Info about Split Fiction:

Official game description:
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED
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About the Game
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Embrace mind-blowing moments as you’re pulled deep into the many worlds of Split Fiction, a boundary-pushing co-op action adventure from the studio behind 2021 Game of the Year Winner, It Takes Two. Mio and Zoe are contrasting writers – one writes sci-fi and the other writes fantasy – who become trapped in their own stories after being hooked up to a machine designed to steal their creative ideas. They’ll have to rely on each other to break free with their memories in-tact, working together to master a variety of abilities and overcome diverse challenges while jumping between sci-fi and fantasy worlds in this unexpected tale of friendship.  
Split Fiction is a unique action-adventure experience that keeps you on the edge of your couch with unexpected moments. One minute you’re taming adorable dragons and the next you’re fighting as cyber ninjas, escaping terrifying trolls, or dodging hover cars thrown by a robotic parking attendant. It’s weird, it’s wild, and it’s designed to be shared.  
Grab your co-op partner and get ready to overcome any obstacle thrown your way.

Release date: Mar 6, 2025

Categories: Action-Adventure, Cooperative Multiplayer, Puzzle Solving, Platformer, Story-driven Gameplay, Character Interaction, Exploration, Narrative-driven Gameplay

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 10; verdict: Mixed Monetization Perception; summary: The game receives mixed feedback regarding its monetization practices. While some users perceive the game and its additional content as expensive, many appreciate the absence of microtransactions and other monetization strategies. The Friend's Pass system is particularly well-received. However, there are concerns about the game's price and additional expenses for DLC and other systems.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Mixed Reviews with Notable Issues; summary: The analysis of user feedback reveals several key themes. A significant issue is the game's achievement system, which users find difficult to navigate without external guides, leading to frustration. Additionally, some game mechanics are not well-explained, causing confusion and necessitating the use of external resources. On a positive note, many users found the game enjoyable and not overly challenging, allowing for a smooth gameplay experience even without guides.
- Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works Well; summary: The game demonstrates excellent compatibility and performance on Linux systems. Users consistently report flawless execution and high satisfaction with minimal to no issues, indicating a robust and reliable experience on Linux platforms.
- Steam Deck: score 40; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience reveals several key themes. Significant issues include screen size and split-screen problems, stability and performance issues, and graphics quality concerns. However, there are also positive aspects such as excellent controller support and the absence of third-party launchers. These insights highlight areas for improvement and strengths that enhance the overall gaming experience.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: The game generally performs well across most hardware cohorts, with higher VRAM and RAM configurations experiencing smoother gameplay. Some lower-end configurations report occasional performance issues, but these are not widespread.
  - Sample size: 539 (1% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM / <16GB RAM (positive, 119 reports): Mostly smooth performance with occasional FPS drops on lower-end hardware.
  - Windows 8-11GB VRAM (positive, 104 reports): Generally smooth gameplay with isolated reports of technical issues.
  - Windows 12-15GB VRAM / 16-31GB RAM (positive, 101 reports): No performance issues reported, with consistent high FPS and smooth gameplay.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM / 16-31GB RAM (positive, 89 reports): Optimized well, with smooth performance even on lower VRAM configurations.
  - Windows 16GB+ VRAM (positive, 55 reports): Extremely smooth performance with high FPS and no reported issues.
  - Windows 12-15GB VRAM / 32GB+ RAM (positive, 39 reports): Runs very well with high FPS and good optimization.
  - Caveats: 539 of 45467 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $45.00 - $50.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows that many users explicitly state that the game is worth its full price, which is currently $49.99. Several reviews mention that they bought the game at full price and found it to be worth every cent. This consistent positive feedback about the game's value at its full price point suggests that the community considers the fair base-game price range to be around the current full price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 15.0h
  - Story completion: 12.0h
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides several direct and indirect references to playtime. The first quote suggests that players might spend around an hour per chapter, implying a session length. The second quote indicates that players might spend extra time exploring the game's details, which supports the idea of longer play sessions and potentially longer completion times for those who enjoy exploration. The third quote mentions that the game was completed over the course of a week, suggesting a total playtime that could align with typical game completion times. The fourth quote provides a direct playtime reference of two hours, which could be indicative of a session length.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game offers a well-designed co-op experience with clever level design and engaging interactions between players. The fun anchors around the cooperative gameplay mechanics, which encourage exploration and teamwork.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: Cooperative gameplay mechanics
  - Time to anchor: 0h 30m
  - Friction: Repetitive gameplay; Slow pacing initially
  - Unlock drivers: Cooperative gameplay mechanics; Level design
  - Conditions: Playing with a friend; Exploration and interaction
- Player Archetypes:
  - Casual Co-op Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoying a fun and accessible cooperative experience with friends or family.
    - Playstyle: Casual and interactive, focusing on cooperative gameplay and accessibility.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: casual gamer; co-op lover
    - Reference games: It Takes Two; A Way Out
  - Innovative Gameplay Connoisseur (buy)
    - Motivation: Experiencing innovative and creative gameplay mechanics and level design.
    - Playstyle: Explorative and experimental, focusing on discovering and mastering new gameplay mechanics.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: gameplay innovator; level design enthusiast
    - Reference games: It Takes Two; A Way Out
  - Narrative and World-Building Appreciator (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoying a well-crafted story and immersive world-building.
    - Playstyle: Story-driven and immersive, focusing on the narrative and exploring the game world.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: story lover; world-building enthusiast
    - Reference games: It Takes Two; A Way Out


