EA’s Hazelight Studios has earned its popularity for participating gameplay and well-written narratives in video games that require two gamers — the final of which, It Takes Two, received Recreation of the Yr at The Recreation Awards in 2021. Their subsequent recreation, Cut up Fiction, is an evolution of their home type and strategy to collaborative online game storytelling. Any sofa or on-line co-op followers ought to take discover, particularly since its Good friend Cross function lets patrons convey a pal to play free of charge.
Cut up Fiction, out March 6 for PS5, Xbox Collection X/S and PC, tells the story of two writers: the tight-lipped science fiction fan Mio and the friendlier, freewheeling fantasy aficionado Zoe. Each meet for the primary time on the invitation of a fiction publishing home eager on testing their new immersive machines that notice creators’ tales in digital actuality.
Gamers tackle both Mio or Zoe, who get their very own distinctive gameplay mechanics in every stage that complement one another, requiring them to work collectively. Each characters even have their very own backstories that unfold as the sport progresses and the 2 strangers turn into mates — a standard arc amplified by all of the pleasant, ingenious and fascinating puzzles and fights Hazelight throws at gamers.
By and enormous, Cut up Fiction is one other success in Hazelight’s oeuvre, displaying how no different studio fairly delivers the tailor-made cooperative expertise like they do. A recreation constructed out of successive fantasy and science fiction brief tales that swap up the setting and mechanics each hour or two may very well be seen as too frenetic to be cohesive. However taking part in by way of sufficient of every vignette’s climactic finales makes it clear how carefully Hazelight fine-tuned its set items to present gamers the joys of shut escapes after escalating stakes.
Cut up Fiction, the subsequent recreation by EA’s Hazelight Studios, alternates between split-screen and shared display gameplay.
And all of that pays into the rising relationship between Mio and Zoe, who share extra about their lives deeper into the sport. Every chapter brings one in all their artistic fiction tales to life as a setup to peel again a layer of backstory; early on, Mio denies that her private experiences find yourself in her tales, however even she later admits how a lot of her psyche and trauma spills onto the web page — or on this case, gaming ranges.
“Each [one of our] video games has a phrase to it: Brothers is ‘sorrow,’ A Approach Out is ‘belief,’ It Takes Two is ‘collaboration,’ and this one’s about friendships,” Hazelight cofounder and Cut up Fiction director Joseph Fares stated at a preview for the sport in February, describing it as a “buddy film” that includes two strangers who develop nearer all through the sport. “We’ll go deep into their trauma, their again tales and be taught extra about them.”
Because the recreation is constructed on the premise of strangers turning into mates by way of novel gameplay and shared storytelling, we thought it could be applicable for our evaluate to incorporate the voices of each CNET writers who performed by way of the sport collectively: Senior Cellular Reporter David Lumb and Contributor Oscar Gonzalez. We have performed round seven hours of the sport collectively, taking over fundamental and aspect tales, and are heading towards the tip of the sport. Because the recreation is so reliant on every participant supporting the opposite, we’re reflecting the highs and lows of Cut up Fiction by way of dialog.
Cut up Fiction is a dialogue between cooperating gamers
David Lumb: First, I need to say it has been actually enjoyable to play this recreation with you. Very like Mio and Zoe, we hadn’t labored collectively a lot earlier than firing up Cut up Fiction — do you are feeling we all know one another a bit of extra after taking part in collectively? How have you ever appreciated the story?
Oscar Gonzalez: I feel we have bonded a bit extra like Zoe and Mio did. As somebody who’s been reviewing video games for a very long time, this was my first co-review and one evaluate the place you had a bit extra expertise than I did because you dealt with the preview for the sport.
As for the story, I appreciated it because it revolves round two strangers studying about one another as we watch it play out as the sport progresses. There have been some clear telegraphed moments because the tales laid out throughout the ranges present hints to what’s motivating the characters.
DL: I actually loved the tempo of every chapter, with new mechanics slowly growing into extra sophisticated gameplay. Typically, we might begin a degree opening doorways or hitting switches for one another, solely to finish up having to hit our respective mechanics in high-stakes boss fights. How’d you are feeling about these? I type of appreciated the extent of issue the sport units — simply sufficient stakes, simply sufficient pressure.
OG: You defined it completely, and it was clear that was the developer’s intentions. I feel I stated whereas taking part in is that the sport clearly would not need you to really feel dumb. The builders are guiding us by making it very clear on what to look out for with every sequence to a degree the place the brand new mechanic is beginning to really feel like second nature.
