The team behind It Takes Two has once again crafted a genre-defying cooperative romp.
However, the overly earnest and clunky story grates and acts as a barrier to all the madcap fun.
Developer Hazelights 2021 co-op title came from nowhere to become one of my favorite games of that year.
And while the follow-up Split Fiction meets the same quality bar, it faces the hurdle of increased expectations.
Unfortunately, doesnt quite vault over it.
Unfortunately, it also falls into the same pitfalls as its predecessor.
Let me explain in my full Split Fiction review.
These two women are unpublished authors Zoe specializes in fantasy, while Mio is focused on sci-fi.
The two are invited to test a new machine by a shady tech conglomerate called Rader Publishing.
The machine lets them step into their own storybook creations, but, unsurprisingly, things go awry.
Neither is exactly reinventing the conventions of the genre here.
Zoe and Mio are serviceable but generic heroes.
Theres even a dance-off with a monkey king.
I could probably fill this whole review by just listing all the different gameplay styles included in Split Fiction.
If pressed for an answer, Id say the most common gameplay jot down is platforming.
Mio and Zoe must run, dash and jump at some point in almost every level.
The platform is also a little bland because it usually happens divorced from your co-op partners.
Split Fiction shines brightest in the numerous sections that require working in tandem to progress.
Most puzzles have simple enough solutions, but completing them demands coordination and communication.
This blend works well and helps give the game an even stronger sense of variety.
Literally throwing yourself onto the BBQ.
The list goes on and on.
Almost all are worthwhile.
To repeat, there is no single-player option.
You either play this game with another player, or you do not play it at all.
Split Fiction demands near-constant communication and cant be silently fumbled through.
For those curious about the games difficulty level, Id say its fairly slight.
However, theres essentially zero punishment for death.
So long as your partner is still alive, youll respawn after a few seconds.
Checkpoints are also very frequent.
Nevertheless, I recommend playing with somebody with at least some familiarity with video games.
Split Fiction never loses steam because it refuses to have you doing the same thing for too long.
You will be surprised, delighted and charmed by its quirky ideas and ever-changing gameplay mechanics.
One moment, youre racing hoverbikes; the next, youre an acid-spitting dragon.
