After winning Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021, few would have blamed developer Hazelight if it had played it safe by working on sequel to its successful splitscreen co-op adventure It Takes Two. But anyone who knows Hazelight director Josef Fares knows that he isn’t interested in following trends or prescribed paths. Instead, Hazelight is building on its experience with co-op games like A Way Out and the aforementioned It Takes Two to deliver Split Fiction.

How is Split Fiction Different from It Takes Two

Split Fiction is a logical next step for Hazelight, and for a studio that consistently pushes the boundaries of game experience, it is extremely exciting. The core concept revolves around two authors, Zoe and Mio, who get trapped in a virtual game world inspired by their own work. What makes things interesting – beyond the split-screen co-op that Hazelight is known for – is that Mio is making a sci-fi story while Zoe is writing a fantasy one.

It is through this dichotomy of themes that Hazelight is riffing on concepts of duality similar to It Takes Two. Having played small snippets of Split Fiction with Josef Fares as my co-op partner, it would be a fool’s errand to sum the game up with one gameplay experience from the title. It is part sci-fi and part fantasy, yes, but within those worlds, it’s a lot more. Josef was constantly jumping to new levels within those two genres to show off new mechanics and design – every beat was something different and it was all very cool.

One area had Zoe and Mio using sci-fi tech in a platforming section, with Mio having the ability to manipulate her gravity to walk on the walls or ceilings (but not Zoe's) and use an energy sword to attack, while Zoe was progressing and attacking objects using an energy whip. Another, as seen in The Game Awards reveal trailer for Split Fiction, had Zoe and Mio controlling pigs, one that could use its flatulence to cross long distances and another that could elongate itself like a slinky dog.

Split Fiction is More Than Just Two Genres in One

Split Fiction is an action platformer at its core, but the title evolves and changes moment-to-moment and between those two genres. There is also a wealth of side content within the game that sees Zoe and Mio entering new areas that mesh sci-fi with fantasy or vice versa. These, like that pig level, offer completely distinct mechanics from the rest of the game, while still feeling like complete experiences. One snowboarding sequence even added a competitive element, as the two co-op players try to generate the highest score.

Mixing up genres and game mechanics seems like it would make for a challenging game development experience, and Fares echoed that thought. At the same time, though, by pushing themselves, the developers have tapped into something unique. Even based on the little sampling I played, Split Fiction feels like it carries the Hazelight signature, but it doesn’t feel derivative. There were new ideas at play, some incredibly exciting surprises that I won’t spoil, and a spirit of playfulness and creativity that left me with a big smile on my face.

Split Fiction is another showcase of Hazelight Studios' ability to deliver a relentless barrage of evolving game experiences.

This was also just the first introduction to Split Fiction, and with the game set for a March 2025 release, the wait won’t be long to play the finished game. There were only small bits of the story, which Fares teased will be just as emotionally resonant as It Takes Two. And most of what I played were the tutorial sections of levels, which introduced the mechanics enough that I could get the hang of them, before we jumped to the next thing.

If It Takes Two is any indication, those mechanics will evolve and get more creative as the game goes on. One hint towards that was a fantasy level (or series of levels) that saw Zoe and Mio take dragons from newborns to full-blown mounts. Just as much as the game might jump from one idea to the next, it also can expand on certain ideas in creative ways.

Split Fiction will once again support the Friend Pass, where you can purchase one copy of the game and play share it with a friend for co-op.

Any game from Hazelight is instantly intriguing for me, because the studio is doing something unique in an industry that likes to rely on the familiar. And as the studio’s leader, Josef Fares hasn’t let the success of It Takes Two change his team’s design philosophy, and his passion for gaming and game development is infectious. He greeted me for our Split Fiction preview with the promise of showing me some “cool s***” and he didn’t disappoint.