DL: I additionally actually dug the number of ranges — one chapter an action-packed science fiction journey, the subsequent a slower puzzle-filled fantasy part. What stood out to you?
OG: Facet Tales — non-compulsory smaller ranges present in every chapter — had been an ideal distraction however in a great way. Normally, aspect quests in a recreation offer you one thing, whether or not it is cash, expertise factors or an merchandise, however these Facet Tales had been clearly there to type of excite the mind by altering issues on the fly. What’s nice is that they are brief, say 10-Quarter-hour, they’re full of pleasure or some weirdness, and a few are meant to spur up some previous gaming expertise. My favourite was the futuristic snowboarding that was a particular nod to the previous SSX video games.
DL: That is an ideal level — in my preview, Fares talked about nods to different video games are sprinkled all through Cut up Fiction. It felt like each few ranges we might get a wink at a preferred recreation franchise, from diving right into a haystack from an ideal peak (Murderer’s Creed) to a Black sergeant barking an inspirational speech at a bunch of sci-fi troopers earlier than a drop (Halo). The references stored the tone light-hearted however not too distracting — and as you famous, had been fairly enjoyable when mixed with temporary gameplay vignettes.
However how might I not love these Facet Tales — the place else will I get to play a pig and, later, a sizzling canine bouncing myself onto a grill?
Writers on in-game writing: Cut up Fiction’s concept of creativity
DL: Okay, let’s acknowledge the elephant within the room: we’re video games writers who’re writing a few recreation that…is all concerning the creativity in writing tales. How do you are feeling this translated to a story whereas we performed? I assumed it was fairly novel (har), however I am fairly certain I am biased. I feel gamers will get pleasure from its broad commentary on creativity.
OG: I imply it is a stark distinction to the final recreation the place you performed a author telling their story: Alan Wake 2. What actually caught out was how a lot the message of getting this grand sense of surprise when the true world might not be the happiest of tales.
DL: Agreed, it is fairly grounded for a recreation about creativeness. I used to be nervous Cut up Fiction’s give attention to creativity might get a bit navelgaze-ey and indulgent, however up to now, the “author” parts are largely used to discover Mio and Zoe’s backstories.
OG: Proper, and what actually helps is that they are each one another’s foils. Among the funniest moments are when one seems to be on the different and says what most gamers are pondering, “Why on Earth did you provide you with that concept?” Then there’s an evidence involving one thing of their background, and all of it is sensible.
DL: It actually focuses on the ability of creativity and what it could actually do for individuals who must course of their lives. The foil to those creators within the recreation is, in fact, the evil publishing firm whose CEO needs to steal their concepts and management storytelling. As Fares informed me on the recreation preview, it’s kind of of a reference to AI, which some tech corporations are utilizing to reap created materials for revenue (OpenAI used web-crawling datasets that reportedly scraped fan-fiction web site Archive Of Our Personal when coaching ChatGPT, for example). So Cut up Fiction lionizes the human energy of creativity amid corporatized exploitation, an ideal and well timed theme (and one thing far, far totally different from Alan Wake 2’s ideas on the ability of writing).
How’s Cut up Fiction stack as much as Hazelight’s different video games?
DL: I am going to come clear: that is my first Hazelight recreation. It was nonetheless enjoyable for me, however I do know I am lacking out on the studio’s older video games. To assist shed some mild on the way it stacks as much as Hazelight’s earlier video games, we’re bringing in a ringer to our evaluate, CNET Video Producer Sean Booker. Sean, how did you want Cut up Fiction? How’s it evaluate to It Takes Two and earlier video games?
Sean Booker: I’ve performed Fares’ debut recreation Brothers: A Story of Two Sons together with all three of Hazelight’s titles and, recency-biased-aside, I feel Cut up Fiction is my favourite of the group. What I like a lot with Cut up Fiction is the number of gameplay segments. It Takes Two is the closest comparability level however I felt like each of the protagonists had been just about the identical outdoors of their personalities (and particular set items the place the characters had been separated).
Cut up Fiction offers every participant a very totally different set of skills and choices for the complete recreation. It then switches these up each time a brand new stage or aspect story will get launched. This offers the sport a significantly better incentive to play by way of it a second time and get entry to all of the areas and powers that solely your pal had. As somebody who not often has time to replay video games, that is the primary time I’ve actually needed to return for a second dip.
