'Split Fiction', the new video game from the creators of the worldwide hit 'It Takes Two'

Creative Joseph Fares' studio, Hazelight Studios, has established itself as a pioneer in cooperative video games, since its founding in 2014 it has only focused on perfecting this type of experiences. Its debut In Way Out featured a cinematic split-screen adventure that required two players to cooperate in order to get the brothers to escape from prison. The Swedish developer's second title explored the formula and took it to the next level. It Takes Two It won the award for best game of the year in 2021, among many other awards, something that not only gave value to the work done, but also brought more visibility to the project and allowed the collaborative experience to reach even more players. Its reach is so great that it has even captivated new players attracted by the idea of playing in company, or old players who have not had a controller in their hands for a long time.

It is on these foundations that the study is now published. Split Fiction, taking advantage of the media spotlight and the reputation it has earned in the sector. The bet is clear and forceful, since the new title doubles the budget of the success It Takes Two, a game that has already sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. Split Fiction promises to break new barriers and innovate in the field of cooperative video games, with a great diversity of gameplay mechanics and a dynamic narrative that is unusual in this genre. As for the central axis, and in the words of Fares himself, "everything we do has a keyword. [...] In Way Out talk about trust. It Takes Two, about collaboration. This game is about friendship."

A combination of fantasy and science fiction

Split Fiction tells an exciting and intriguing story about two female writers specialising in different literary genres. Mio writes about science fiction and Zoe makes fantasy adventures. Because of a machine designed to steal ideas, both protagonists are trapped together inside a simulation of their own stories. The adventure takes place in this intertwined simulation that mixes the genres of both authors. It goes through very different environments and offers new ways of interaction to the players. They must help the protagonist duo to put aside their differences to return to reality.

The title is designed to be played exclusively in split-screen co-op multiplayer mode, and requires both players to work together, either locally or online. Each of the protagonists has different skills and knowledge about their own adventures, and the design of the different levels makes collaboration and communication essential to overcome platforming challenges, solve puzzles or defeat enemies.

Playing in company is easy

One of the great features that returns is the Friend's Pass, or Friend Pass, which allows owners of the game to invite a friend to play together for free even if they don’t own a copy of the title. This, coupled with the ability to cross-play between platforms, encourages collaborative play, expands the player base, and creates a system where it’s very easy to find an adventure partner. Split Fiction arrives, for now, at hardware (hardware) most graphically powerful on the market (PC, PS5 and XBox Series) but it is not daring to think that it could reach Nintendo's new console when it lands later this year. New to the game is that it also offers some side stories within some levels, adding depth and replayability to the game's 14 hours of gameplay.