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Split Fiction’s Collapsing Star side story is one of the trickiest inthis awesome gameand involves careful timing and coordination on the part of both players. Both players will die if one of them fails throughout this entire mission, so choose your strongestFriend’s Passbuddy option for this one.
The gimmick of this story is that a giant, unstable star keeps sending out deadly flares at timed intervals. The two players can survive these by getting to reinforced glass shields of cover, as these somehow protect them from the lethal cosmic rays.
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While timing is important in this level, there are also a few annoying sections in thisside storythat aren’t explained well to the player. Luckily, we’ve got you covered if you need help surviving this exploding galaxy.
Surviving Split Fiction’s Collapsing Star Side Story
The opening section is straightforward — run through the base, wall jump, then have both characters activate the two computer consoles to get outside. This will open the door, revealing the dying sun in the distance. As soon as you leave the safety of the base, the sun will start pulsing its deadly light.
You’ll know the sun is about to flare when it lights up, the music slows, and an orange aura starts pouring out. When it lights up – get to cover!
To proceed, simply run behind the glass panels dotted around the stage. These will buckle and crack when the heat hits them. They can only withstand a couple of hits from the solar flares, so keep moving as quickly as you safely can.
Once past the first two shield screens, keep going forward, grapple onto a walkway, and head up a ladder. You’ll reach a door with two red icons. To open it, both players need to grapple each icon at the same time.
In the next area, run forward to the screen and move between the pieces of orange machinery dotted around the facility. Bear in mind that these will move, so you’ll need to keep pace with them to remain safely covered.
Run ahead to a stationary orange machine, wait until the next flare passes, and grapple across to safety. The platform is well-protected, so you won’t get blasted by the star once you land.
Continue on to an area that requires both players to access a computer. You’ll be dropped down to aside-scrolling stage. The next area is a conveyor belt with crates that need to be jumped over.
Simply rush behind the screens when the flares happen, using the air dash when necessary for extra movement speed and platforming precision.
Split Fiction Collapsing Star Platform Puzzle
In the next section, a huge chunk of the stage will be torn away. You’ll need to double-jump/air-dash to get across.
This leads to a puzzle – one player needs to stand on the red glowing pressure button to the left, lowering the platform.
The other player jumps on the lowered platform, leaps across to the next pressure button, and then lifts a platform to allow the first player across. They can then stand on another red button to give the second player their path through.
This process must be completed multiple times.
Make sure the other player isn’t under the platform when you drop it!
Both players will eventually reunite on a lift with two consoles that need to be pressed. This will transport Mio and Zoe to an area with yellow poles that need climbing.
These poles have shields that go up and down behind them which will protect you from the flares, so stay behind them if the star is about to pulse. Once you reach the next area, the screen will split again.
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Continue on past a walkway and grapple ahead to another outdoor area with glass shields. Both players will need to grapple simultaneously to lower a platform to another pane of glass.
Ahead are two consoles that you’ll need to activate simultaneously with a button mash prompt. This will cause a laser shield to appear. Wait until a flare has passed before attempting this, as the timing to raise the shield is tight.
As pointed out by the characters, the flares will now get much faster.
Past this area are spinning barrel walkways that you’re able to dash across. These have steel panels that you need to run to for protection between the onslaught of solar flares.
Continue on, hide behind the orange machines, and then turn left. Both players need to grapple onto the same point to pull down a platform. This will drop them to a new area.
Split Fiction Collapsing Star Button Puzzle
Past another panel, there will be a new puzzle involving the same red pressure buttons from earlier. to bring up the laser shields you’ll need for survival, the players must activate all the red buttons before the next flare hits.
For the first puzzle, have one player hit the two red buttons on the left, and the other the two on the right. For the second puzzle with five columns, have one player focus on the first, center, and left buttons, while the other hits the two on the outside.
The game is very stingy with checkpoints here, so try and get your rhythm down as quickly as possible. Communication with your partner is key.
For the third puzzle, run to the two consoles and mash the prompted button to bring up another blast panel. Wait for a flare to go past, then have one player hit all the buttons on the left and center while the other focues on the ones on the right and top.
Split Fiction Collapsing Star Shields
The players can now pick up shield items which can be used by hitting the right trigger. These will protect you from the flares as soon as they are deployed but have a charge time between uses.
Simply run down the next area, throw up shields whenever a flare approaches, and rush to the next set of consoles. Each player must activate a separate one, causing a bridge to appear.
In this last area, the flares will rapidly pick up pace. The secret to getting to the end is foreach player to time the use of their shields so that it covers both characters in alternating succession.
One player must use a shield, then the other player must move ahead and use theirs for the next flare while the other player recharges. This means the two players must stick very close together so the shield covers both of them.
Once you reach the final console, both players must tap the button rapidly to blow up that jerk of a sun, causing it to explode – ending the stage and allowing you to continue yourSplit Fiction journey.
