2 players (required)
Available exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2
Playing is still more fun with two. Yet it isn’t always easy to find a game that lets you move forward together, collaborating. Orbitals is one of them and if you own a Switch 2 console, you shouldn’t miss it.
It must be said that the catalogue of Nintendo’s latest console remains a little thin. At least in terms of exclusive games. So, if you are still wondering how to justify this purchase, which went against the advice warning against rushing into too hasty an investment, here is some news that should please you: Orbitals is only available on Switch 2.
More than that, it is the game’s proposition that seems interesting to me, for this column that recommends family games. In a sublime animation style reminiscent of the anime of the parents’ youth (Albator, Ulysse 31, Goldorak, etc.), you play two teenagers who grew up in a space colony and are about to take off on their first exploration mission. Helping each other will then be paramount.
If you feel like you’re watching a cartoon from your childhood again, that’s normal
Whether online or from the same sofa, I always prefer to play together using the second option, which I find friendlier. You play Maki or Omura, who have no particular skills. Apart from their looks and personalities, the two are interchangeable. On the other hand, the tools you equip yourself with confer specific abilities. For example, a water cannon to turn blades, a grappling hook to pull objects towards you, or a beam to power energy crystals. By observing and discussing the elements in front of you, you then work out what is expected of you and what role each of you will have to play.
On a single screen, split in two, each player focuses on their own task
After Luigi’s Mansion 3 and It Takes Two, Orbitals is a new gem of collaboration. I credit it with two weighty qualities. First, the variety of situations on offer. Piloting a spaceship, carrying a battery with one character who must make sure it doesn’t run flat while the other opens doors for them, a rhythm sequence, or driving a hovercraft in a mine that you steer by leaning right or left, a 2D section where you jump from one platform to another. The momentum is constantly renewed and you never get bored.
Varied sequences that regularly bring something new
Second, the ease of picking it up and the absence of stress. To make sure it was accessible, I asked someone who isn’t very good at video games to join me. She confirmed that she very much enjoyed the game and quickly understood how to control it. You sometimes need to wait for each other, which is very good learning for the youngest. It isn’t possible to get too far ahead alone, because both characters must be present to solve the puzzles.
