following Hazelight Studios’ last game, It Takes Two, was not an easy task, but Split Fiction has been a strong successor.
Ultimately, only time will tell how Split Fiction influences other projects, if at all. Even if it doesn’t inspire other games to play around with opposing genres, Hazelight Studios’ new release is a great showcase of how two differing themes can actually balance each other out.
Action
Adventure
Sci-Fi
Fantasy
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OpenCritic
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Top Critic Rating:
90/100
Critics Recommend:
98%
- Released
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March 6, 2025
- ESRB
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T For Teen // Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Language, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Electronic Arts