I’ve always been the go-to guy for couch co-op games. You know, before the whole Steam Deck and Switch craze. I’d lug around my laptop, XBOX controllers, USB hub, and HDMI cables to friends’ places. Good times. Overcooked and A Way Out (shoutout to Hazelight Studios) were my jam. Simple controls, fun puzzles, easy to get into. Now Hazelight’s back with Split Fiction — stepping it up a notch, but kinda stumbling over its own feet, if you ask me.
So, here’s the deal. Evil corp invites writers over, promising publishing magic but instead plans to use AI to milk their brains for endless stories. Our heroes, Mio and Zoe, get creeped out, try to escape, and oops — end up trapped inside this weird story-sucking gizmo. We’re tossed into the wild worlds of their imaginations. Sounds fun, but yeah, evil AI stealing from creatives? Insert eye roll Seen it, heard it, getting old.
Mio, city slicker Cyberpunk writer; Zoe, country-style Fantasy guru. Classic odd couple vibes, right? Like, the Odd Couple of gaming. When Zoe complains about too many explosions in Mio’s story or Mio gets huffy about Zoe’s whimsical tales, I’m almost hitting fast-forward. Luckily, it speeds through these moments. Unlike the drag-fest in It Takes Two.
The pace is one thing they got right. No lingering. Bam, you’re off to solve another puzzle or conquer a platforming challenge. Each new tale means special powers — love it. Mio with her ninja sword flipping gravity, Zoe’s hammer juggling objects in thin air. Pretty cool mechanics, I gotta say. A puzzle with a CAPTCHA while on a speeding motorcycle? Yep, that happened. Missed some laughs ‘cause I was glued to the screen, but hey, no biggie.
These co-op mechanics are slicker than ever. Keeps you moving, mostly in a straight line. Side quests? Off-the-wall stuff, seriously. Playing as teeth in a candyland or dragon joyrides — yep, got the interest bar high. Thanks, Switch 2, for the smooth graphics even when things get chaotic on screen. Controllers worked seamlessly, by the way.
Now, about accessibility. This one’s no picnic for newbies, with challenging mechanics and boss battles that test your patience. Checkpoints and infinite respawns help stretch playtime without making you wanna quit. Perfect for playing with a buddy who’s got some gaming chops. Maybe not one for introducing Grandma to gaming, though. Still, nifty feature with Game Share — let a friend join without owning the game. They need an EA account and 69GB of space, but hey, it’s free. Can switch from local to online play too, smooth as butter.
Split Fiction is probably Hazelight’s peak, yet it’s not without its slip-ups. Storylines and characters feel a bit flat, leaving you cringing here and there. But the action is non-stop and the set pieces are a thrill. If you can talk things out with your partner and have patience, the ride’s worth it. And it’s flawless on the Switch 2. A mixed bag, but still, every Hazelight co-op game feels like an invite to a wild rollercoaster. Count me in.
