Analytic Dreamz: Notorious Mass Effect - "SPLIT FICTION 2025 GAME OF THE YEAR?"

Episode Date: March 26, 2025

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/AnalyticIn this Notorious Mass Effect segment, Analytic Dreamz explores Split Fiction, a third-person co-op action-adventure from Hazelight Studios. Launched March 6, 2025, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, it follows rival writers Mio and Zoe navigating sci-fi and fantasy worlds. With 2 million copies sold in its first week and a 91/100 on Metacritic and OpenCritic, Analytic Dreamz highlights its dynamic world-switching, Friend’s Pass co-op, and Hollywood adaptation buzz. A critical and commercial hit, Split Fiction sets the stage for a potential franchise.Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Getting into a video game that I believe has a strong possibility of winning game of the year. Now, I know we're only three months in, and that's very high praise for a video game. But when it comes to Split Fiction and playing the game, it is one of the most creative games that I've ever played in life. I'm a huge RPG fan, if you couldn't tell about a podcast title. And also, when it comes to creativity, I believe platformers shine the most. Because I don't know what it is about other genres, but I feel as far as in the platforming aspect, you can easily spot what's a good platforming game and what's not. Based on the level of intricacy you have to have when crafting these platforming type games. And I'm talking about a Mario.

I'm talking about an astrobi. Platformers inevitably are going to. reveal how creative you are as far as approaching the game development process. Now, with that being said, split fiction is top three, if not number one, as far as one of the most creative games I've ever played in life. Cause it's almost as if all the creative ideas that they had in that room were showcased in this video game. Like, oh, you want to do this?

That's a great idea. That's a great idea. Oh, that's also a great idea. guess what everything we're going to put all that into this game right creativity galore as far as from start to finish i've never experienced the game where it just consistently showcased new mechanics new visuals as far as completely new settings right completely new mechanics every single hour on the hour it was actually one of the most insane experiences as far as a first timer playing split fiction so what that being said if you didn't know split fiction is a third

person co-op action adventure game developed by hayes light studios you're probably you're probably a well aware of hazelight studios as also i will say that i believe hazelight studios is one of the more prominent developers that we have in the gaming industry today to the point where now hollywood execs are starting to take notice as they're are moving and actively pursuing rights for a movie adaptation of split fiction as when it comes to assembling a package including a cast writers and directors media company uh media companies are already uh giving propositions and showcasing and trying to get hazelight well i don't even know if it was Hayeslite. I forget the guy who is over Hayeslight, because he's done a lot of interviews.

Let me see. Hayslight Studios owner. Because he does a lot of interviews, and he has a very interesting personality. A personality. Let me just put like that. Like, if that man ever started a podcast, man, his personality is through the roof. So anyways, I've seen him a lot of time at the Game War show. So Joseph Ferris, hopefully I'm saying that right? He is the founder of Hayes Light Studios and the creative director. So I would assume that they would have to go through him. So basically, getting back to the Hollywood part of it, they are approaching him and basically basically presenting a lot of scripts and just overall packaging when it comes to a live action movie for split fiction. So that is going on as we speak. And nothing's confirmed. This can all fall through,

but this is officially happening via reports. So that is a huge. huge deal that Hollywood execs are reaching out to you, essentially because you've probably made one of the greatest creative games we've ever seen. So when it comes to the game and the runtime, I do believe it's on the shorter end depending. And this is a very interesting part of the game, right? Depending on who you play with, this game can either be lengthy or it could be short. Now, I'm not saying short as if, as in, oh, it's going to be like five to ten hours. I would say this game is around the 12 to 15 hour mark, honestly.

