Creating Split Fiction was certainly no small feat. The game seems to introduce a fresh mechanic every quarter of an hour, leaving old ones behind, but it’s vital that each new idea is fully developed to keep players engaged.
In Split Fiction, there’s a memorable sequence where you get to ride dragons. Interestingly, just one of those dragons took about eight months to bring to life. Early in my career, I had team members asking, “Why put all this effort into something that’s only experienced for a short 10 minutes?”
But here’s the perspective I offer. In filmmaking, if you craft an exceptional scene that costs a fortune, you don’t recycle it simply because it was pricey. Calling back too often on cool moments can strip away their initial wonder. In gaming, there’s a notion that if something was expensive to create, it must be reused. But I question that. Why dilute the magic of that first impression?
This philosophy of unique experiences is taken to its pinnacle in Split Fiction with extensive optional content. While It Takes Two sprinkled in mini-games, here you encounter vast sections that can be unlocked via portals, marking a grand departure from mere side quests.
These are fully realized worlds with distinct mechanics, sometimes even featuring their own bosses and unique visuals. It’s virtually like stumbling upon a new game hiding within the main story.
