Sadly for me, Break up Fiction is the kind of sport you’re feeling completely compelled to inform your folks about. It is the kind of sport that can have you ever setting your controller apart to wipe away tears, each of laughter and uncooked emotion, in addition to to name actually everybody in shut proximity to return see no matter darkish, hilarious, referential, or mind-blowing factor simply occurred. As such, I’ve spent the higher a part of the previous week impatiently ready for this embargo to drop–for the second I may discuss it with somebody apart from the shut buddy I roped into becoming a member of me. Briefly, Break up Fiction is without doubt one of the most memorable, sensible, and spectacular video games I’ve ever performed. And in the end, I’m allowed to inform everybody about it.
With Break up Fiction, Hazelight Studios solidifies itself as not solely one of the crucial intelligent and revolutionary working studios, however as one desirous to develop and completely dedicated to creativity as each an thought and act. Although Hazelight has but to launch something lower than nice, it was nearly surprising to see how a lot it had discovered from–and improved upon–2021’s vital darling It Takes Two. Ranges and environments are huge, attractive, and various; our two protagonists, Mio and Zoe, are stuffed with depth, appeal, and persona; the sport’s seemingly countless gimmicks and gameplay mechanics, all of that are launched at way more fast tempo than It Takes Two, are practically all so enjoyable, sensible, and tightly designed that they may stand alone; and its writing, plot beats, and general construction ship a exceptional story that rappels from coronary heart wrenching, commentative, darkly humorous, and brimming with pleasure simply as fluidly as our heroines grapple-hook between buildings. Although there’s a stage of cheesiness that coats the sport’s overarching story and its major antagonist, Rader, as an entire Break up Fiction is a wonderful sport that units a brand new benchmark not just for Hazelight, however for co-op experiences as an entire.
Regardless of its inevitable greatness, Break up Fiction kicks off with a humble (if barely cliched) starting wherein it introduces its protagonists: Mio Hudson and Zoe Foster. Mio and Zoe are nothing alike. Whereas Mio is an angsty, city-slicking, sci-fi fanatic who’d sooner yank out her personal tooth than confide in a stranger, the fantasy-loving Zoe is sunshine incarnate. And but, the pair does share one factor in frequent: They’re each unpublished writers in dire want of cash and a byline.
As such, each of them leap on the alternative offered by Rader Publishing, a fledgling firm that merges expertise and storytelling to create digital worlds for customers to immerse themselves in and discover. However whereas the overly trusting Zoe is greater than prepared to plug herself into the corporate’s simulation machine and pour forth her concepts, Mio rapidly decides in opposition to it. Her protests quickly flip right into a bodily altercation that’s reduce brief when Rader, the comically smarmy Silicone Valley-esque exec behind Rader Publishing, by accident shoves her into the identical simulation pod as Zoe. Meant just for one consumer at a time, this causes not solely a meltdown at Rader Publishing Headquarters, however a melding of the 2 ladies’s style stylings as their consciousnesses join.
Delay by Mio’s pessimism and dismissive persona, Zoe is initially irked by her presence within the fantasy world she has constructed for Rader. Nevertheless, Mio is quickly in a position to persuade Zoe that Rader is as much as one thing sinister–namely harvesting then erasing their concepts from their minds at no cost use–leading to the unlikely duo banding collectively. Mio and Zoe then set off to discover a collection of tales they created as they hunt for “glitches” which may assist them escape with their reminiscences intact.
This premise lends itself superbly to what Hazelight Studios does greatest: creating stunning, immersive worlds which are ripe for gamers to discover with a collection of distinctive and thoughtfully constructed toolsets. As they try to battle again in opposition to Rader, Mio and Zoe get the prospect to discover upwards of 20 distinctive universes, all birthed from varied elements of their imaginations. But what’s extra staggering than the sheer variety of worlds there are to discover is how stuffed with surprises and surprise each is.
Although every world falls into both the science-fiction or fantasy classes, the particulars differ dramatically. Within the sport’s second chapter, Neon Revenge, Mio and Zoe traverse a Blade Runner-esque world as cyber ninjas intent on taking down a ravenous debt collector. On this darkish and gritty Mio-constructed universe, our protagonists are given two weapons, a gravity-shifting sword and a strong cyber whip, which they need to use in tandem to progress by way of the extent and take down baddies. When not wall-running, leaping throughout environments, and whipping dangerous guys into each other, this stage additionally contains a number of high-speed chases that give gamers an opportunity to function Tron-esque automobiles, in addition to three “facet tales” penned by Zoe. Amongst these is maybe one of the crucial absurdly dark-humored ranges I’ve ever performed in a sport, and it proves that Hazelight is prepared and desirous to do weird issues with its latest title. Whereas this whole part stands by itself and triumphs at propelling gamers from spectacle to spectacle, it later turns into clear that Neon Revenge solely scratches the floor of gameplay prospects.
I am hesitant to delve an excessive amount of into describing the worlds to observe, as I’d hate to smash even a fraction of the delight I felt whereas adventuring by way of them. Equally, I do not wish to fall again on “hey, bear in mind this sport? This sport does that” as a result of it feels reductive. Suffice to say Break up Fiction is as a lot its personal sport as it’s a love letter to others. One stage was a really clear tribute to Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater, whereas one other was clearly impressed by 2D Metroid titles and Ikaruga. I discovered an unimaginable From Software program reference tucked in a single nook of the sport, and laughed as Zoe and Mio leapt off a constructing right into a neat pile of hay whereas a hen of prey set free a fierce caw. “It’s a must to have religion to leap like that,” Zoe cheekily commented.