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Dynamic and creative gameplay (weight 0.47): The game features fresh and dynamic gameplay with creative mechanics. Players find the gameplay to be unique, fun, and inventive.
- Stunning and mesmerizing graphics (weight 0.46): The game is praised for its breathtaking graphics and gorgeous visuals. Players find the visual effects and art direction to be impressive and stunning.
- Enjoyable cooperative experience (weight 0.4): The game offers an excellent story-driven cooperative experience that is fun and engaging. Players highlight the enjoyable puzzle-solving and true cooperative gameplay.
- Engaging and emotional story (weight 0.36): The game features a captivating and emotionally touching storyline that is well-crafted and enjoyable. Players appreciate the narrative focus and character development, which pull them into the game.
- Funny and enjoyable moments (weight 0.3): The game is filled with many funny moments and enjoyable side stories. Players appreciate the light and funny game, which is good for playing with friends.
- Interesting and enjoyable puzzles (weight 0.18): The game offers creative and fun puzzles that are challenging but not frustrating. Players appreciate the good mix of puzzles and action.
- Mix of fantasy and sci-fi (weight 0.16): The game combines sci-fi and fantasy elements, creating a perfect blend that appeals to fans of both genres. Players enjoy the variety of settings and creative gameplay.
- Intuitive and easy-to-learn controls (weight 0.14): The game features intuitive and convenient gameplay with responsive controls. Players find the controls to be smooth and easy to understand.
- Exciting boss fights (weight 0.12): The game features exciting and enjoyable boss fights that are challenging and entertaining. Players appreciate the well-done boss battles.
- Worth the price (weight 0.11): Players find the game to be worth the price, offering good value for the gameplay experience. The game is considered to deserve its price and is worth replaying.
- Polished production (weight 0.11): The game is well-produced with no bugs, offering a polished and impressive experience. Players appreciate the polish and quality of the game.
- Diverse level design (weight 0.1): The game features diverse and detailed level design with amazing level art. Players appreciate the variety in level design and impressive design of some levels.
- Many references to other games (weight 0.1): The game is full of easter eggs and references to other games and pop culture. Players enjoy the loads of references to other games and films.

Common complaints:
- Uninspired and predictable story (weight 0.35): The story is widely criticized for being cliché, boring, and predictable. Many players find it uninspiring and lacking originality.
- Shallow and monotonous gameplay (weight 0.14): Gameplay is criticized for being shallow, monotonous, and designed for beginners, lacking depth and innovation.
- Annoying and bland characters (weight 0.14): Characters are often found annoying, boring, and forgettable, which affects the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Poorly written and cringe dialogue (weight 0.12): The dialogue is often described as cheesy, cringe-worthy, and awkward, detracting from the overall narrative experience.
- Long and tedious levels (weight 0.07): Some parts and levels feel too long, making the gameplay experience tedious.
- High difficulty for beginners (weight 0.06): The game is noted to be too difficult for inexperienced players, which may be challenging for beginners.
- Comparison to 'It Takes Two' (weight 0.06): The story is considered slightly better in 'It Takes Two' and the game is often compared unfavorably to it.
- Less engaging than predecessor (weight 0.06): The story and characters did not resonate as much as its predecessor, making it less engaging.
- Not family-friendly content (weight 0.06): The game is criticized for not being family-friendly, containing profanity, and having scenes unsuitable for younger audiences.
- Poorly balanced controls (weight 0.04): The controls are noted to be poorly balanced and tuned, requiring further polishing.
- Performance issues (weight 0.04): The game has performance issues, particularly on weaker computers, affecting the overall experience.
- Lack of creativity (weight 0.04): The game is criticized for lacking creativity and fun, being repetitive and unoriginal.
- Insufficient content (weight 0.04): Players express a desire for more content, feeling that the game lacks enough content to be satisfying.
- Issues with cutscenes (weight 0.04): The game has long cutscenes that can crash, affecting the overall gameplay experience.
- Excessive and janky parkour (weight 0.04): The game features too much parkour, which is often described as janky and poorly implemented.
- Imprecise camera and controls (weight 0.04): The camera positioning and steering are imprecise, along with the controls, which can be frustrating.
- Frustrating mini-games (weight 0.04): The mini-games are described as tedious, frustrating, and poorly designed, detracting from the overall experience.
- Confusing and chaotic view (weight 0.04): The game is described as very confusing with a chaotic and unclear view, affecting the gameplay experience.
- Repetitive dialogues and settings (weight 0.04): The dialogues and settings are repetitive, which can make the game feel monotonous.

