Orbitals Reviews
Orbitals delivers exactly what I wanted from a co-op game: a great time shared with someone else, backed by lovable characters, a memorable story, and fantastic retro-anime style.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Orbitals is like a fun, short anime series you start watching with someone - just when it gets the most interesting, you suddenly realize it’s already over.
Review in Unknown | Read full review
Another brilliant, and incredibly varied, co-op title to enjoy with a friend, with a gobsmackingly-good and highly-memorable visual style
Orbitals charms with its nostalgic retro anime-inspired presentation, strong co-op gameplay, and lovable characters, even if the story runs a bit out of steam towards its final stretch.
Some of the best moments in Orbitals came from my friend and me just stopping to smell the roses. We had a great time figuring out its puzzles together, especially when a simple gadget led to a solution neither of us expected. That sense of discovery carries through the adventure, helped along by a world that is as strange as it is gorgeous. The problem is that some of its best ideas barely have time to develop throughout its 10-hour runtime, whether they come from the story or the mechanics. For all the things we wanted more of, though, we never stopped having fun with the game.
Orbitals is a game for fans of co-op split-screen adventure who’ve fallen in love with Hazelight’s games. With its anime-style visuals and accessibility, it’s a lovely experience to play with anyone.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Orbitals is one of those adventures that fully understands what it wants to be and never strays from that vision for a single second. Its cooperative gameplay turns communication, trial and error, and player camaraderie into an essential part of the experience, while its art and sound direction achieve something extraordinarily difficult: rather than merely mimicking late-80s anime, it recaptures its texture, expressiveness, and unique vision of the future. It’s not a title for everyone, but if you buy into its premise and have the right co-op partner by your side, it’s remarkably easy to get swept away in its galaxy for hours on end.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Orbitals delivers smart co-op, varied puzzles, strong anime-inspired presentation, and a memorable world, though its story and final stretch leave some potential unexplored.
I had high hopes for Orbitals after seeing that beautiful 80s anime style, but I didn’t expect the co-op to be this creative. We had a lot of fun figuring out the puzzles while messing around with all the different tools and discovering whatever strange idea the game had waiting for us next. I also love that it doesn’t really care who does what, swap tools, switch roles, and figure it out together works incredibly well, whether you play games every day or barely touch them. There really isn’t much I would change here; Orbitals is exactly the kind of co-op adventure I love to play.
Despite its gorgeous anime-inspired presentation, Orbitals never quite manages to reach the heights it desperately aims for. There is an undeniable passion stitched throughout each piece of the game, but a lack of difficulty, lackluster narrative, and mediocre area design left me mixed on what I hoped would be a defining game of 2026. Younger players could have a great time with Orbitals, but I struggle to recommend it to anyone looking for anything more than a surface-level experience.
Orbitals is one of those perfect games you finish in an afternoon with the right person. It's not particularily ambitious, but it doesn't need to be; rather, it delivers a great co-op experience that'll take you across the stars in a bid to save a space colony in your trust. Sitting down to play Orbitals will likely serve as a catalyst for your childhood of watching anime on weekends, and its stunning animation is hard to ignore.
I can confidently say that Orbitals is a must-play multiplayer experience on the Nintendo Switch 2, offering charm, polish, and plenty of fun. Creativity and attention to detail shine through in every aspect of the gameplay, and it is hard to ask for anything more from a great game.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Shapefarm has created something magnificent, if challenging, and it’s a clear invitation to fans the world over. It’s a change, but a wonderful one. As Sadie Williams said, “I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.” So let’s venture into this new dark together. It’s unknown, but we have each other, and that means the whole damn universe.
Orbitals isn't interested in being purely an 80s anime tribute; instead, it aims to recreate the feeling of seeing a work of art for the first time and immersing in it, alongside a good friend. It's a multiplayer triumph in visuals and gameplay, but lacks a little in the story.
Orbitals is a split-screen multiplayer game that follows the structure of titles like It Takes Two and Split Fiction. With absurdly striking visuals reminiscent of 1980s anime, fun and accessible gameplay, and a campaign that leaves you wanting more, this is an excellent Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Orbitals is one of the most interesting cooperative experiences available on the Nintendo Switch 2. It doesn’t always match the narrative depth of the games that openly inspired it, but it makes up for it with imaginative puzzles, carefully crafted co-op gameplay, and exceptional art direction. Short but intensely enjoyable, Maki and Omura’s journey proves once again that the best cooperative adventures aren’t necessarily the ones with the hardest puzzles, but those that turn solving them into a shared memory.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Orbitals recaptures the magic of pure cooperative gaming on Nintendo Switch 2. With stunning visuals inspired by 80s anime and addictive gameplay, it is a charming, must-play space journey to share with a partner or friends.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Despite its late-game stumbles, Orbitals is an utter joy that captures the nostalgia and innocence of classic anime, turning it into an inventive, thoroughly enjoyable co-op adventure. With brilliant puzzles, a gorgeous setting, and lovable protagonists, Shapefarm has delivered a trip down memory lane worth taking. It’s a stacked month of releases, but if you’re a Switch 2 owner, this needs to be in your orbit. (Not proud of that one).
"Orbitals" is another successful co-op adventure in the vein of Hazelight games like "Split Fiction." In terms of gameplay, and especially its appealing retro anime style, it's not a cheap imitation, but rather a game that retains its own unique character while meeting the quality standards of its predecessors.
Review in German | Read full review
Orbitals is a co-op adventure that knows exactly what it wants to be. Shapefarm has created a game that revolves entirely around playing together and has built nearly every mechanic around that concept.
Review in Dutch | Read full review