If you're a gamer of a certain age (cough, in your 30s), you long for the days of sitting on a basement couch playing split-screen games with your buddies. Mario Party and Halo were splitting 32-inch TVs into four squares! Nowadays you don't see much of that. Modern graphics and consoles have done away with couch co-op. The last Halo title didn't even have local split screen for two players. Coincidentally, the year Halo Infinite debuted was when the co-op revival truly began.
In 2021, It Takes Two—a co-op adventure that I can only describe as Toy Story for the newly divorced—won Game of the Year and put Hazelight Studios on the map. For die-hard gamers, creative director Josef Fares was already a household name after his infamous "fuck the Oscars" speech at the 2017 Game Awards, which would, in four years, honour him for making the best game of 2021.
Well, what did Fares pull off after another four years? Split Fiction. It's a send-up of classic sci-fi and fantasy storytelling that expands upon the innovative cooperative gameplay of It Takes Two and adds plenty of invigorating twists of its own. You and a friend will speed through cyberspace, ride dragons, and work together to stop a scheming CEO from stealing your ideas. The new title, out today, follows up its acclaimed predecessor with another exhilarating two-player adventure full of genre-hopping gameplay.
Now, Split Fiction is not without its share of flaws, but none of its co-op peers are really even trying to operate on its level. Hazelight is once again setting the standard for co-op gaming—and by the end of its 15-hour run, Split Fiction raises the bar entirely.
You can play Split Fiction online or locally, but no matter what, you have to play the game with someone else. That's the pitch. Because this is nonnegotiable, every copy of the game comes with a Friend's Pass. Meaning: You don't need to convince your high school buddy in Maine to shell out 50 bucks so you can play together. Since you paid Split Fiction's SGD69 price tag, you just have to convince them to take some time out of their day. It's an easier ask. For me, it was my girlfriend—a steady Marvel Snap player who is a fairly causal gamer otherwise. We sat on the couch and played the whole thing in split screen on my PS5 Pro, from start to finish.
It was always easy for both of us to figure out where to go, what to do, and how to engage with whatever new gimmick Split Fiction threw our way. If I had to levy a critique against it, I'd nitpick and say every level ends about 15 to 30 minutes after we tired of the shtick. Aside from that, well, the fact that my partner and I made the time in a busy TV season when Severance, Paradise, and Yellowjackets are dominating our weeknights speaks to how much fun we had.
Split Fiction is relentless in introducing fresh ideas and tossing out the old. Every level is a new playground. At its core, Split Fiction is a 3D action platformer in the vein of Ratchet & Clank. You have a double-jump move and a grappling hook. The addition of another player gives nearly every stage a puzzle element—and you will either work separately or in tandem to solve them.
But on top of this, Split Fiction pulls from the best parts of different genres for each level, not just in how it decorates the sci-fi and fantasy worlds you're exploring (conjured directly from the imagination of the characters you are playing, which I'll explain later) but in what you're doing from moment to moment. Split Fiction gleefully borrows from Diablo, Tron, and plenty of other games and movies I won't spoil. Just know that it's a visual feast and a blast all the way to the end.
The apex of Split Fiction's creativity (until its bonkers finale, at least) comes in the form of Side Stories that break up the coherent level you're exploring with some truly random shit. An early favourite had me controlling a pig that farts rainbows. Another was a radical tribute to one of my favourite retired EA franchises. Side Stories aren't just fun diversions; they often reveal something about the psyche and past traumas of one of the two main characters. Which means that it's about time I fully talk about the plot of Split Fiction. I've been dreading this part.
Here's the gist: Mio is a young, unpublished writer. She is brunette and she loves science fiction. Zoe is a young, unpublished writer. She is blonde and she loves fantasy. The two meet for the first time at the offices of Rader, a megacorp that has promised to publish their work. It turns out that Rader (an Elon Musk–type CEO) is tricking them all, but they only figure this out once they are strapped into a literal machine built to steal their ideas and put them into Rader's... well, whatever Rader makes. That isn't entirely clear.
What's crystal clear is that Split Fiction is a story about AI, large language models, and digital plagiarism in art. The machine creates simulations from Zoe's and Mio's story ideas as they chase an errant glitch that they immediately decide is the MacGuffin that will get them out of here. This plot is a mere excuse to get to Split Fiction's main gimmick, as you travel fantasy and sci-fi worlds that were built to allow the game's designers to flex their creative muscles. And flex they do. The writers? Not so much.
