Multi Split Fiction

[dimmerwit]

For those unaware, this is the spiritual successor to the multiplayer co-op game It Takes Two and releases today (6 March). The reviews have been very strong with a Metascore in the low 90s, and having watched some gameplay it looks like a ton of fun.

One welcome change is to the Friend's Pass system, the feature that allows someone who doesn't own the game to play the whole game in co-op with someone who does. Whilst It Takes Two has cross platform play the Friend's Pass system is restricted to the same platform. With Split Fiction the Friend's Pass is now cross platform as well, so for example a PC owner could invite a PS5 owner to play.

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

Totally getting this at some point, ever since it was announced I've wanted it. It Takes Two was awesome, and I hope this is even better and doesn't have anything like the elephant queen in it.

 

[TD]

Worth noting - I've heard that this game is significantly harder than the lighthearted It Takes Two. Not sure how valid it is but I've seen it alluded to in more than one place.

Something to keep in mind if you're looking to play it with someone who is more of a casual gamer.

 

[Ben]

My wife and I had been waiting on this to come out. Just got the notification that it dropped, so I know what I'll be buying today.

Definitely seems harder than It Takes Two from the trailer. We'll see just how that translates into playing.

 

[Ben]

Ah, I'm back in "not enough space on my PS5" territory.

Doesn't help that Baldur's Gate 3 and Final Fantasy VII Remake together are like, 300GB...

 

[Smacktard]

Ah, I'm back in "not enough space on my PS5" territory.

Doesn't help that Baldur's Gate 3 and Final Fantasy VII Remake together are like, 300GB...

How does BG3 play on the PS5? Those types of games always seemed like PC games to me, but I'd be interested in trying it on the PS5, and I prefer console gaming.

For Split Fiction, I can't wait to play this with the bride. We've both been looking forward to it. We still talk about It Takes Two from time to time. I'm worried hearing that it's more difficult though. She's not a strong gamer at all.

 

[TD]

For Split Fiction, I can't wait to play this with the bride. We've both been looking forward to it. We still talk about It Takes Two from time to time. I'm worried hearing that it's more difficult though. She's not a strong gamer at all.

I could see a patch coming out to alleviate some of the concerns depending on reception. I'll share a link that talks about the difficulty, there's some spoilers though so I'll also pull some excerpts. Could be worth waiting for more of a consensus too.

But the underlying truth is still there. Split Fiction is not only a harder game than It Takes Two, it seems designed with a fundamentally different audience in mind. While It Takes Two intended you to introduce a friend or partner to the world of gaming, Split Fiction is best played with a fellow gamer.

While there were respites of easier, more enjoyable gameplay moments sprinkled throughout, the cold hard fact is I didn't enjoy Split Fiction because I could tell my wife was not enjoying it.

Split Fiction is a good game. Mechanically, it is a better game than It Takes Two - it pushes the envelope further, tries bolder tricks, and feels closer to the sort of video game I would play alone.

And some people will appreciate the extra challenge and struggle, the real feeling of gaming instead of It Takes Two which sometimes felt like a toy doing a very good impression of a video game. But had we known it was not It Takes Two again, our mindset would have been different, so consider this a head's up.

A lot of the time, you aren't really playing together, you're playing the same game side by side, at the same time. A fair amount of times I finished a platform section, then watched my wife die over and over at the same part before she sighed and handed me the controller to do it for her. This lack of teamwork can leave the other player feeling a little stranded.

PSA: Split Fiction Is Not As Casual As It Takes Two

Split Fiction is an elevation of It Takes Two, not a continuation, and it will leave some players behind

www.thegamer.com

 

[Ben]

How does BG3 play on the PS5? Those types of games always seemed like PC games to me, but I'd be interested in trying it on the PS5, and I prefer console gaming.

Surprisingly well actually, for such a heavy RPG. It takes a little bit to get used to navigating abilities/spells via radial wheels instead of just having a toolbar with everything on it at once, and I notice some frame rate slowdown when playing splitscreen, but it's still one of the best "it should be a PC game" that I've played on console.

For Split Fiction, I can't wait to play this with the bride. We've both been looking forward to it. We still talk about It Takes Two from time to time. I'm worried hearing that it's more difficult though. She's not a strong gamer at all.

Yeah, same. Platforming and puzzles are one thing, but this definitely seems to have some combat elements that might prove tricky. Still, more opportunity to flex and carry them through peak video gaming. You know that woos ladies, video gaming.

 

[Ben]

I could see a patch coming out to alleviate some of the concerns depending on reception. I'll share a link that talks about the difficulty, there's some spoilers though so I'll also pull some excerpts. Could be worth waiting for more of a consensus too.

