Creating a game like Split Fiction is certainly no small feat. It’s a game that seems to delight in constantly surprising players by introducing new mechanics roughly every quarter-hour, while cleverly setting older ones aside. But despite this brisk pace of innovation, it ensures that no concept feels underdeveloped.
Take, for instance, the section where you get to ride dragons. Crafting just one of those magnificent beasts reportedly took around eight months. That’s quite a staggering investment, especially when some early-career team members expressed skepticism, wondering, “Why are we going all out when players will only engage with it for about 10 minutes?”
However, consider this: in filmmaking, a standout scene that required a significant budget isn’t repeated merely to justify its cost. Similarly, in gaming, a unique, thrilling moment loses its magic if it’s reused too often. There’s a mindset in the gaming industry that suggests if something was expensive to create, it should be used repeatedly. But, really, why must this be the case? Repetition can dilute the thrill of an initial experience.
Split Fiction fully embraces this notion, pushing it to an exciting extreme by offering vast segments of entirely optional content. While games like It Takes Two feature mini-games throughout, these portals in Split Fiction transport you to expansive, immersive worlds that offer entirely new gameplay mechanics, visual styles, and sometimes even bosses to conquer.
In essence, it’s as if each of these sections comprises a whole new game within the main game, inviting players to explore diverse experiences without feeling the need to conform to the conventional repetition of gaming elements.