And depending on who you play with, is either going to be longer or shorter. So, you know, choose your partner wisely. With that being said, I believe this specific game is fantastic. I've said that time and time again. but as far as this game being out on PS5 Xbox Series X and S and PC one thing stood out to me

retro consoles are no longer being supported by these highly intense games as far as PS4 and Xbox Series X well is a series X I forget because at this point Xbox and took so many else

I don't even know which platform they have out right now Xbox Now I ain't a lot to you I forgot But um Actually let's look at it right now List

Of Xbox This is released If you didn't know PlayStation is outselling Xbox well the PS5 The Xbox is outselling the current Xbox 4 to 1 So that means for every one current

Gen Xbox sold This 4 PS5 sold So just keep down mine That's how I forgot how they even releasing these consoles at this point like Xbox is really falling to the wayside Okay, so they're on the Xbox series X

Okay, cool So with that being said That is the fourth generation The last one was the Xbox one Oh, that's what it was called These names are so confusing Like I just forget Like at this point

I mean you're losing the race so bad that you know I mean at some point We just got to do a whole rebrand So anyways, why don't I said that? Oh yeah, because This game is only out on current gen consoles because a lot of people think that PS4 and Xbox 1

is current gen. No, that is retro consoles at this point. Ladies and gentlemen, hold on, let's look this up just so y'all don't think I'm joking. Let's see if I can find this right quick. PS4 release date. Okay, so November 19th, 2013, ladies and gentlemen, is when the PS4 came out. Y'all want to know when the Xbox 1 came out? Xbox 1 release date. Xbox 1 came out 2013.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's 2025. It's about time. It's about that time. So anyways, speaking on your retro consoles, Hayeslight Studios did not develop this game for that, nor do I believe it could run on that old technology. It would probably turn your Xbox 1 or PS4 into a living time bomb if you played this game on it.

So anyways, with that being said, I believe that the sales is doing phenomenally as officially and objectively speaking. Two million copies were sold in its first week. of lunch and that is tremendous especially for a co-op like game because of course you can't just play this game with AI if you're only one person you're not to make friends buddy you got to go on your local discord going your favorite content creator stream find their discord ask if anybody want play with you somebody say no ask your family if they say no guess what you may have to play with caspin now just play but all jokes aside I think you know you should be able to find somebody

which is why I keep bringing up Discord because I know a lot of people find that issue to come about time and time again because some people are lonely out here. You know what I mean? Sad day in history. But with that being said, you know, Discord is a great way

to have somebody play with you as far as split fiction. Now, with that being said, I played this game with my cousin and we had a blast. They ain't going to lie to you. We had a phenomenal time. So I ain't really had that problem.

But, you know, I was just giving you options in case you had their problem. So the sales are phenomenal. The game is, phenomenal. I don't think I could keep going as far as talking about this game without stating that this is one of the most creative video games that you will ever play in life. I mean, the premise itself sets it up to be creative, but then Hayslight Studios took it to a whole other level. Because sometimes when people are in sci-fi or people have these old time travel type adventures, right, which is limitless possibilities. They're very limited when they're thinking about how to go about that story. And they're not really grass. how they could do anything, right? How the premise is letting them do anything and they're doing this very specific thing that's limiting creativity and really showcasing some people's mental barriers when it comes to reaching certain creative heights. Split fiction is the complete opposite.

They were given a premise where you could do absolutely anything and they ran with it. When I tell you, some of the most interesting scenarios has happened to me playing. this video game one of them i'm not even going to spoil it let's just say sometimes you have to get turned into certain things to realize that this game is out of his mind because the different settings that you're put in and then randomly it will turn you into something like i can say what it is and then now you have to play as that and i'm thinking to myself hold on now i know this game did not just take me from a soft-fi fantasy adventure and put me in this world and it works at the end of the day a lot of these maps that they put you in time and time again

they have his own mechanics they have their own bosses their own mechanics it would have been so easy to go to a simple route and have certain mechanics present as far as uh well there's a grapple mechanic that's always present but for the majority at the time there's completely new mechanics thrown at you time and time again throughout every single setting in this game hour on the hour And maybe even shorter than that, maybe every 30, 40 minutes, they throw a whole new mechanic at you and multiple, right? Multiple different camera angles, multiple different settings. Now I'm getting more into my personal review of the game

because when I tell you that playing this game with my cousin, and, you know, a game doesn't have to be that fire for us to make it enjoyable, right? Like, we'd be joking 24-7. So whether the game was trash or fun, we was going to have a great time. now the story is phenomenal and the overall execution of it is at a master class level to where I'm looking at this game I'm watching I'm even watching back some of the videos you know for you know got to watch film kind of like NBA players I mean not too crazy and I believe that some of the most authentic moments as far as genuinely just being in

all of certain settings they put you in is just a testament to how video games were meant to be enjoyable. So Hayes Light Studios have yet another hit on their on their hands. And I believe I believe a way out no now way out. I believe it takes to one game of the year not too long ago. It takes to let me see. So it takes to they won game of the year back in 2021. Goodness, that makes me fold.