PSA: Split Fiction Is Not As Casual As It Takes Two

Split Fiction is an elevation of It Takes Two, not a continuation, and it will leave some players behind

www.thegamer.com

Fair. It Takes Two was very much "introduce your non-gaming partner to gaming".

I'd imagine not a lot of our partners are at that level of infancy though. If someone's able to put up with us, chances are they've played a video game or two before.

I wouldn't expect my partner to do well at high-stakes first person shooters like Fortnite, but she was probably better than me when playing Dead By Daylight. I think in general as long as someone's got vague situational awareness and isn't having to look at the controller to remember where each face button is, they shouldn't get as frustrated.

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

How does BG3 play on the PS5? Those types of games always seemed like PC games to me, but I'd be interested in trying it on the PS5, and I prefer console gaming.

Small sample size but I bought it for PS5 and regret it. I find navigating the menus and spells to be cumbersome on the controller. Seems others are cool with it, I just can't do it.

For Split Fiction - that is why I don't think I have anyone to play it with. My wife doesn't play games well and my kids are still not good enough in an action game. They are more Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley players.

 

[Smacktard]

lol, two completely opposite opinions on the same game. Thanks for the feedback from you both, though, but I am now still completely undecided.
RE: It Takes Two, that game showed that polished mechanics, good controls, a lot of variety, and a carefully constructed world with immaculate attention to detail are more important than challenge in gameplay IMO. The game was very easy, but it was always such a joy to play and see where you would go and what you would do next. It's a bit of a shame that Split Fiction is different from this. I was really hoping they'd apply the same lessons from It Takes Two and even kick it up a notch further, but...

A lot of the time, you aren't really playing together, you're playing the same game side by side, at the same time. A fair amount of times I finished a platform section, then watched my wife die over and over at the same part before she sighed and handed me the controller to do it for her. This lack of teamwork can leave the other player feeling a little stranded.

This quote in particular has me worried. If my wife doesn't like it, maybe Eye and I can play together.

 

[Ben]

lol, two completely opposite opinions on the same game. Thanks for the feedback from you both, though, but I am now still completely undecided.

I mean, we more or less said the same thing. Navigating the myriad menus and stuff is much harder on PS5 compared to PC. I think it boils down to whether you're willing to reorganize the default radial wheels to put everything you'd reasonably need grouped together.

It's like, the difference between pressing 1 on the keyboard to pick your first action bar slot, and pressing R1 then moving the stick to pick the top slot... More cumbersome, sure, not a deal breaker.

The split screen co-op and being able to play it with my wife made the PS5 version more appealing. If I was just going to play through myself, I'd do so on PC. I like the game enough that I own it on both systems.

This quote in particular has me worried. If my wife doesn't like it, maybe Eye and I can play together.

It does sound like it's a game for two gamers, not for a gamer to spend time with a non-gamer. Mileage may vary.

I deleted enough off my console to get this installed, so I'll report back after playing it tonight.

 

[TD]

RE: It Takes Two, that game showed that polished mechanics, good controls, a lot of variety, and a carefully constructed world with immaculate attention to detail are more important than challenge in gameplay IMO. The game was very easy, but it was always such a joy to play and see where you would go and what you would do next. It's a bit of a shame that Split Fiction is different from this. I was really hoping they'd apply the same lessons from It Takes Two and even kick it up a notch further, but...

I think this is what gets me the most. It Takes Two even won game of the year. If they had basically made this It Takes Two but with a sci-fi and fantasy alternating aesthetic with the same lighthearted feel, some new mini-games, and just new designs; I personally feel like it would've been a much bigger draw.

And I'm someone who typically wants my games to present a challenge, but It Takes Two was just straight up fun in a way that a lot of modern games just aren't anymore, I loved it. I never got my wife into it because she's stubborn, but I was able to play with a non-gamer friend and they had a blast.

I'm sure Split Fiction is going to be a good game, but a couple of recent game of the year winners have proven that games don't need to be challenging to be well received.

 

[Ben]

I will admit It Takes Two was a little less whimsical fun for my wife and I to play through, since our daughter is named Rose, so the whole plot was kinda too close to home.

Same reason I struggled to play Resident Evil Village.

 

[Kat]

Ah, I'm back in "not enough space on my PS5" territory.

I feel this. I live my life with my PS5 full. Did you know you can fill it so full that game saves can start to fail?

How does BG3 play on the PS5? Those types of games always seemed like PC games to me, but I'd be interested in trying it on the PS5, and I prefer console gaming.

I vastly prefer console gaming, and I thought it was fine. I do vaguely remember some actions being a bit annoying to get to, but I quickly learned where the things I used a lot were. I've played other games that used a similar mechanic (like switching weapons in Ratchet & Clank), so maybe I'm more used to it.

My significant other is an avid gamer, so I like the sound of Split Fiction being a bit more challenging. How did you all end up married to people who don't play games??

