Orbitals Game Review

Beautiful Visuals Blur Anime and Gameplay

The game's art direction captures the essence of 80s and 90s anime perfectly. The Sixth Axis praised the visuals for authenticity. However, this strength becomes a weakness. The animated cutscenes and the playable world blend so seamlessly that they become hard to tell apart. This visual overlap, while impressive, sometimes makes it difficult to see where the story ends and the gameplay begins.

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Strong Anime Inspiration, Weak Game Execution

Orbitals draws heavily from classics like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop. The Outer Haven highlighted the game's 1980s mecha anime roots. The problem: the game never fully matches the depth or innovation of those shows. The puzzles are clever, using tool-based mechanics to advance the story. But compared to genre leaders like It Takes Two, Orbitals runs out of ideas too quickly and leans too hard on its influences.

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Puzzle Design Varies Between Engaging and Shallow

The gameplay splits evenly between ship exploration and environmental puzzles. Each screen shows both players simultaneously, forcing constant coordination. The tool-based puzzle system works well at first. Players solve challenges by combining actions on both sides of the screen. Yet the variety dries up by the midpoint. The game struggles to evolve its mechanics in meaningful ways, leaving the final hours feeling repetitive and predictable.

Notably, The Sixth Axis mentioned the game lacks a single-player mode entirely. This design choice locks out solo players but reinforces the co-op focus. For couples and close friends who own a couch, this is a strength. For everyone else, it's a barrier to entry that limits the game's audience considerably.

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A Niche Game for a Specific Audience

Orbitals succeeds as a couch co-op experience during a genre drought. The visuals impress, and the story—set aboard a struggling colony ship—offers genuine stakes. But the game's derivative nature and shallow puzzle progression limit its appeal. It's best suited for players who loved It Takes Two and want more anime-flavored adventures. Solo players and those seeking mechanical innovation should look elsewhere.