After spending over a dozen hours with Zoe and Mio, I understood their paper-thin traumas and still didn't care. Rader is never convincing as a villain, and as a result the AI metaphor doesn't stick the landing.
As a big SSF nerd, I found Split Fiction's sci-fi elements more lacking than its foray into the fantasy genre. It's pretty easy to feel Harry Potter and Game of Thrones within the fantasy bits; while those aren't my favourite influences, it's at least drawing on something specific. More often than not, the futuristic neons and robotic perils of Mio's mind wind up as a sterile, generic amalgamation devoid of what makes the genre interesting.
If you stick with it until the end, Split Fiction rewards you with one of the most jaw-dropping hours of a video game I've ever played. It's an incredible climax that innovates in the medium and sets the stage for what might be next for this team.
The best part of Split Fiction is that it's gorgeous and easy for all skill levels to learn, and it offers both players entertaining, varied activities the entire way through. If you're looking for the next game to play with your spouse, sibling, or child, this is the one for you.
Originally published on Esquire US
The anticipation is palpable: Spider-Man 2 is set to swing onto the PlayStation 5, promising to be bigger, bolder, and even more thrilling than its award-winning predecessor. The buzz is hardly surprising; the game has been put together by Marvel and Insomniac Games, the who previously built iconic franchises like Spyro and Ratchet & Clank. Insomniac was ultimately acquired by Sony after the huge success of the first Spider-Man game, and since then has been diligently at work on the sequel.
But what can fans expect from Spider-Man 2? We caught up with Bryan Intihar, the creative head behind the series, to delve into the narrative depths, gameplay innovations, and the vision driving this eagerly awaited sequel.
Bryan Intihar: The symbiote story has always been significant for any Marvel or Spider-Man fan. Its portrayal over the years has resonated with many. Given that this is technically our third Spider-Man game—following Spider-Man and then Miles Morales—we aimed to take our characters to uncharted territories.
Emotionally, we approached the symbiote as a metaphor for addiction. This perspective isn’t solely about the impact on Peter, but also on his circle of friends and family. It’s a narrative that pushes Peter into unfamiliar territory.
As players delve deeper into the game, the bond with the symbiote intensifies and Peter undergoes profound changes. There’s a moment in the launch trailer where Peter exclaims, “You’re not the hero.” It’s hard to fathom Peter ever making such a declaration.
On the gameplay front, this presented a golden opportunity for us to showcase a different facet of Peter. Both Peter and Miles are incredibly powerful characters with their unique superhero abilities.
Introducing the symbiote allowed us to amplify and celebrate the sheer, raw strength it offers. The symbiote, in essence, isn’t just an alien entity. It profoundly influences Peter emotionally and redefines gameplay mechanics. It’s been genuinely exciting for our creative team to stretch our capabilities in narrating Peter and Miles’ story in ways we hadn’t explored before. This shift has dynamically impacted both gameplay and narrative, and that’s what excites us the most.
Bryan Intihar: When we started the journey with Spider-Man 2, we began from the ground up. Our aim with the first game was to showcase that we could craft a compelling Spider-Man experience. The feedback from the first game gave us clear indications of what players loved, and the subsequent message was: “Don’t tamper with what’s already working.” For instance, swinging and traversal mechanics were highly appreciated. So our approach was to enhance it further, not overhaul it.
One of our guiding principles has been to juxtapose the superhero fantasy with a relatable, human story. While we dive into the darker realms with characters like the Symbiote and Lizard, our intent remains to narrate a heartfelt story.
Reflecting on areas of improvement, we realised that boss fights needed more depth. We also wanted to amplify the exploratory elements in the open world. With Spider-Man 2 being exclusively developed for PlayStation 5, it was crucial to harness its capabilities, be it faster traversal speeds, seamless hero switching, or grander set pieces.
In essence, our philosophy was to preserve what’s cherished and enhance areas ripe for improvement. As we approach our ninth year since beginning our Spider-Man journey in 2014, the familiarity and rapport within the team have been invaluable. The core leadership from the first game remains intact for Spider-Man 2, mirroring a seasoned sports team that’s in sync. It’s been rewarding to witness this bond, especially when new leaders emerge and take on added responsibilities. For me, observing this evolution has been one of the project’s highlights.
