Josef Fares, founding father of Hazelight, has had a foot in each the worlds of movie and video video games, however he’s not break up relating to his technique for making video games like Break up Fiction.
Fares is all in on the style his firm has pioneered in a singular method: split-screen cooperative motion journey video games that two folks can play on the identical display. His latest title, Break up Fiction, is popping out on the consoles and PC on March 6, 2025, for $50.
Digital Arts is publishing the title as an EA Originals sport. EA additionally printed the earlier Hazelight sport, It Takes Two, which took the Sport of the 12 months award at The Sport Awards in 2021. Whereas that sport targeted on two gamers as a bickering couple, this one focuses on Mio and Zoe, two budding authors who conflict over science fiction and fantasy books.
I’ve performed the sport and it’s a intelligent twist on the style with a variety of new mechanics that preserve gamers on their toes, like switching between sci-fi and fantasy worlds in addition to sci-fi and fantasy characters and weapons.
The contrasting writers turn out to be trapped in their very own tales after being hooked as much as a machine designed by an evil ebook “simulation” writer who needs to steal their inventive concepts. To flee with their minds intact, they’ve to beat their variations to crash the system that holds them. The onerous half is studying to work collectively, Fares mentioned in an interview I did.
Fares is a former movie director and creator of the critically acclaimed sport Brothers: A Story of Two Sons. He famously mentioned “f*ck the Oscars” whereas on stage at The Sport Awards. Hazelight is dedicated to pushing the inventive boundaries of what’s potential in video games. In 2018, Hazelight launched A Method Out, the primary ever co-op solely third individual action-adventure, as a part of the EA Originals program.
I requested questions alternating with a Brazilian sport publication and I identified under which of them are mine. Right here’s an edited transcript of our interview.
Query: One of many issues I consider after I consider you particularly is that–these days now we have just a few administrators that may transmit a sure authority by means of their video games. We have now Sam Lake. We have now Kojima. We all know what to anticipate from these guys. You’re at that degree as effectively. Would you agree with that? Why do you assume you’ll be able to transmit a lot of your self by means of your video games?
Josef Fares: I don’t know. I assume it’s my persona. I’ve at all times been like this. I can’t inform you why I grew to become like this. It is likely to be a greater query for you. I assume one factor is that I simply say what I would like. No one is controlling what I say and after I say it. It comes from a spot the place I say what I would like. Which needs to be what everybody does. I believe that’s it.
GamesBeat: What was the onerous a part of doing the sport over 4 years?
Fares: Simply it was the variation of the gameplay mechanics. The toughest factor a couple of Hazelight sport is to get all these sport mechanics to a state of polish. It’s straightforward to prototype completely different mechanics, however to take them to a degree the place it feels good, that’s the powerful half. While you play a Hazelight sport, whenever you play the fight you count on it to play like a preventing sport. Or if there’s racing in it you count on it to play like a racing sport. Folks count on it to play like that. As a result of we modify up the mechanics a lot, it’s onerous to get them to that degree.
We’ve turn out to be fairly good as a group at realizing if we’ll be capable to polish it that effectively, although. We have now good pipelines. We have now good instruments within the engine to assist us make the whole lot really feel very nice. In any other case we don’t launch it. It must be a elegant expertise. You’ll see whenever you play it. All the things feels good and crisp.
Query: With It Takes Two you experimented so much. Does Break up Fiction draw on any concepts that you just had within the course of of constructing that sport? What was the thought course of across the mechanics you wished to place within the sport?
Fares: One factor about–does it really feel good to play? Do these mechanics complement one another effectively? Can we take it to the extent of polish we wish? I wouldn’t say there was something particularly that we lower from It Takes Two that ended up in right here. However we undoubtedly lower stuff in Break up Fiction. Possibly 20-30%, if I used to be to select a quantity. Stuff that acquired lower early. “This doesn’t work. It doesn’t match right here.” However with that mentioned, there’s an enormous quantity of stuff in there. I’m stunned taking part in it myself.
I used to be at a good friend’s home taking part in it with him on a standard TV. While you play the sport day-after-day–I simply noticed it from a unique perspective. We performed for an hour or two, and he mentioned, “How far is that this?” “It’s simply the primary degree.” “Are you loopy? I really feel like I’ve performed a lot stuff.” Simply wait and see. There’s going to be some loopy stuff taking place.
GamesBeat: How do you regulate the sport for various ability ranges? What occurs if there’s a giant distinction in ability between the gamers?
Fares: We simply do the sport we wish to do. A very powerful factor–as a result of now we have a story expertise, we don’t need anybody to get caught an excessive amount of. We wish the expertise to be fluid. The pacing feels good. You by no means get too caught. This sport is likely to be a bit extra skill-based than It Takes Two. Roughly the identical. You’ll be able to nonetheless play it with a child.
GamesBeat: It seems such as you don’t have to attend an excessive amount of for the opposite participant to do one thing. You’ll be able to simply preserve going till you full your factor.
Fares: No, if you happen to proceed to play the sport, belief me, you’ll be able to’t progress ahead with out them. You want your good friend. There might need been a bit you performed that was like that, however you’ll be able to’t proceed–the entire design is that it is advisable to talk. You should do stuff collectively. We don’t need you to be too depending on the co-op participant, the place you do the whole lot collectively. We nonetheless need it to really feel such as you’re taking part in your personal sport a bit. However it’s a must to talk on a regular basis.
