Hazelight Studios has quickly built an impressive track record, as Split Fiction is proving to be another hit for the Swedish developer. A genre-bending tale of trust and letting go of the past, Split Fiction is an inspired return for Hazelight Studios, showcasing how deep of a creativity well the company's developers have to draw from.
Bouncing back and forth between beautiful fantasy worlds and incredibly cool sci-fi settings makes Split Fiction a special experience, but the game also puts its developer in a tricky situation. Many were curious if Split Fiction could meet or exceed the expectations created by its predecessor, It Takes Two. It's hard to compare the two, but Split Fiction does indeed go above and beyond when it comes to creativity. Now that Hazelight Studios has launched another success, it makes the prospect of its next project that much more daunting.
Split Fiction: Should You Use Keyboard Or Controller?
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Split Fiction's Success Makes Hazelight Studios' Next Game an Even Greater Creative Challenge
Continuing to Capture Lightning in a Bottle
Between the strong story and fun-filled gameplay, Hazelight Studios has managed to ensure that Split Fiction is a co-op game worthy of taking up the mantle of the hugely beloved It Takes Two. In the story of It Takes Two, married couple Cody and May are on the brink of divorce when they're turned into tiny dolls who must work together. It's a unique story of repairing a seemingly broken relationship that ultimately earned It Takes Two the honor of winning Game of the Year in 2021. The imagery and themes of It Takes Two seemed to be Hazelight Studios' apex, but Split Fiction proves that the developer had plenty more great ideas locked away.
Just like It Takes Two, Split Fiction features a Friend's Pass, meaning that only one player needs to own a copy to play.
Where Does Hazelight Studios Go From Here?
It seemed hard enough to one-up It Takes Two, but since this has been achieved in a lot of ways, Hazelight Studios now has an even more difficult task of exceeding expectations again. In less than a decade, Hazelight Studios has produced three strong games that have showcased just how strong of a stage co-op titles are for telling compelling stories that also require players to work together toward a bigger goal.
- A Way Out (2018)
- It Takes Two (2021)
- Split Fiction (2025)
Considering that co-op stories have quickly become Hazelight Studios' bread and butter, it makes one wonder just what lies in store for the developer next. It's bound to be a co-op game, but the story and mechanics will once again test the creative muscles of the studio, and that's an exciting prospect. Split Fiction's praise from critics and players sets the stage for another game to be made by the developer, and it's now one of the team's hardest projects to follow.
Hazelight Studios is Shaking Up Gaming Once Again
2025 is set to be one of the biggest years the gaming industry has ever seen, and Split Fiction's success has presented an exciting challenger among the large sea of competition. If GTA 6 is still on track to launch this year, then it will likely be hard for Split Fiction to take home another Game of the Year title for Hazelight Studios, but a nomination is definitely not out of the question.
Split Fiction is the first EA-published game in 13 years to launch with a Metacritic score of 90 or above.
As one of the best-reviewed releases this year so far, Split Fiction once again demonstrates the power of co-op narratives, and it will be exciting to see if other developers follow suit. The future of Hazelight Studios may be uncertain, but it definitely has its work cut out for it when bringing players a title that's even more creative and fun.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 91 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
- Released
- March 6, 2025
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Hazelight Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