 

[Ben]

I feel this. I live my life with my PS5 full. Did you know you can fill it so full that game saves can start to fail?

I vastly prefer console gaming, and I thought it was fine. I do vaguely remember some actions being a bit annoying to get to, but I quickly learned where the things I used a lot were. I've played other games that used a similar mechanic (like switching weapons in Ratchet & Clank), so maybe I'm more used to it.

My significant other is an avid gamer, so I like the sound of Split Fiction being a bit more challenging. How did you all end up married to people who don't play games??

Not I. When I met my current partner, she professed how she'd stay up all night playing Skyrim. My previous one I met through my WOW guild and she now works for CD Projekt Red. The one before that was an admin at some video game cheat forum I forget the name of.

They might not necessarily be into all the same genres as me, but I've certainly never had a serious relationship with a non-gamer. That just sounds bizarre!

 

[Kat]

They might not necessarily be into all the same genres as me, but I've certainly never had a serious relationship with a non-gamer. That just sounds bizarre!

I did once marry somebody who was kinda into games but not seriously. I'll admit it was fun when he'd hand me the controller for a game he was stuck on but that I'd never played, then I'd get through whatever it was on the first attempt. We never played anything together though.

 

[Ben]

Only having 3 games installed was bugging me, and I have no impulse control, so I fixed my problem with a 2TB internal SSD.

Now I have to download a bunch of stuff again, but worth it.

The other option was an external SSD, which while cheaper, I'd need to constantly move whatever I wanted to play back to the console storage. Only PS4 games can run straight off external SSDs.

Edit: though fucking hell I should maybe delete some media...

Edit 2: 1434 video captures.

 

[Kat]

Edit 2: 1434 video captures.

That's so many! Does one game dominate or are they from a variety of games?

How much usable space do you get on the 2TB drive after formatting it?

 

[Smacktard]

How did you all end up married to people who don't play games??

When I first met my wife, her phone cover had a popart Paper Mario design on it. After a few months, I mentioned something about Paper Mario and she was like "wtf is paper Mario". She just liked the design. She fuckin catfished me bro

 

[Ben]

That's so many! Does one game dominate or are they from a variety of games?

How much usable space do you get on the 2TB drive after formatting it?

I don't think I had ever deleted a video... There were a bunch of 30 minute clips, a fair few Fortnite, Dead By Daylight, and Baldur's Gate 3. Definitely freed up enough to have installed this on the console storage, but I'm not mad. I just downloaded like 20 from my collection back to the SSD, including a bunch of my kids games that had been taken off.

Notification are a rollercoaster.



I'm not sure quite how much free space was on it before I moved some over, but I'd think like 1.9TB. It doesn't have the 200GB OS stuff on it so that helps.

I've been playing Split Fiction with the wife all night. I'll write up my feelings on the game when we quit for the night.

 

[Ben]

Alright, so the game;

It's been wholly enjoyable so far. Definitely more action oriented than It Takes Two, with some combat and boss fights, but they're not what I'd call high stakes.

There's no health or lives counter, so as long as both of you don't die at the same time, they'll just keep respawning. To that end I would say if you're chill about it and don't get all angry should you be getting stuck in a section, it shouldn't feel too difficult.

There were a number of co-op puzzles that you need the other player to progress through, your usual "one person does X to the other person can reach Y" kind of thing. In general it's pretty clear what to do next though. Combat isn't too tough, it seemed mostly dodging big attacks or shit on the floor and waiting for your opening. It was the case one or two times that one of the players gets stuck driving while the other shoots, etc. and you've not got the choice as to who does it (short of trading controllers), but honestly that makes it feel more rounded. There was a similar scenario later that was reversed, so it gives both players the opportunity to do the things. Still boils down to not really feeling high-stakes and as long as you're not getting frustrated should the other player mess up, it'll be fine.

The story is pretty interesting and unique. I didn't really know the plot going in, but I dig it. At the start you essentially choose which player is going to be the "sci-fi" one and which is going to be the "fantasy" one, but you're constantly switching back and forth between them. We didn't get to any part where we were playing separately with different objectives, but I think the character choice is more just flavor. I'm trying not to give away the plot any, but there have been a couple of really fun points, especially the second side-story that you'll encounter, that was awesome.

So, I have no qualms about having purchased it. We'll definitely play through the whole thing, maybe twice so we can switch the parts we play. My one gripe might be around the saves, as it seems to just checkpoint you at certain bits and when we quit playing that'd been a little way back, but I doubt we lost too much progress.

Not sure how the experience would be by yourself without actually playing it co-op, but it's worth the purchase in my opinion.

 

[Nae'blis]

I played It Takes Two with my middle son, who's as much of a gamer as me (parenting goals ) and I'm hoping to play Split Fiction with him too!