Gameplay feedback:
- Variety in gameplay mechanics (weight 0.48): The game offers a wide range of unique and varied mechanics, ensuring that the gameplay remains fresh and engaging throughout.
- Cooperative gameplay focus (weight 0.37): The game emphasizes cooperative gameplay, requiring players to work together and coordinate their actions to progress through puzzles and combat.
- Puzzle-solving elements (weight 0.18): Puzzles are a core part of the gameplay, challenging but not impossible, and require cooperation and different thinking to progress.
- Unique and innovative gameplay (weight 0.18): The gameplay is described as unique, innovative, and satisfying, with a variety of unique gameplay scenarios and mechanics.
- Blend of sci-fi and fantasy (weight 0.17): The game creatively blends sci-fi and fantasy elements, offering a mix of genres in its levels and gameplay.
- Character and story development (weight 0.12): The game features character development and a story-driven narrative, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- Detailed level design (weight 0.11): The game features detailed and unique level design, with seamless progression and replayable levels.
- Flying and character mechanics (weight 0.09): The game includes flying mechanics and unique character mechanics, adding to the variety of gameplay experiences.
- Platforming sections (weight 0.06): Platforming is a significant part of the gameplay, offering a distinct experience within the game.
- Refreshing and fun experience (weight 0.06): The game is described as refreshing, fun, and even hilarious, providing an enjoyable experience for players.
- Balanced difficulty (weight 0.05): The game features a light difficulty curve and well-placed checkpoints, ensuring a balanced challenge.
- Emotional moments (weight 0.04): The game features emotional moments and storylines, adding depth to the narrative experience.
- Environmental variations (weight 0.04): The game offers variations in environments, providing diverse settings for gameplay.
- Easter eggs and references (weight 0.04): The game includes Easter eggs and references, adding an extra layer of discovery for players.
- Stealth and Metroid-like sections (weight 0.03): The game includes stealth sections and Metroid-like gameplay elements, adding variety to the gameplay.
- Boss fights (weight 0.03): The game features boss fights, including Souls-like boss encounters, providing challenging combat scenarios.

Performance notes:
- Good optimization and performance (weight 0.29): Many players noted that the game is well-optimized and runs smoothly across various platforms, including Linux and Steam Deck.
- Performance issues on weak hardware (weight 0.21): Some players experienced performance issues, particularly on weaker hardware. This includes FPS drops, lag issues, and high resource usage.
- Technical issues and crashes (weight 0.11): Several players reported technical issues, including crashes, stability issues, and long load times.
- High system requirements (weight 0.07): The game has high system requirements, with some players noting the need for a fast PC or even having to buy a new computer to enjoy the game fully.
- Sound design praised and criticized (weight 0.06): The game's sound design received mixed feedback, with some players praising the spatial sound and others criticizing sound design issues.
- Positive remote play experience (weight 0.02): Players reported a smooth experience with Remote Play Together, indicating good performance in this mode.

