Split Fiction chapter 3: The Ice King walkthrough

The Ice King is the final subchapter of the Hopes of Spring chapter in Split Fiction. As the final part of this lengthy chapter, you and your partner are in for a fight as you join forces to defeat the Ice King once and for all. This is a different kind of boss battle, and there are a few details that you and your partner must nail down before stepping into the frozen arena.

This article will cover everything you must know about the Ice King, from weaknesses, tactics, recommended strategies, and other crucial tidbits that could save your lives. Every chapter in this new Hazelight Studios game is a work of art, and the developers want to wrap this chapter nicely with a bow.

Disclaimer: This article may contain major spoilers for the Hopes of Spring chapter.

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Meeting the Ice King in Split Fiction

The Ice King has officially been dethroned (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming/Electronic Arts)

After getting through the Halls of Ice subchapter, Zoe and Mio will end up in the Ice King's throne room. If you and your partner were expecting an old and bitter man talking about how he poorly managed his kingdom and subjects, Hazelight Studios have subverted expectations. The game developers opted for a different approach and designed the Ice King to be a furry cat.

This fight may look easy at face value since you and your partner will take on the Ice King in their animal form, but it can be unforgiving if you fail to attack and dodge. Like Zoe and Mio, the Ice King has shapeshifting abilities and will transform into a feral saber-tooth cat to start the fight.

How to defeat the Ice King

At the start of the fight, the Ice King will transform into a saber-tooth cat and send you and your partner to different platforms, away from each other. You and your partner must survive until the Ice King runs out of ground and the fight moves to a different phase. After being reunited with your partner, this is where things get interesting.

The Ice King will move from one edge and emit waves of light from its paw, similar to how Mr. Hammer would throw his hammer down on the ground to emit energy waves to hurt both players. You and your partner must time your dodges and use air dashes to get away quickly. After the initial attack, players can go for the exposed chest as Zoe transforms into a massive tree.

As Zoe pulls down the Ice King, Mio can transform into her ape form and go for the crystal. It is worth noting that players controlling Mio should be cautious because any form of physical contact with the Ice King will damage and sometimes lead to instant death. After recovering from the first attack, the Ice King has a few more moves up their sleeves.

All you and your partner have to do is evade these light pillars (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming/Electronic Arts)

The next attack will come from above as the Ice King rains ice shards down the battlefield. Fortunately, the area where these shards will land is marked and this gives you and your partner enough time to evade and always be on the move. After the ice shard rain is over, there will be a massive paw mark at the center, and this move can instantly kill both players.

The strategy here is to wear out the Ice King and avoid taking any damage. Eventually, he will stop raining ice shards and emitting light waves, which is when the crystal from his chest will be vulnerable to attacks. Repeat the same strategy of using Zoe's tree form to pull down the boss and give Mio an easier time to deal damage as an ape.

The Ice King will throw a fit and destroy the arena, dropping Zoe and Mio to an icy slope. While it looks easy to slide to the bottom, this ride has a few obstacles and traps embedded, and you should avoid them to prevent taking more damage. As you reach the end of the slide, this will be the final arena for this boss fight.

Final Phase

At the final arena, the Ice King will make a few cyclones and tornadoes that must be avoided at all costs. Mio can transform into an otter and swim underwater to grab a flower bulb that Zoe can use to stun the Ice King. Once he is stunned, Mio can transform into her ape form and deal damage from there.

After realizing your strategy, the Ice King will freeze the entire pond, preventing Mio from swimming and acquiring more flower bulbs. The Ice King will start firing hairballs towards Mio and Zoe, and you can use this to your advantage by letting it crack the ice. Wait long enough and launch the flower bulb at the Ice King to damage the exposed crystal from his chest.

Give it everything you've got until it breaks; that will revert the Ice King to their original form. After the boss fight, you and your partner will spot the next glitch that will take them to another one of their old ideas.

Split Fiction is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC. For more related articles, check these out:

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Edited by Aatreyee Aich