Josef Faresand his team atHazelight Studiosspared no expense when they crafted the main levels ofSplit Fictionbecause each one is remarkable in its own way.
Sure, you’ve got those individualside stories that are brimming with imagination, but the game’s main levels or chapters are truly where the unprecedented creativity shines.
Split Fiction: Friend’s Pass And Co-Op Options Explained
Split Fiction puts your relationships to the test with its co-op options.
Even my colleague, Ethan Krieger, couldn’t help but be astonished at that masterfully designed final level in hisreview of the game. There’s just so much to appreciate in each main chapter here.
So join me as I look back and discuss each of the main levels in Split Fiction, their specialty, their downsides, and what part about them struck me the most during my initial playthrough with my partner.
Spoilers regarding each main level will be discussed below. Read the list at your discretion.
8Rader Publishing
Humble & Bizarre Beginnings
Since we’re starting at the lowest end, it’s only fitting to place the introductoryRader Publishing chapter here.
It’s not so much a tutorial as it is a slight tease of what to expect from this brand-new cooperative adventure.
The Freedom Fighters and Brave Knights are well-crafted sub-levels that give youa glimpse into the chaotic and polar-opposed worlds of the two main heroines, Mio and Zoe.
Freedom Fighters is pretty basic, with an intense ending, while Brave Knights ups the ante with a chase sequence and a notable gaming Easter egg to add to the fun.
They’re both simple and do a decent job of letting you know that this won’t be a cakewalk game to play with your partner.
7Neon Revenge
Dark, Moody & Melancholic
This is the level that got me hyped to see what else was in store from Mio’s dark sci-fi mind—and also, because I just love the Cyberpunk and futuristicdystopia settingidea.
Don’t letNeon Revenge’s placement deceive you here. We really liked the level, but compared to the latter ones, the chapter isn’t that memorable.
The highlights are definitely that particular bike chase sequence, givingthe perfect adrenaline rush with that iconic Akira bike slide referencewith two great boss fights from the Parking Attendant and the SRI Crime Boss.
But the whole level design on foot just isn’t that special. You’ve got some amazing backdrops the entire time, giving you an idea of how muchproduction value went into this game overIt Takes Two, but that’s pretty much it.
6The Hollow
Making Amends Before The Curtain Call
The Hollowis the last level before the finale, and the main story beats for this one, which focuses on Zoe confronting her past involving her deceased sister, Ella.
From a gameplay perspective, the power-ups are unique; Mio has a bird that can radiate light, while Zoe has a reptilian creature that can pull in things like a magnet when placed on flat surfaces.
The puzzles involving these two powerups are slightly complex but not too annoying,almost requiring you to closely survey the environment with your partner to figure out the solution.
Split Fiction: Trophy And Achievement Guide
A fun list than can be completed in one run.
And finally, you’ve got that fight against the Hydra at the end. It’s not technically a boss fight since there’s no health bar, but an entire sequence of uniting the amulets with Mio and Zoe to cut off the Hydra’s heads was cinematic to see.
Although in the grand scheme, it feels like a stepping stone towards the final chapter, Zoe’s reconciliation with her family and her sister is definitely heartwarming and showcases the most emotional beats of the narrative thus far.
5Isolation
Confronting Yourself Is Never Easy
Depending on how awe-struck you’ve felt with the game so far,Isolationmight be your favorite level because of the power-ups present in this one.
Mio and Zoe get two spherical drone balls and, later, their abilities as armor. Mio gets these dark nanobots that manipulate their shape, while Zoe’s can stick onto surfaces like a magnetic orb.
While the world design isn’t that striking compared to the previous ones, it makes up for it with its intriguing puzzle structure around the hi-tech balls and the final boss fight against Dark Mio.
Though I much prefer Zoe’s backstory revelation in the Hollow more due to her brilliant showcasing of a panic attack in the climax, Isolation gives a much-needed closure to Mio’s bottled-up regrets and cold demeanor.
The Pinbawser boss fight is also an epic display of what creativity can achieve in this type of game. It doesn’t feel like the most innovative chapter, but the boss fights and the narrative beats are all clear winners here.
4Hopes Of Spring
The Quest To Dethrone The Ice King
The Hopes of Springis the first major chapter you encounter from Zoe’s fantasy-inspired stories, which has you hunting down the accursed Ice King.
