Tackling such a colossal task requires serious dedication. Split Fiction constantly surprises players by introducing fresh mechanics at rapid intervals, about every 15 minutes or so, and discarding old ones. Yet, the game masterfully ensures that each new idea feels fully realized and not just thrown together.
“There’s this part in Split Fiction where you’re riding dragons,” a developer reveals. “Crafting just one of those dragons took about eight months. Early on in my career, some team members would ask, ‘Why put so much effort into something players experience for just 10 minutes?'”
But here’s the crux of it. In filmmaking, a standout scene that costs a fortune isn’t reused simply because of its expense. In this medium, those moments lose their magic when overused. Yet, in videogames, there’s often a mindset that if something’s costly, it must be repeated. Why is that? Repeating those elements can rob players of the wonder they felt the first time they encountered them.
Split Fiction fully embraces this idea by offering vast segments of optional content. It Takes Two hinted at this approach with its mini-games scattered throughout the adventure, but Split Fiction raises the stakes with these sections accessible via portals that lead you into entire new worlds, brimming with unique mechanics. In these spaces, players can encounter new bosses and explore mesmerizing environments. It feels like you’re getting a whole new game tucked inside the main experience.