Recommendations:
- Excellent co-op experience (weight 0.2): The game is praised for its fantastic co-op adventure and is considered one of the best co-op experiences. It is recommended for those who enjoy co-op games with a mix of action, sci-fi, and fantasy.
- Highly recommended game (weight 0.18): The game is highly recommended by many players for its unique and enjoyable experience. It is suggested as a great addition to any game library and is highly entertaining.
- Best played with friends or loved ones (weight 0.18): The game is recommended for playing with friends, family, or loved ones. It is ideal for cooperative play and enhances the experience when played with a partner.
- Must-have game (weight 0.12): The game is considered a must-have and a must-play for everyone. It is highly recommended for its engaging and enjoyable gameplay.
- Worth the price (weight 0.11): Many players feel that the game is worth the money and offers good value for its price. It is considered a worthwhile purchase for the amount of content and polish it provides.
- Recommended for fans of similar games (weight 0.11): The game is recommended for fans of other popular co-op games like 'It Takes Two' and 'A Way Out'. It is suggested for those who enjoyed similar cooperative experiences.
- Focus on gameplay (weight 0.06): The game is recommended for its gameplay, which is considered a top priority. Players suggest focusing on the gameplay mechanics and environments rather than the main characters.
- Affordable with friend pass (weight 0.04): The game is noted to be affordable, especially with the friend pass feature, where only one player needs to own the game. This makes it a cost-effective option for cooperative play.
- Replayability and future expectations (weight 0.04): Players express a desire to replay the game to achieve 100% completion and look forward to more co-op games like this in the future. This indicates a high level of enjoyment and engagement.
- Recommend to wait for discount (weight 0.02): Some players recommend waiting for a discount before purchasing the game. This suggests that while the game is enjoyable, it might be more appealing at a lower price point.

Other player notes:
- Russian localization available (weight 0.03): The game offers a full Russian localization, which is available online.

Emotions:
- Excitement (weight 0.25): Players are thrilled by the game's dynamic and creative gameplay mechanics, which include a mix of fantasy and sci-fi elements, cooperative puzzles, and innovative level design. The immersive story, hidden Easter eggs, and beautiful, highly-detailed worlds also contribute to the excitement, along with the engaging narrative and unique cooperative experience.
- Joy (weight 0.23): The game brings joy through its enjoyable cooperative experience, charming characters, and heartfelt storylines. Players appreciate the fun and engaging gameplay, beautiful visuals, and the opportunity to share the experience with friends, family, or significant others, creating memorable moments.
- Frustration (weight 0.08): Frustration arises from challenging and less intuitive gameplay mechanics, particularly in flying and driving sections, as well as repetitive gameplay and lack of progression. Technical issues such as performance drops, long load times, and control problems also contribute to player frustration.
- Disappointment (weight 0.08): Players feel disappointed due to the story not meeting expectations, lack of depth and exploration, and uninteresting characters. Comparisons to previous games highlight weaker gameplay, less novelty, and a lack of emotional grounding in the storyline.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.07): Enjoyment comes from the engaging storyline, voice acting, and cooperative gameplay. Players appreciate the fun puzzles, creative mechanics, and the overall pleasant experience of playing the game, especially with others.
- Admiration (weight 0.05): Players admire the game's polished and impressive design, originality, and stunning visuals. The innovative game design, artistic beauty, and unique mechanics are also highly praised.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.04): Satisfaction is derived from the game's well-optimized performance, unique cooperative experience, and great value. Players enjoy the immersive experience, strong character writing, and the well-balanced rhythm of the gameplay.
- Positive (weight 0.02): Players have an overall positive experience due to the enjoyable game mechanics, emotional moments, and engaging storylines. The visuals, gameplay, and the opportunity to play with friends contribute to this positivity.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): The game evokes nostalgia through its story of mutual redemption and comparisons to childhood memories. Playing with family or old friends also brings back fond memories of earlier gaming experiences.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players love the game for its similar vibe to other beloved titles and its unique twists. The cooperative mechanics and the overall experience make it a favorite among many.
- Fun (weight 0.01): The evolving mechanics and cooperative gameplay provide a fun experience. Players enjoy the interesting story, gameplay design, and the opportunity to play with friends or family.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Players appreciate the strong narrative focus, distinctive art style, and the titanic work by developers. The high-quality visuals, atmosphere, and variety of game mechanics are also highly valued.
- Awe (weight 0.01): The game's creative vision, execution, and emotional depth leave players in awe. The breathtaking set pieces, creative mechanics, and mind-blowing final chapter contribute to this feeling.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Players express gratitude towards the development team for their work and the emotional impact of the game. The game's ability to reveal personal insights and its overall quality are deeply appreciated.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): The game's excellent creativity and unexpected quality exceed players' expectations. The ending and overall experience provide pleasant surprises.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Players look forward to future cooperative adventures and more games from the developers. The intention to replay the game with different characters also builds anticipation.
- Amazement (weight 0.01): The game's creative ideas, visually stunning moments, and imaginative levels amaze players. The variety of gameplay mechanics and visual effects contribute to this sense of wonder.
- Impressed (weight 0.01): Players are impressed by the game's quality, innovation, and commitment to local co-op. The creative blend of sci-fi and fantasy, along with challenging operation skills, leave a strong impression.
- Happy (weight 0.01): The game brings happiness through its enjoyable split-screen mechanic, puzzles, and the opportunity to share many laughs with friends. The relaxing and fun experience helps players unwind and enjoy their time.}