Space is the final frontier, the endless expanse and limitless possibilities will always be magical. But even space has its mysteries and unexplored worlds. Orbitals is a puzzle platformer where you play as one of two characters scavenging wreaks in space to build up your base to survive. This game is a great game to play with your friends to either explore and solve puzzles, or just troll them over and over again.
The main draw of this game is how you play it. This game is only multiplayer and is impossible to play by yourself. While this can hamper the enjoyment of the game, you do have options. You can play online with a friend or play local with a second controller. I recommend you play with someone who knows how to play games since this game isn’t meant for beginners. You have to have near perfect symmetry because the puzzles require teamwork. While I always say a game should have single player compatibility, I can see why this game requires two players.
While playing, you have to pilot your ship to each area for your salvaging. Even the ship requires both players to pilot. One player flies the ship while the other controls the weapons and it’s a necessity for both players to work together. While flying you will be attacked by different bases and you will even have to solve puzzles using your ship. You will even find upgrades to the ship that will help with both combat and puzzle solving.
Between levels the game will show you where the next area is so you won’t get lost. Right before you enter a base, the game will tell you which two devices you will need to solve the puzzles. During your scavenging there will be times you and your player 2 will have to take different paths and will have to do things that will affect the other player. This is where you can either help or mess with the other player and the fun really begins. Using the grapple gun, you will pull out panels which you can retract to cause your friend to fall, or use the laser when charging a drone but not charge it to cause it to explode. This game has so many ways you can have fun and it leaves it up to you.
The art style looks exactly like an 80’s anime so if you are an anime fan, that’s a reason to like this game already. How the characters act and the dialog all scream early 80 anime. This gives me a nostalgic feel whenever I hear characters talk and banter. I can even see the wonder the main characters have when they look into space and the sorrow when they see the wreckage they explore. The story gives off wonder for exploration and sorrow when you see remnants of other settlements.
Each level is well made and the puzzles are well thought out. Each level shows how different settlements tried to survive. Some worked like a mining operation, some were like laboratories and so much more and the puzzles reflect this. The puzzles are well integrated into the level design to the point it looks natural to how the settlements used to look before they were destroyed. You often have to think outside of the box and rely on your friend to solve the puzzles. The solutions aren’t that obvious when you first play the game and will take some time to even begin. During the first level for example, it took me and my player 2 a while to figure out how to start it. It turned out we had to shoot our laser through a glass to power a switch to open a hatch so that one of us could enter. The big issue was that we had no idea the laser could even do that. It might have been useful if the game would explain how each of the tools work and how they can be used that way. We would have known that the laser could do that and saved us some time.
In conclusion Orbitals is a fun game to play with your friends and family. If you like anime and games that require thinking and friends, then you are sure to enjoy this game. Just try not to troll too much or you will never advance through the story, plus you might get your player 2 annoyed. Also make sure you pick someone who knows how to play games.
Score: 8 out of 10
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2