I additionally really feel like Cut up Fiction is simpler, or extra forgiving, than It Takes Two was. As a lot as I really like co-op video games, typically you need to play with somebody who is not very aware of the medium. It Takes Two felt fairly laborious at instances, particularly the boss fights, and this made it difficult for me to play with somebody who, for instance, struggled with utilizing each analog sticks on the similar time. Cut up Fiction does get difficult however I felt it had a smoother introduction and ramp up than its predecessor. That is notably nice for me since I am hoping my second playthrough will likely be with somebody much less snug with recreation controllers.
OG: I keep in mind when It Takes Two got here out, and I did not see the attraction. Hazelight’s earlier recreation, A Approach Out, was a title completely in my backlog, so I figured their second recreation would be part of it. Then I used to be with my girlfriend on a fast weekend journey, and she or he all the time says how a lot she likes watching me play video games, so I made a decision, why do not we play a recreation collectively. It Takes Two got here up as the highest recreation to play co-op with somebody who’s a novice, and she or he actually was.
She struggled at instances as she might barely wrap her head across the concept of 3D controls, however we labored by way of the sport slowly, and that is after I noticed in actual time what Hazelight was attempting to perform. It was about creating this expertise with a companion, and it was particular. I get an identical feeling in the case of Cut up Fiction, whereas on the similar time, it seems like Hazelight needed to additionally mess around with the formulation they created. That as a substitute of getting a puzzle each ten minutes that you just and a companion have to determine collectively, possibly there are some instances once you simply need to shoot stuff collectively.
In abstract, does Cut up Fiction stay as much as its promise?
DL: Okay, I’ve loved each taking part in and writing collectively — I feel what strikes me most about Cut up Fiction is that it is an ideal co-op expertise. I’ve had greater thrills surviving bug swarms with mates in Helldivers 2 or ending a very devious end-dungeon boss in Future 2. However in Cut up Fiction, I’ve had a wealthy time simply taking part in by way of these ranges, seeing evocative landscapes, tickling my mind with puzzles and ekeing out wins over spicy bosses. What’s your tackle what this recreation is whether or not it lives as much as its promise?
OG: It undoubtedly lived as much as its promise. What I really like seeing is when a developer creates a style that is distinctly theirs, they usually construct off of it, type of like FromSoftware, which began what we name the Soulslike style with Demon’s Souls again in 2009 and stored at it with Elden Ring.
DL: I do assume Hazelight is nice at what they do, and there is a variety of very refined recreation craft in right here that makes it clear they tinkered fastidiously to verify these cool set items and story climaxes are memorable and distinctive. Fares informed me on the preview that they’d spend round 18 months on a sequence like components of the dragon degree that may take ten minutes of participant time, then transfer on with out bringing it again: “When you have a look at an ideal film, you’ve got an ideal scene, you do not repeat that scene, as a result of it takes the sting out of it,” he stated. I would say that Cut up Fiction is stuffed with moments which are memorable for being nice with out overstaying their welcome.
OG: And you’ll actually really feel the trouble taken when it got here to growing sure sequences. I feel I stated whereas taking part in that I can simply think about these group conferences the place they had been figuring these sections out as a result of it did not really feel like they had been crammed along with no rhyme or motive.
DL: Quite than write a standard evaluate, I needed to format it this solution to mirror how a lot taking part in this recreation felt like a dialogue between us as we performed. Not simply our characters exchanging traces and constructing their friendship from scratch however working by way of more and more powerful challenges as the sport pushed us to collaborate extra exactly. I am recalling that ape-and-fairy shapeshifting puzzle together with taking down a large cat boss by alley-ooping one another’s signature skills. How do you are feeling about our taking part in types after taking part in by way of a lot of the recreation collectively, as in comparison with if we might performed some other co-op recreation?
OG: It was fairly clear that I used to be comfortable to get myself killed over and over. I am certain you heard me say loads of instances “Oops, I died,” however that is as a result of I might lean on you to be the affected person one who was nonetheless alive. What’s totally different about Cut up Fiction than different co-op video games is that we weren’t in competitors with one another apart from these sequences when that was intentional. I wasn’t competing with you for higher gadgets or extra kills, we simply wanted to resolve puzzles and progress additional, which we did.
DL: Completely — thanks for taking part in and glad we might get to know one another as coworkers as our characters went from strangers to mates. I feel it is secure to say Cut up Fiction is a enjoyable recreation for anybody who’s obtained one other participant able to strive it out. Whimsical, lighthearted, action-packed and thoughtfully-made, it feels prepared for any co-op group from strangers to finest mates.
Cut up Fiction releases on March 6 for $50 on PS5, Xbox Collection X/S and PC.
CNET’s Sean Booker contributed to this story.