Orbitals Review: A Beautiful But Derivative Co-Op Adventure
- Orbitals launches on September 3 exclusively for Nintendo Switch, offering a two-player cooperative experience that emulates the style of Hazelight Studios' It Takes Two and Split Fiction.
- Featuring 12 chapters lasting around 5 hours, Orbitals utilizes 80s and 90s anime art direction with thick lines and simple shading, creating a whimsical Saturday morning cartoon feel.
- Players control Maki and Omura, space explorers tasked with powering their ship, while the main theme, "Accelerating Destiny," is sung by legendary 80s anime vocalist Mami Ayukawa.
- Compared to Split Fiction, Orbitals' pacing quickly picks up into the finale, making it feel rushed; yet it remains a "no-frills co-op smorgasbord" delightful from start to finish.
- Shapefarm's debut tackles subjects like agency of choice and forgiveness, following in the footsteps of classics like Cowboy Bebop and Mobile Suit Gundam Wing.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Shapefarm's proposal is attractive, but it lacks some push to be the game that aimed
Hi, cowboy and cowgirl of space. It promises a game emulating a vintage anime, then offers a game emulating a vintage anime: Orbitals is a brilliant artistic success.
Orbitals review - gorgeous anime stylings from breakaway It Takes Two devs only make for a lesser light of the co-op renaissance
Orbitals' twin protagonists Maki and Omura have this adorable little habit. When they leave behind a tool – a ground-pound backpack or hacked microwave oven – they'll often say goodbye to it. Or sayonara, rather, if you're playing Orbitals in Japanese (as well you should; subs over dubs any day).
Retro anime look, strong music and a great co-op mode: "Orbitals" convinces at first glance. But can the space adventure also playfully and narratively meet the expectations?
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