Developer Shapefarm KK and publisher Kepler Interactive have launched Orbitals, a two-player cooperative sci-fi adventure heavily inspired by 1980s and 1990s retro anime aesthetics. Designed without any solo play options, the title places collaborative problem-solving at the center of its experience while giving players unusual freedom in how they manage their roles.
The story follows protagonists Maki and Omura as they navigate a series of space objectives. Rather than locking specific abilities to each character, Orbitals ties skills to equipment chosen aboard the crew's spaceship. Prior to every mission, players select tools such as grappling hooks or laser cannons from their hub. During ship combat and navigation, roles like piloting and operating gun turrets are determined simply by sitting in designated seats, which can be swapped at any point during gameplay.
To accommodate its strictly multiplayer nature, the game offers a free Global Friend Pass on the Nintendo eShop. This setup lets a single copy owner invite a partner who downloads the free pass, allowing two people to complete the entire campaign together via local or online co-op without buying a second copy.
The story establishes high stakes early on, dropping players into a community under threat of total extinction. Characters rely on machines called I.M.s to retain their souls and enable respawns, introducing narrative tension since destroying the machines means permanent death. Orbitals balances this urgency with an unhurried pace, requiring players to manually execute travel actions like boarding ships and taking seats, all backed by Studio Ghibli-esque visuals and a retro-style soundtrack.
Over its 12-hour runtime, the experience remains mostly lighthearted, though it features a relatively low difficulty level. Puzzles rarely force intense coordination, and the campaign features only two full boss battles across its run, missing opportunities for intermediate mini-boss fights. While the third act's story grows somewhat predictable, Orbitals delivers a charming and visually distinct cooperative venture.
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