Without a doubt, putting together Split Fiction represents an immense undertaking. This game has a knack for throwing fresh gameplay mechanics at you every quarter of an hour, constantly cycling through new ideas while ensuring none of them feel underdeveloped.
“Take, for instance, the dragon-riding segment in Split Fiction. Just designing a single dragon for that part took around eight months. Early in my career, team members often questioned the wisdom of investing so much effort into something players would experience for just about ten minutes,” one of the developers explained.
The reasoning here is quite enlightening. In a movie, a spectacular scene doesn’t get reused simply because it was costly to produce. There’s a belief that constantly reusing such moments in games could diminish their impact. “There’s this notion in the gaming industry that if something was expensive, it ought to be reused. But reconsider that for a moment. Does reusing it not detract from the magic and thrill of experiencing it anew each time?” the developer pondered.
This mindset is fully embraced in Split Fiction, where entire expanses of optional content are included for players to explore. While It Takes Two sprinkled some mini-games throughout the journey, Split Fiction opens up entire new worlds full of innovative mechanics. These optional sections are akin to discovering a brand-new game tucked inside the main one, complete with bosses and unique visual themes.
Such an approach offers players a richer experience, giving them more than just a linear path to follow. The philosophy seems clear: deliver truly memorable experiences even if it means they are fleeting.
