Orbitals is a flashy new two player co-op game exclusively for the Switch 2 developed by Shapefarm and published by Kepler Interactive, done in the style of an 80’s anime. It is a charming spacefaring adventure starring two orphans who grow up on a ship. This game takes the essence from games like It Takes Two, and changes things up.
The game has a simple anime opening too, and the theme song is quite catchy. It then leads into fully animated anime cutscenes, that draw the players into the world effortlessly. It’s beautiful to see a game like this that has so much shine and beauty.
The story opens with the ship they live on burning. They are given special powers by a machine called an IM, and soon there is a time jump, where they are now young adults. The characters are their own people, and it’s easy to tell this will be a fun journey.
It feels like playing an anime, and the style is so clean. The characters are charming and the player will immediately feel connected to the two main characters Maki and Omura. Maki is a headstrong mechanic and Omura is a cartographer who is often lost in his thoughts.
The two characters are raised on a ship by an old woman, but want to head out on their journey in their spaceship as soon as possible. They are shocked to find that their ship is in need of one more repair and head out to fix it. This is the first level of sorts where players must team up to solve problems.
The duo can run, jump, and even air dash out of the way. The simple controls prove that this game is great for everyone. It’s definitely important to have a simple baseline in co-op games as more people will be willing to play. It pushes people to invite others who may not play games to play and that is special too.
Players will need to use a variety of tools from a laser cannon, to a water launcher, and even a grapple of sorts. The levels require cooperation and players will need to think things through together to complete objectives. It’s good to see games like this thrive and couch co-op is often neglected and this game works better when the other player is in the same room.
For instance in the first section of the game players will need to use the tools provided to fix the ship. The Water Launcher can only push the moving pieces so far, and the other player must grapple the piece to push further. It may take a moment but is quite easy once both players understand what they must do to succeed.
Once the ship is fixed players will also control the ship itself, kicking off a new set of encounters. One player will pilot the ship, while the other will man the cannon. Piloting the ship feels pretty effortless, and doesn’t require much to learn, but it gets new abilities that require a little focus.
The other player will control the turret on top of the ship. Hopefully, their partner will be able to fly right as they shoot down enemies and open path ways from above. The turret gains new abilities throughout the game. It requires at least a rudimentary ability to target moving enemies and use the right ability at the right time.
The game itself effortlessly splits itself between terrestrial puzzles where the players run around using gadgets and the environment and ship based levels. Everything works in tandem to provide the players with enough stimulation and fun to keep them interested. It is a great time if the players are enjoying each other’s company as they play it.
Maki and Omura are great characters and they will talk as the players play. They will communicate with the granny character and their older friend Togen. They will also talk to each other, and their back-and-forth is fun to watch. Another time they will talk is if they die. What they say when they die is interesting, especially since they always come back to life.
Players can even emote at the characters, pulled up on a quick radial wheel mid-gameplay. The emotes are great if players are playing online or don’t feel like talking. They can show happiness, surprise, or even dance to name a few, and the other character will often react in kind. It’s simple but it adds just a little bit more flavor to the characters and that’s great.
The game itself is so fluid and honestly quite magical. It’s fantastic to see a game with this aesthetic shine. It feels like actively playing an old school anime, and the world is lively and well designed. Players can play with one copy via a number of methods. They can use the gameshare feature and play on separate consoles or play on one using multiple controllers. The game is also split screen and offers up a classic way to play together.
Players can play online with a friend as well. Players have to add the other player and can then use a global friend pass to play with whoever. The game requires a second player and options are always helpful. Though couch co-op is definitely the way to play, as being close to the other person helps build a better vibe.
The music is quite good too. Though the main theme does play throughout the game’s score it works because it’s like an anime. It’s great to hear the music and keeps the energy up. It might be simple but, that’s okay, it does what it needs to, and fits the vibe as necessary.
The voice acting is also quite good. It’s not the same as old school anime and that’s great. In some older anime the voices might not have been truly aligned, but in this game everything syncs up nicely. Voice acting is always appreciated and adds a lot more to the characters here.
Orbitals is a fantastic game, and one that all players should try if possible. Maki and Omura are lovely people who just want to explore the galaxy. Having grown up sheltered in a ship for their whole lives it’s finally time they got their wish. Will the players team up and help explore the galaxy?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