For being an early chapter, the game gives you some remarkable shapeshifting abilities here, as both protagonists can transform into a couple of species to aid them in their journey.
Both Mio and Zoe are required to create and open up paths to each other using these abilities from Mio’s oarfish-like creature helping from underwater or Zoe’s Groot-like tree form manipulating the environment.
My favorite detail of this level is how it has three great side storieswith theTrain Heist,Gameshow, andCollapsing Star, making it memorable for my partner and me.
Split Fiction: Where To Find Each Side Story
The 12 side stories in Split Fiction add a lot to the game, so you don’t want to miss them.
The puzzle structure gets confusing here, withsections like the Totem Polesrequiring some precise inputs, but nothing that you can’t handle without aquick walkthroughjust in case they become annoying.
Lastly, there’s a fun little encounter where you get to dance and groove in the “It Takes Three to Tango” section, followed by the Ice King boss fight, which, in my opinion, isn’t too extraordinary in terms of design.
3Rise Of The Dragon Realm
How Not to Train Your Dragon
The Dragon Realmwas one of the main levels that I was eagerly looking forward to since it was teased in the trailer and promotional footage of the game, and safe to say, it delivered on those expectations.
Our two protagonists hatch and adopt two dragons with powers that slowly evolve from being able to glide and climb to spewing toxic fluid and headbutting.
Your adorable dragons' abilities integrate into the puzzles nicely,even during the intense mid-boss encounters against the Dragon Slayer and Treasure Traitor,the former of which honestly feels like aSoulsborne boss fight.
My favorite detail is how this level has the best visual design, from the gorgeous Draconic ruins inhabiting the puzzles to the wider landscapes where our big bad dragon of this chapter, Megalith, gives chase to you.
Most importantly, this chapter has two of the best side stories to experience with theSlopes of War’sexplosive snowboarding race and the anxiety-inducingSpace Escape.
Although the pacing may feel slightly backseated occasionally, the final showdown against Megalith pays off well as your dragons lead the charge, with Mio and Zoe scaling the body like an MMO boss fight’s last stand.
2Final Dawn
Punishing But Satisfying
Split Fiction’s best mainline level, besides the finale, is also the most brutal one, which might be one reason why my partner and I loved it so much.
The game mixes up between a twin-stick shooter and a side-scroller hereas Mio and Zoe need to fight their way through a massive mech fortress that’s threatening to wipe out humanity.
With your shooting pistols, you’ve also got pulse bombs of sorts, allowing you to create portals in the respective character’s corresponding colours to create paths and open up various locks.
Now, I’ll admit, this entire level isn’t for your non-gamer friends or partners, and they might even struggle herewithout turning on the accessibility settingsfor themselves.
And speaking of a struggle,the Overseer final boss of this chapter is easily the most dynamic and engaging fight.Sure, it drags a bit, but that’s the joy of it all: never knowing when this thing truly dies.
Overall, despite how casually you’re able to play the other chapters to an extent,Final Dawn’s intensity made you want to ‘lock in’ to overcome it from start to finish.
Plus, the puzzles require precise timing and coordination, so that ‘lock in’ factor plays a role here, too, making it rightfully deserve a top three placement on the list.
Peak Fiction
It may sound like a cliché to put this as the best, butthefinal level of Split Fictionis truly the most glorious thing that’s been crafted by the eccentric minds at Hazelight Studios.
Just when you think about how the game would lead into the finale, it completely throws everything off the rails with a multidimensional twist.
Rader’s gone haywire in trying to thwart Mio and Zoe’s plan to destroy his machine,literallysplitting apart their worlds and becoming this final God entity that you have to beat across various sub-levels of the finale.
The consecutive instances of the game pulling these fourth-wall-breaking gameplay sequences are no short of beingmy most memorable experiences in gaming right now.
And I really mean that because there was no better feeling in the middle of the night when my partner and I noticed our screens overlapping during the initial moments of this level, making us drop our jaws in awe.
The cherry on top of this ingenious level design is the high-stakes bout against Raderas you mow him down in a dramatic Deus ex machina showdown with your weapons whilst evading his comically insane attacks.