but I remember watching that game show and that's how I realized that that man had a crazy personality but anyways um it takes two obviously developed by hayes light studios that game one game of the year at the game award show back in 2021 and as far as it as far as a way out I don't know about way out I don't even think the game show was around back then

that was like um I forget what the conference was called when uh PS when PlayStation Xbox and Nintendo all came together. I forget what that conference is called. But I mean, it's no longer here in the Game of War. It's kind of like, no, no, no, the summer game festival or whatever, it's kind of took over. But when it comes to a way out back in 2018, it was nominated in several categories but didn't win Game of the Year, which went to, oh, God of War. Okay, now that makes sense. Now, that makes complete sense. God of War was what they did for Cratos. All right,

this is Hayes Light Studio praise. I'm not going to go too crazy. But what Santa Monica Studio did with Credos in the in the 2018 god of war now that I think about it 2018 was a stack year we had god of war we had Spider-Man a Way Out Red Day of Red Day of Redemption 2 uh Fortnite I mean Fortnite was always always around but 2018 was a stack year anyways um yeah way out was nominated in several categories but didn't win game of the year and went to God of War so that makes sense but essentially when um letting you know is Santa Monica, well, not Santa Monica.

They are also fantastic. Took a little step back with Ragnar. But it's all right. Hopefully they pick it up. But Hayes Light Studios, what they put out as far as a way out, as far as it takes two, as far as split fiction, you know, I cover music. I would compare this to when Kanye West put out graduation. I mean, the ultimate peak, time and time.

and time again from Hayslite studios, I don't know what they could do next to up the ante. Because after this, I'm thinking to myself, I'm guessing there's a lot of different ways they could go to keep going with the co-op route. But now that people have seen that they're one of the greatest studios ever created, and yes, I'm saying that at this point. You know, 2018 to 2025, they're still putting out peak content for video.

game for gamers out there right i believe that now will they try to i'm not going to say they're not challenging themselves with co-op action adventures right but where they try to go a single player route where they try to go a live service route because you're already know when it comes to live service everybody loves to put that i'll point out how the top games or majority live services but what people don't realize that's like three to four that's like four to five games right four to five games taking up that slot that's like looking at drake and be like he got all these sales let's just make what he makes like hold them now they don't work like that and it's not that easy so a lot of these people just flop when they make live services but if hazelight studios found a way

to have a marvel rival's type of game where they were given maybe the dc ip Maybe they were given, or something else. I can't really think of anything as far as a live service where, oh, Star Wars, they could be given to Star Wars IP. That would be, like at this point, Hayslight Studios needs to be treated like EA is treated. Because, of course, EA has Star Wars outlaws developed by respawn. But when it comes to overall Star Wars products, it's not really licensed out to, to, uh, Hayslite Studios or studios like that that works on these type of games. So I believe the next step for Hayslite Studios is taking that Insomniac jump where they get a popular IP.

Whether that's Star Wars, whether that's DC, whether that's Marvel. That is the next step, I believe, that's in play for Hayslight Studios. So, hopefully that makes sense. Also, if you was wondering, with this game being out on current gen consoles, such as the PS5, Xbox series X and S, the PNPC, essentially is fully, well, not essentially, it is fully crossplay across all platforms. And another thing that I wanted to mention is that the co-op feature means that, like, the need for the co-op, like you can't play this with Casper, you need an actual human to play with you, right? Only one copy of the game is needed using a friend's pass. so that means if somebody purchases it purchases the game now you get a free copy unless you

want to split the cost which you know to each his own but you know um yeah somebody you know you get a free game right maybe play rock paper scissors and that person buys the game but at the end of the day they deserve all the support and revenue as this is inevitably going to go down as one of the most creative video games of all time and with that being said click my link to my bio let me know one of my social media is what do you think about it take uh what do you think about split fiction as far as it being one of the most creative games ever where do you think about hollywood execs trying to get this movie for a live action or a live movie adaptation and at the end of the day if you play this game like i have what is your favorite thing about split fiction