Orbitals Review: Split-Screen Co-Op Sci-Fi Is the Best Switch 2 Exclusive Yet

Shapefarm’s upcoming co-op sci-fi adventure Orbitals is landing with a very specific pitch: split-screen-style teamwork, a retro anime look, and a story that keeps a darker edge than its visuals suggest. A full playthrough on Nintendo Switch 2 has highlighted what it gets right—and where it still shows some rough edges.

Orbitals: co-op sci-fi with 80s/90s anime aesthetics

Orbitals is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive co-op adventure set in space. It combines puzzle-solving, light shooter action, and a visual style inspired by 1980s and 1990s anime, with references drawn from series and films such as Dragon Ball, Mobile Suit Gundam, Ranma ½, and Studio Ghibli movies.

The game is designed for two players. Co-op can be played locally via split screen, online, or through Gameshare. Ownership is required only once, with the purchase cost (listed as 50 euros) described as shareable between players.

• Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 (exclusive)
• Mode: Co-op for two players (local, online, Gameshare)
• Chapters: 12
• Estimated test completion time: around 5 hours

A “good sci-fi anime” story with a surprisingly bleak undertone

The narrative centers on an approaching galactic storm threatening a small space settlement. The threat endangers multiple characters, including the colony’s main heroes: Maki, a young mechanic, and Omura, a more dreamy mapmaker/cartographer. Their mission sends them into space to help restore the settlement’s damaged large ship shields—because only repaired shields can fend off the coming danger.

While the story is paced like an anime sci-fi film—complete with emotional peaks, twists, and cinematic sequences—its tone stands out as darker than expected. Early events strongly imply that Maki, Omura, and other colony characters were killed during a previous galactic storm.

Orbitals handles death differently: the body and consciousness can be separated, and as long as the soul and awareness are preserved, the body can be “printed” again using a technology compared to a 3D printer. The characters’ attitudes toward their physical bodies reflect that worldview, with the game showing indifference to what happens to the bodies—burning, crushing, and even death caused by a galactic-storm prologue event.

The grim presence of death is also embedded in how the world looks and what players find. Instead of bodies, the story often places destroyed soul containers across locations. In at least one test moment, a player character can control another body and even use it as a conductor to open a door—while the feedback indicates the shock hurts the creature and that particular body.

Co-op puzzles, changing action genres, and the test’s technical notes

In play, Orbitals aims to keep teamwork constantly relevant. Puzzles are described as relatively straightforward, but the linear world and the structure of the 12 chapters keep both players engaged—especially because communication and coordination are repeatedly required to progress.

Examples from the test include a split-area challenge involving lava, where one player (as Omura) must cool a surface from below using a fluid launcher, while the other player (as Maki) navigates obstacles from their side. In another section, the duo must perform a melody to unlock an entrance: one player heats and fires small teapots to produce notes, while the other pulls on different metal plates to complete the sequence.

Beyond puzzles, the game includes small action set pieces. One player may steer a ship through obstacles while the other handles combat—taking out attackers’ shields with rockets, disabling enemies, or redirecting incoming threats by firing back at guided objects. Some sequences add pursuit, with one player focusing on dodging hazards and the partner eliminating the pursuers.

Orbitals also shifts presentation and gameplay styles more than a typical co-op sci-fi adventure. Side-scrolling perspectives appear, and the action can pivot into different sub-genres during the journey—at one point described as switching into a 2D side scroller and transforming a space fight into a twin-stick shooter/bullet-hell segment. Other passages include a rhythm-style music moment and at least one scenario where a player character becomes a completely different creature.

On the Nintendo Switch 2 build tested, the report notes no frame drops, crashes, or major technical issues. The only cited flaw is a small UI bug: a button prompt remains visible until the last autosave point is reloaded.

Accessibility options are limited—and saving depends heavily on chapter checkpoints

The test also compares Orbitals’ accessibility options to other co-op titles like Split Fiction and It Takes Two, stating that Orbitals offers fewer options.

• Swap controls: ZL/ZR, Y/X, and A/B
• Invert axis option
• Camera shake setting
• Motion sickness / nausea setting
• Subtitles for players who are deaf or hard of hearing

Gameplay-wise, one notable complaint is about progression and saving. The test highlights that checkpoints are often set only at the start of new chapters or areas, and there is no manual save function. If players quit mid-chapter, they may need to restart from earlier sections or replay portions of the chapter. The tester notes that this is less of a dealbreaker given typical chapter lengths of about 15 to 20 minutes, but it still stood out due to the sparse autosaving behavior.

Retro anime visuals and an “earworm” soundtrack

Orbitals is praised primarily for its presentation. The game’s hand-drawn retro anime look is described as consistent across the entire experience, with particular appeal for anime fans. The menu itself is singled out as an early visual showcase.

The soundtrack is also highlighted as a major strength, built to match the retro anime vibe of the 1980s and 1990s. The music is compared to classic anime opening styles, with references mentioned to Mobile Suit Gundam, Dragon Quest, and City Hunter. One specific menu track, “Accelerating Destiny” by Japanese singer Mami Ayukawa, is called out as especially catchy—so much so that the tester says they sometimes wanted to listen rather than continue playing.

Finally, the German dub is described as a standout feature, with voice cast members including Franciska Friede, Tim Knauer, and Vincent Fallow.

What to watch next

With Orbitals, the main watch-items for co-op players are clear: whether the game’s limited autosave/checkpoint approach affects your tolerance for restarting sections, and how the team dynamic holds up during longer sessions across its genre-shifting set pieces. If you’re specifically looking for a co-op adventure that blends sci-fi puzzles with anime-style aesthetics—and a soundtrack that’s designed to stick—Orbitals is shaping up as a compelling option for the Switch 2 launch window.