Orbitals Blends Retro Charm With Engaging Co-op Adventure

Orbitals, the new cooperative space adventure from developer Shapefarm, successfully walks the tightrope between honoring retro anime aesthetics and creating an experience with its own identity. Released on September 3, 2026, the game demonstrates that nostalgia works best when paired with genuine design intention rather than surface-level references alone.

The visual presentation immediately evokes the comfort of classic '80s and '90s anime, complete with character designs reminiscent of Studio Ghibli productions. However, what sets Orbitals apart is how thoroughly this aesthetic permeates every design decision. From world-building to character interactions, the game maintains a cohesive vision that feels earned rather than borrowed. The soundtrack further reinforces this atmosphere, enhancing the cozy, nostalgic tone throughout the roughly twelve-hour campaign.

At its core, Orbitals is built around cooperative teamwork between two characters, Maki and Omura, who must work together across exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat encounters. The game excels by making cooperation feel mandatory rather than optional. Nearly every aspect of gameplay requires both players to contribute meaningfully, ensuring neither person sits idle. Crucially, the game grants players substantial control over how they approach this partnership. While players select which character to pilot at the start, this choice affects only the character model displayed—not abilities or gameplay mechanics. Instead, tools like grappling hooks and laser guns are selected from the ship's inventory at the beginning of each mission, allowing partners to discuss and decide their loadout together. During ship-based missions, players freely swap between pilot and gunner roles by simply changing seats, further emphasizing player agency.

For those without a copy, Orbitals offers a free Global Friend Pass available through the Nintendo eShop, allowing a second player to join a hosted game, effectively letting two friends share the cost of a single purchase.

The mission design prioritizes letting players enjoy the journey at their own pace. Rather than teleporting between areas, characters physically travel to each new location, creating moments for players to appreciate environmental details and share the experience without artificial time pressure. Puzzles are creative and require genuine collaboration, though they rarely demand the level of communication and pre-planning that would create meaningful challenge. Most objectives clearly telegraph what each player must accomplish, allowing progression without friction. This accessibility enables humorous moments where players intentionally sabotage each other, though it also means the game rarely forces genuine problem-solving urgency.

Boss encounters represent a notable weakness. Across the campaign, players face only two major bosses, a significant missed opportunity given the game's interesting environments and mechanics. The bosses that do appear feature multiple phases with varied gameplay, suggesting that breaking these phases into separate encounters throughout the game might have provided better pacing and challenge distribution. The final boss particularly suffers from this design choice, introducing new mechanics repeatedly when players expect the encounter to conclude.

The narrative begins strong, opening with an urgent scenario reminiscent of Halo's Pillar of Autumn sequence. Maki and Omura's community faces existential threat, with the stakes reinforced by the I.M. system—machines that hold souls and enable respawning. This mechanic cleverly explains gameplay resurrection while emphasizing narrative urgency. Voice acting throughout is excellent, and character moments carry genuine emotional weight. However, the story becomes predictable in its final act, with some conflicts feeling avoidable in ways that undermine dramatic impact. The relationship between Maki and Omura, while refreshingly free of the antagonism common in other co-op games, misses opportunities for character development through interpersonal tension.

Despite occasional shortcomings in difficulty and narrative pacing, Orbitals succeeds as a cohesive cooperative experience. The combination of stunning visuals, charming characters, exceptional music, and player-focused design creates something memorable. For players seeking a relaxed but engaging co-op adventure with genuine heart, Orbitals delivers an experience worth sharing.