Orbitals left a strong impression on many people when it was shown last year. I’ve seen it mentioned repeatedly since The Game Awards reveal on social media, and I get why it’s highly anticipated. Despite Hazelight Studios leading the charge in couch co-op games, Shapefarm and Kepler Interactive have something special on their hands.
And while I adore Orbitals for crafting an experience you can only experience with another person, it isn’t without its faults. It’s clearly inspired by It Takes Two and, more recently, Split Fiction, which helps given that one of the directors previously worked at Hazelight. The games share clear DNA, focusing on working together while attempting to tell a poignant story. It also has some incredible visuals, with Studio Masakita assisting with the cinematics to make Orbitals feel like an anime from the early 1990s.
Orbitals Is For Friends
Orbitals leverages Unreal Engine 5 and the extended power of the Nintendo Switch 2’s hardware to deliver a co-operative experience by teaming up with two pairs of Joy-Con 2 controllers on a single Nintendo Switch 2 device for split-screen local co-op, using the system’s GameShare feature to share Orbitals with another local player or by matchmaking online with their friends.
The story begins with you and a partner playing as Maki and Omura, two space explorers who are best friends and embark on an adventure together. The pair were at one point exposed to technology which allows them to store their consciousness and regain their bodies if they end up dead, near death, or maimed. So it becomes their duty to assist on an old space colony and ensure they can do the jobs others can’t. However, one day, a weird space storm threatens to destroy the colony they are protecting, and they are tasked with heading out to record Reactor Cassettes to ensure the colony survives.
The narrative setup isn’t anything particularily new, but it’s enough to keep the two players invested as they work together for several hours.
Playing as Maki or Omura isn’t about who controls better, either, as both characters share the same abilities. In many cases, you often must work together to progress further. One player may fly the spaceship while the other blasts at enemies from the cockpit; there are also several tools like the grappling hook, water cannon, laser, and even a jetpack you’ll use throughout the campaign. Each has a use, and it is up to you to figure out which tools in your arsenal are the right ones for the tasks at hand. It’s a smart way to ensure no player feels left out, especially for somebody like me who would play co-op games and find that I chose the wrong character with the wrong powers.
Maki and Omura are often split up to work on separate things, so the two players must work together while also handling separate tasks. The levels require you to bring tools with you for the mission at hand. Each person must do one thing while coordinating with their partner to ensure the timing is right. This means Maki can use the water cannon to reposition mirrors while Omura uses the laser beam to bounce light off them. You have to work together and make sure you’ve got the right tools for the job at hand.
There are also areas where you need to support the other player. If you’re split up, one player uses the tool they have to ensure the other player makes it to them, and vice versa. If you’ve played Split Fiction, this will be familiar, as it ensures you’re not just working together but for each other.
And there are puzzles you’ll encounter in Orbitals that will ensure the two players are paying attention. With each new area, you’ll find puzzles that use the gadgets you’ve gathered. One might require you to use the laser to melt ice, while the water cannon is needed to add liquids, or you’ll use the grapple to pull items toward you or manipulate the environment. Nothing I faced was particularily challenging and mostly fun once you figured out what was required of you and your partner.
Verdict
Orbitals is one of those perfect games you finish in an afternoon with the right person. It’s not particularily ambitious, but it doesn’t need to be; rather, it delivers a great co-op experience that’ll take you across the stars in a bid to save a space colony in your trust. Sitting down to play Orbitals will likely serve as a catalyst for remembering your childhood of watching anime on weekends. Even with Orbitals gameplay never being exceptionally challenge, it’s stunning animation is hard to ignore.
[The publisher provided a copy of the game for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: Switch 2
Orbitals Review — You Plus Who?
Summary
Orbitals is one of those perfect games you finish in an afternoon with the right person. It's not particularily ambitious, but it doesn't need to be; rather, it delivers a great co-op experience that'll take you across the stars in a bid to save a space colony in your trust. Sitting down to play Orbitals will likely serve as a catalyst for your childhood of watching anime on weekends, and its stunning animation is hard to ignore.
