ORBITALS: TWO PILOTS, ONE SHIP, AND A LOT OF SHOUTING
8.0 of 10 bananas. A two player only co-op adventure that looks like a lost 80s anime film. Critics adore the art and music and argue about the puzzles: some call it the best co-op game since It Takes Two, others say it lacks that spark. It is short, about five to six hours.
By the Alpha. Full review. Updated Nov 10 2026.
Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from critic reviews, player reviews, the store listing, and the official game pages linked below. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2 only. Released September 3 2026 by Shapefarm. Two players are required: couch co-op, online, or GameShare, plus a free Friend Pass so your partner can play online without buying it. The Amazon button is the Switch 2 physical copy; the box art I checked shows no GAME-KEY CARD label. At my Nov 10 2026 check it was sold by Amazon.com at 49.98 dollars and listed In Stock.
Get Orbitals for Switch 2 on AmazonStore check, Nov 10 2026: new copies sold and shipped by Amazon.com at 49.98 dollars, In Stock. Two players required. Prices and sellers change, so look before you pay.
Sit with me a moment. The best nights in my canopy are the loud ones: two apes on one couch, one steering, one shooting, both blaming each other. Orbitals is built for exactly that night, and it looks like a cartoon I would have taped off the TV in 1988.
What It Wants To Be
You play Maki and Omura, two young crew members sent out from their station to recover the Reactor Cassettes that power its shields before a storm hits. One pilots the ship while the other mans the guns, and on foot each player carries tools that push, pull, spray water, shock machines, or possess alien goo. Every puzzle needs both of you. There is no single player mode.
What Works
The look is the headline. TheSixthAxis says it nails 80s and 90s anime with hand drawn watercolor cels, film grain, and CRT style filters, and calls the soundtrack on point. Polygon went further and called it the best co-op game since It Takes Two. Metacritic sits at 81 at my check. The Friend Pass is a real kindness: one copy and a free download gets two people playing online. On Amazon, buyers rate it 4.6 of 5 from 129 ratings, with 1K plus bought in the past month.
What Breaks
It is short: reviews put it around five to six hours. TheSixthAxis found the puzzles less inventive than Hazelight games, with few true wow moments, a flat story in places, and art so busy it can hide what to grab. Polygon round ups say It Takes Two is still the co-op game to beat. And if you have no second player, there is nothing here for you.
Who Should Play
Play it with a partner, a sibling, or a kid who is ready for real co-op, especially if you love old anime. Skip it if you mostly play alone or want a long campaign for 50 dollars.
STRENGTHS
- Stunning 80s anime art and music
- Great couch co-op roles
- Free Friend Pass for online
- Sold by Amazon.com at my check
HONEST COSTS
- About five to six hours
- Puzzles less inventive than the best
- Two players required
- Busy art can hide clues
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