Query: Coming from a sport that received Sport of the 12 months, do you are feeling stress with this undertaking?
Fares: No, I really feel tremendous assured. There’s little doubt that this can be a nice sport. Even when the entire world mentioned this sucks, I’d say, “No, you’re flawed.” That’s how assured I’m. It’s a terrific sport. Play it to the tip and also you’ll expertise belongings you’ve by no means seen in a sport earlier than. You’re going to expertise some actually cool stuff. You’ll additionally expertise a heartwarming story about mates, these two completely completely different folks, completely different personalities, which have a gorgeous story collectively.
GamesBeat: It looks like you can have created an AI second participant so folks might play the sport in a single-player mode. You selected to not. Was there a purpose to not do this?
Fares: To start with, it’s far more complicated to create an AI that works with you. It could take an excessive amount of focus away from the remainder of the sport. Plus, we really feel that experiencing it collectively–that’s the entire thing. Having your distinctive characters and distinctive mechanics, speaking to one another. That collaboration is what makes our video games particular. It could take away a few of that specialness.
Query: For the reason that essential characters are named after your daughters, are they sufficiently old to know what’s taking place within the sport? Has your expertise with parenthood influenced the sport?
Fares: On this sport, not a lot besides the names. It’s one thing for them to recollect once they’re older. However clearly they see the sport on a regular basis. They perceive once they see the dragons and all of the cool stuff, “That’s me!” The older they get, hopefully they’ll be players quickly. I’m attempting to make my daughters into players already.
Query: Do now we have to kill a fluffy animal this time, or are you going to spare us that?
Fares: You’re not going to must kill a fluffy animal, however you’re going to expertise some enjoyable moments. What I name the Hazelight moments. One in every of them is within the construct right here. There’s going to be some enjoyable stuff right here so that you can expertise.
GamesBeat: What had been you essentially the most pleased with about this undertaking?
Fares: That we pulled it off. While you play it from the start to the tip, it’s going to be like–how is that even potential? I even query it now after I have a look at it. And it seems so good and crisp. It performs so effectively. That’s the true problem in making a sport. Getting it to a state the place it feels very nice–a yr in the past I used to be saying, “Fuck, how are we going to have the ability to do that?” However the place there’s a will there’s a method. We did it. I’m tremendous pleased with that.
Query: What message do you assume gamers will get after they end the sport?
Fares: Hopefully–I would like them to really feel like there’s a chance that we will turn out to be mates with everybody. Or at the least perceive one another. It’s actually a narrative about friendship. Even two completely completely different folks can discover one another and discover some connection. That might be good, to attach folks.
GamesBeat: Is there one thing about characters who combat with one another on a regular basis that’s engaging to you?
Fares: Not notably? However how enjoyable would the drama be if you happen to had two characters who cherished one another from the start? You want a battle for it to be fascinating. It’s good for the story to have battle between them. Possibly we will do one thing the place they’re finest mates to start with after which they hate one another on the finish. We might do this route for you if you would like.
Query: When the trailer dropped on the Sport Awards the very first thing that I believed was that it was very Spy Children 3. Is that one thing you had in thoughts?
Fares: By no means thought of it. I’m an early Robert Rodriguez fan. Desperado and issues like that. However no, I by no means considered it like that. It’s humorous, although. The very first thing that got here up with this sport was combining science fiction and fantasy. We began TV and flicks to search out some references we favored, and we couldn’t actually discover something. You’ve got parallel universes and stuff like that, however nobody has performed that blend of sci-fi and fantasy. From that perspective, the idea feels form of recent.
GamesBeat: Is there a method for one human participant to bother the opposite human participant?
Fares: All the time. You’ll be able to mess with one another. In that degree, the skyline–he simply did it. There are methods to mess with one another. That’s a part of a Hazelight sport.
Query: Once I was taking part in It Takes Two with my girlfriend, it almost ended our relationship. You most likely get that so much. She’s not used to taking part in video video games. Did you hear that so much from different folks? Do you assume Break up Fiction will get related reactions?
Fares: I don’t assume it’s the identical, but it surely’s clearly going to check your abilities. Humorous sufficient, with It Takes Two, I bear in mind after we did some testing. There have been {couples}. You could possibly sense it with some folks. “Oh, these two must work on their communication.” It’s a great way to check your relationship. You should talk on a regular basis. Even when there are moments the place you play by your self for a short time, more often than not it is advisable to talk. In any other case you’re not going to have the ability to progress. Are you collectively nonetheless?
Query: We dropped the sport partway by means of as a result of she was getting so pissed off. She doesn’t play video video games in any respect, so–it’s a tricky sport for somebody who hasn’t ever performed video games of their life. However perhaps we’ll give it a shot with Break up Fiction.
Fares: I performed it a bit with my spouse, however she’s not a gamer as effectively. Typically you simply have to simply accept it. Not everybody loves video video games. I don’t perceive that. How are you going to stay in a world the place you don’t love video video games? I simply don’t get it.
GamesBeat: What do you consider the Oscars?
Fares: What do I consider them? I say fuck ‘em. No, it’s humorous. The entire “fuck the Oscars” factor, it’s primarily based on after I was there on the awards. Everybody was speaking about how, “That is just like the Oscars! That is just like the Oscars!” They had been so pumped. I mentioned, “Fuck the Oscars, that is a lot cooler.” I don’t really know what’s occurring with the Oscars now. We’ll see after I win an Oscar sometime. Who is aware of what I’ll do on stage?