Bryan Intihar: It’s a challenging balance. From a player’s perspective, it might seem puzzling when certain capabilities are stripped away in sequels. One reason is the time gap between releases; players might forget game mechanics, and developers sometimes reset to help everyone get back on track. But that aside, our primary focus was ensuring continuity in the characters’ power sets and gadgets.
Drawing inspiration from the comics, we infused a touch of the "Insomniac flair" into the gadgets. While Miles is defined by his unique abilities like bioelectricity and camouflage, we wanted the first mission to showcase both characters with a rich arsenal. We took cues from the comics, specifically the Iron Spider arms, which also harks back to the first game with Otto’s mechanical arms. This led to the idea of Peter adapting that tech, enhancing it, and incorporating it into his toolset. It was essential to ensure both Peter and Miles felt powerful and distinctive, giving players a choice in how they wanted to engage.
As the game progresses, players will see Miles’s powers evolve, intricately tied to his personal journey and his interactions with characters like Martin Lee. Peter’s evolution is also evident with the introduction of the symbiote.
Our objective has always been to make players feel like Spider-Man from the get-go. Every game starts with swinging through New York City because we want players to immediately connect with that exhilarating Spider-Man sensation. When it comes to combat, the emphasis is on delivering that authentic Spider-Man experience with a mix of classic and new tools.
Bryan Intihar: Honestly, we don’t strictly adhere to a 50-50 model. Depending on where they are in the game, players might delve deeper into optional or open-world content.
Reflecting on our previous titles, we identified a need to elevate the quality of open-world content. In a Marvel game, storytelling is paramount. Our goal was to ensure every piece of optional content offered a gripping narrative, whether it’s a brief standalone quest or a chain of events that build and culminate in a climax.
Furthermore, we aimed to instill a richer sense of exploration and discovery. We wanted to move away from merely relying on UI and waypoints. Instead, we integrated more environmental cues. For instance, after introducing Sandman, players might notice sand clouds in the distance, sparking their curiosity and drawing them into new experiences.
Lastly, we wanted to better integrate the main story with the open world by emphasising the cause and effect. For instance, in the first Spider-Man, after a significant event like the helicopter chase with Mr Negative, the aftermath would quickly vanish. We wanted the effects of such events to linger, making the world feel more dynamic and interconnected. By weaving narrative into the environment and enhancing exploration, we aimed to ensure the main story has a tangible impact on the broader world.
Bryan Intihar: This is a question I get asked quite frequently. To be honest, working with Marvel has been nothing short of fantastic. There might be a general apprehension when collaborating with IP holders—this fear that they might be overly protective or restrictive. However, my experience has been the complete opposite. Marvel consistently encourages us to think ambitiously and to be bold.
Many of us at Insomniac are avid Marvel enthusiasts, and we’ve grown up immersed in the Marvel universe. This deep-rooted respect for the brand ensures that we handle the material with care. But while these characters have been around for decades, we believe that fans don’t just want a carbon copy of what they’ve read in comics. They crave surprises while still feeling that the core essence of the characters is intact. Our guiding principle has always been to honour the original DNA of these characters while not shying away from innovating.
Of course, the Marvel team comprises exceptional storytellers and game developers. We’d be remiss not to seek their insights and feedback. So, while people might expect a restrictive dynamic, our collaboration with Marvel has been incredibly harmonious and remains one of the most fulfilling aspects of my career.
Bryan Intihar: To be candid, my personal game playing this year has been a bit sparse. I’ve set a personal rule for myself: I don’t play other games during a year we’re launching our own. Hence, I’ve only recently begun catching up, I just wrapped up Jedi Survivor and eagerly queueing up Final Fantasy XVI next. The sheer quality and quantity of releases this year are remarkable.
So take this with a pinch of salt, but I’d say one big aspect of our game is the cinematic scale we’ve integrated into an open-world environment. We’ve really tried to inject blockbuster-esque moments, reminiscent of linear game narratives, into our expansive, dynamic world. From the get-go, our game gives players an experience where massive, gripping set pieces seamlessly mesh with the freedom and spontaneity of open-world gameplay.
It might sound a bit audacious, and I hope I’m not overlooking any other game doing something similar, but this blend of cinematic immersion and open-world exploration is something we’re genuinely proud of.
