Split Fiction Review: A Unique Mix of Action, Puzzle, and Fun

Split Fiction is a fun, creative co-op adventure with fast platforming, unique levels, and an unforgettable story-driven finale.

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After winning Game of the Year for It Takes Two at The Game Awards 2021, Hazelight Studios was full of ideas for their next project. And it feels like they used all of them in Split Fiction. This is a fun, creative two-player adventure that kept me smiling the whole time as we ran, jumped, and fought our way through an unforgettable finale.

What kind of game is it? A puzzle platformer? A third-person action adventure? Extreme sports? A side-scroller or twin-stick shooter?
The answer: Yes to all.

Split Fiction follows Zoe and Mio, two struggling authors who are invited to a mysterious tech company with the promise of finally getting published. But instead, the company starts stealing every story they’ve ever written. During a scuffle, Mio accidentally gets pulled into Zoe’s digital world. Now, they must work together to escape and stop the company’s evil plan.

Zoe and Mio are total opposites—right down to their personalities and accents—but the game wastes no time throwing them together for this wild ride.

Split Fiction Fights Back Against Tech Bros Who Exploit Art

Split Fiction is built on a simple but brilliant idea — two writers trapped inside a virtual world. It’s surprising that more games haven’t done this already, especially since movies have explored the “stuck in a digital world” concept for years. Still, Split Fiction arrives in 2025 at the perfect time, serving as a clever commentary on our AI-driven future where creativity is scraped and repackaged by machines. What makes it even better is that, at its core, Split Fiction feels like a bold statement against tech companies treating art like just another product to steal and sell.

Smooth and Fun Platforming

Like It Takes Two, the platforming in Split Fiction feels great from the start. Both Zoe and Mio can jump, double-jump, and dash through the air. Wall runs, grappling hooks, rails, and tiny landing spots are all easy to pull off, with the game offering just enough help to keep the flow smooth. It’s a system that’s fun, fast, and forgiving — perfect for players of all skill levels.

The game focuses on momentum and timing, not punishing you for small mistakes. It feels like bowling with one bumper up — helpful but not overly protective.

My only small complaint is that if one player falls behind, it can be tricky to catch up, sometimes leading to a loop of respawning and dying. Also, it looks a bit unfinished when Zoe and Mio pass through each other instead of reacting with a digital effect. A small visual touch like that would’ve made things look cleaner without slowing down the gameplay.

Co-op Gameplay That Just Works

Split Fiction’s fast-paced platforming fits perfectly with its co-op style. Even if players have different skill levels, the game keeps things fun and stress-free. If you die, you respawn quickly next to your partner. During boss fights, you get pulled back in after a short wait. Checkpoints are generous, even in tough fights. You won’t have to redo an entire boss battle just because you made a mistake.

Boss fights are creative and exciting, though sometimes you might die right after respawning — a bit annoying, but never enough to feel like a chore.

Overall, Split Fiction isn’t a super hard game — perfect for two longtime gamers like us with decades of experience. But that’s what I love about it. The fun comes from working together, solving puzzles, and sharing laughs when things go wrong.

It’s those moments of figuring out the right solution or messing up the timing because you couldn’t agree if it was “1, 2, 3, go!” or “Go on three.” It’s the kind of game where your best friend might have to save you from a booby-trapped toilet — yeah, just like Lethal Weapon 2.

And yes, we’re two 40-year-old dads, so that reference totally fits.

Split Fiction Is All About Trusting Your Friend When Things Go Boom

Watching my kids play Split Fiction after I finished it, I noticed a few tricky spots where timing really matters to get past dangerous obstacles. But thankfully, if players get stuck, there’s an option to skip forward to the next checkpoint. The game doesn’t want anyone to stay stuck — it wants you to keep playing and enjoying the journey.

A Clever and Ever-Changing Story

Split Fiction is designed to keep you hooked. It changes things up so often that it never feels boring. If you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like to mix SSX and Shadow of the Colossus into one game, this is it — Split Fiction makes it work.

Zoe and Mio are both writers — Zoe loves fantasy, and Mio prefers sci-fi. The story shifts between their two worlds, but it’s not just the same fantasy land or sci-fi city over and over. Every level feels fresh, with unique ideas and challenges.

Mio’s sci-fi worlds take you from a neon-lit city full of flying cars and cyber ninjas to a space station near a dying star, where you must hide from deadly energy blasts. And that’s just a taste — the surprises are part of the fun, so I won’t spoil more.

At first, Zoe’s fantasy worlds feel lighter and less exciting than Mio’s sci-fi scenes. But the fantasy sections shine with their epic boss battles — huge, memorable, and full of personality. The fantasy side also gets darker and grander as the story goes on, setting the stage for a brilliant final level.

That last section is not just the best part of Split Fiction — it’s one of the best game endings I’ve ever played. The whole game looks great, but the finale is a real visual masterpiece from Hazelight.

Pros and Cons of Split Fiction

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
🎮 Fun and creative co-op gameplay	🕑 Hard to catch up if one player falls behind
🚀 Smooth, fast, and forgiving platforming	👻 Characters pass through each other (lacks visual polish)
🌍 Variety of levels with fresh ideas	🌿 Some fantasy levels feel less exciting at first
🧠 Clever mix of action, puzzles, and story	💀 Occasional respawn deaths during boss fights
✍️ Unique story about fighting back against tech companies	🎯 Not very challenging for hardcore players
🐉 Epic boss battles, especially in fantasy worlds	⏱ Some tricky timing sections for beginners
🔄 Quick respawns and generous checkpoints	—
⏭ Skip option available if stuck on tough parts	—
🌟 Visually stunning and memorable finale	—

Conclusion

Split Fiction is a well-made and fun co-op adventure that jumps from one genre to another, keeping the gameplay exciting and fresh. New ideas and styles appear quickly and never overstay their welcome, making the whole 14-hour journey feel smooth and entertaining. It’s a perfect mix of creativity and smart design. Hazelight has been great at co-op games for years, but Split Fiction is a new must-play chapter you and your partner shouldn’t miss.