Bloody Hell, It’s Like My Childhood VHS Collection Came to Life: Why Orbitals Is More Than Just 'It Takes Two' In Space
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Jeff dives into the newly revealed Switch 2 exclusive 'Orbitals,' an 80s anime-inspired co-op adventure featuring talent from 'It Takes Two' and legendary 'Gundam' animators. It’s a hand-painted love letter to retro-futurism that might just be the next local multiplayer smash hit.
Right, I’ve been tinkering with this story all morning, and honestly, it’s wilder than it first appeared. You know that feeling when you cast a spell and it works a bit too well? That’s what it feels like when you look at the first proper glimpses of *Orbitals*. I was reading through some brilliant reporting by Tom Regan over at Eurogamer, and I reckon we might have a genuine, hand-painted banger on our hands for the Switch 2.
Now, I’m usually the first person to roll my eyes when a marketing team starts shouting about ‘innovation’ or ‘revolutionary art styles’—it usually just means they’ve found a new way to make grass look slightly more pointy. But *Orbitals*? This isn't just PR fluff. It’s a love letter to the era of grainy VHS tapes, 80s anime, and that specific brand of sci-fi where everything looks like it was designed by someone who ate far too much sugar before sitting down at a drawing board.
### The Wizardry Behind the Screen
Let’s look at the ingredients here, because the recipe is frankly ridiculous. You’ve got Shapefarm—a collective of devs from New Zealand, Argentina, and Sweden who decided to set up shop in Tokyo (as you do). Then you throw in Jakob Lundgren, a ten-year veteran of Hazelight. Yes, *that* Hazelight. The people who made *It Takes Two* and basically forced us all to go to couple's therapy through the medium of a sentient book.
But wait, there’s more. To get the visuals right, they didn't just slap a cel-shading filter on some 3D models and call it a day. They actually partnered with Studio Massket—the wizards behind *Attack on Titan* and *One Piece*—and brought in Tōru Yoshida. For those of you who weren’t obsessed with giant robots as kids, Yoshida is a legend who worked on the original *Gundam*.
What does this mean for us? Well, according to the Eurogamer report, the game uses hand-painted static backgrounds with 3D assets and individual anime cels layered over the top. It’s got that soft VHS grain and a slightly ‘juddery’ animation style that feels authentic rather than cheap. It’s basically the anime equivalent of what *Cuphead* did for 1930s cartoons. And honestly? It’s about bloody time.
### More Than Just a Hazelight Clone?
Because Lundgren is at the helm, the comparisons to *It Takes Two* are flying around like loose mana. But I’m cautiously optimistic that *Orbitals* is carving out its own niche. While *It Takes Two* was a platforming gauntlet, *Orbitals* seems to be leaning harder into the tools and the puzzle-solving.
You play as Maki and Omura, two teens in space boots trying to stop a cosmic explosion. Standard Tuesday, really. But instead of just jumping over platforms, you’re wielding a massive beam cannon to solder electronics or a grappling hook to rip vents off walls. The clever bit? You can swap tools with your partner whenever you want. No more being stuck with the ‘boring’ ability for an entire level while your mate has all the fun.
There’s also a hub world—a ship that you can explore between missions. They’ve packed it with unlockable mini-games, radio stations blasting the theme tune, and NPCs who get annoyed if you poke them too much. It sounds... charming? (And yes, I’m using that word with a healthy dose of skepticism, but I really want it to be true).
### The 'Switch 2' Elephant in the Room
Now, let's talk shop. This is a Switch 2 exclusive. Nintendo has clearly spotted the potential here for a local co-op hit. We’ve seen this play out before—remember *Devil’s Third*? Probably not, because it bombed harder than a failed alchemy experiment. One of the art directors on *Orbitals*, Johannes Varmedal, actually worked on that disaster. But he says the lesson he learned was to be confident in the creative vision rather than trying to guess what the audience wants.
I reckon he’s onto something. When developers stop chasing trends and start chasing the 'vibe'—especially one as potent as 80s retro-futurism—we usually get something special.
### Why This Matters (The Human Bit)
At the end of the day, as Creative Director Marcos Ramos put it, great co-op isn't about the levels; it's about the 'couch moments.' It's about that shared memory of accidentally soldering your friend's boots to the floor while trying to fix a fuse box.
We’re seeing a lot of consolidation in the industry lately—big studios swallowing little ones and spitting out the same grey military shooters. Seeing a weird, international collective in Tokyo making a hand-painted anime game about teens in space? That’s the kind of chaotic optimism I live for.
Is it going to be perfect? Who knows. