Review: Orbitals (Switch 2) – One Of The Best Co-Op Games Of The Year

Nintendo Life has given a glowing review to Orbitals, a new two-player co-op puzzle-platformer for Nintendo Switch 2 developed by Tokyo-based studio Shapefarm. The game pairs an anime-inspired visual style, evoking Cowboy Bebop, Gundam and Dragon Ball, with asymmetrical co-op gameplay from a director who previously worked as a level designer on It Takes Two, Split Fiction and A Way Out, and the review calls it one of the best co-op games of the year.

The story follows protagonists Maki and Omura as they work to protect their colony from a recurring storm, joined by supporting characters Togen and Kinakoko. Playable in local co-op or online via GameChat and GameShare, the roughly 5-7 hour campaign has players wielding tools such as lasers and hookshots to solve puzzles, navigate platforming sections and pilot a spaceship together, with the reviewer praising the intuitive controls and the sheer variety of ways the mechanics are used throughout.