My taking part in partner–a 3D platforming fanatic who I’ll gleefully point out was dressed up as a sheep from Spyro one of many first occasions I met her–was fast to say how sure ranges felt like Crash Bandicoot. In a while, she excitedly remarked {that a} timed trial requiring us to soar by way of rings reminded her of Spyro. As somebody who appreciated final 12 months’s Astro Bot, but was fast to level out it felt a bit extra like an IP flex than a correct sport at occasions, Break up Fiction now exists as proof that there’s a method for that idea to be executed with out merely counting on nostalgia and model recognition. And but, I really feel as if our favourite ranges had been those that felt impressed but wholly totally different from preexisting works.
The Moon Market was certainly one of my favourite worlds, with its towering fort spires, spectral cats, and chubby moles adorned in wizard cloaks toddling by way of cobblestone streets. When taking part in by way of The Hole, I remarked that sure screenshots taken from this stage may simply be handed off as ones from some gorgeously foreboding space in Elden Ring. In a single stage, the characters enter a pocket book whereas a younger Zoe scribbles up an journey solely her thoughts may conjure. In others, the pair go away their our bodies altogether.
But it is nonetheless crucial to place apart the sport’s atmospheres, design, dimensionality, and sheer spectacle to provide its mechanics the flowers they deserve, too. A number of instruments and powers had been so thoughtfully designed they may have simply been the crux of a whole sport, with certainly one of my favorites being a pair of weapons that had the capabilities of capturing by way of two several types of shields. Cautious coordination was required from us to take down shielded enemies, and issues grew much more traumatic throughout fast-paced chases, when one ill-placed barrier that we forgot to take down for our teammate may spell their doom.
And it is not as if that portion stands alone in being extremely revolutionary and including a brand new dimension to the sport’s already participating puzzles and challenges. Break up Fiction’s remaining chapter, Break up, may very effectively boast essentially the most mechanical cleverness I’ve seen in a sport since taking part in a Metallic Gear Stable title. Simply once I thought {that a} mechanic may not evolve and Break up Fiction had reached its apex, one other dimension was added. It was mind-bending, and I could not assist however assume, “This sport would have rewritten my mind had I performed it with my sisters as a child.”
But as phenomenal as Break up Fiction’s gameplay is, its important characters–Zoe and Mio–are what actually elevated your complete expertise for me. Once you first meet Zoe and Mio, it is easy to dismiss them as a bit flat. Their Harry and Sally dynamic (or grumpy-sunshine, for my readers on the market) is the supply of numerous cliche bickering at first of the sport, and it is extraordinarily apparent that they’ll finally be taught to understand one another’s variations and kind a bond. In any case, we have seen this sort of story play out time and time once more. Nevertheless, I did not count on to get as emotionally invested in that bond, and Mio and Zoe as people, as I in the end did.
By the point Break up Fiction got here to a detailed, I had teared up a number of occasions. In exploring their imaginary worlds, goals, concepts, and tales, the pair additionally delve into their pasts, their fears, and the emotional baggage they carry. This journey is executed superbly, and I discovered myself deeply in love with the sisterhood the 2 slowly develop. Mio’s angst and mistrust are there for good cause, but she additionally reveals a facet of her that’s deeply devoted, type, spirited, and even a bit childlike. Zoe’s whimsy and optimism, whereas at first overbearing, conceal a painful previous and embody this concept that it’s the individuals who have endured essentially the most ache who show essentially the most kindness, and are keen to make sure nobody will ever really feel as harm or alone as they as soon as did.
It is hardly stunning {that a} multiplayer sport stresses the significance of connection, however in Break up Fiction, it’s made clear that there’s merely no surviving with out it–that life is an excessive amount of to endure alone and making it out requires caring for folks even once they cannot look after themselves. Simply as vital, nevertheless, is permitting others to look after you, too.
Break up Fiction stresses the significance of one other core a part of humanity as effectively: creativity. That is one thing that feels notably pertinent proper now, contemplating ongoing conversations round generative AI. Rader, the sport’s chief antagonist, is basically a rich techie intent on actually stealing creator’s concepts from their minds to feed into his machine with the final word purpose of making a tool that may weave tales itself. As such, Break up Fiction emphasizes that it takes humanity to create–that it takes the experiences that form our lives and assemble our unconscious to kind tales.
Zoe may by no means inform the identical tales Mio does, and the alternative is actually true too. Every girl has her personal lived expertise, which manifests itself of their written work even when they do not intend for that to occur. Every girl’s tales serve a unique goal, be it commemorating a cherished one or giving them an alternate actuality wherein they’ve management over the issues that go away them feeling powerless. Break up Fiction repeatedly declares that our concepts, goals, and creations are a elementary a part of us–that they’re treasured issues, tied intimately to our very beings, that can not be stripped away. Admittedly, I do assume Rader as an entire is maybe the sport’s weakest half, as he is a reasonably, effectively… cringey villain. But on the similar time, there actually appears to be accuracy in depicting him that method.
Break up Fiction may very effectively be the very best cooperative sport I’ve ever performed. On the very least, I firmly consider it units a brand new customary for the style. And but, it is greater than that. Break up Fiction is a love letter to creativity–to tales, video games, and the individuals who make them. It’s humorous, darkish, joyous, infantile, tender, tacky, thrilling, and memorable. All this mixed with attractive environments, unbelievable gameplay, and sheer spectacle make Hazelight Studio’s latest launch an early contender for the very best sport of 2025.
Gallery
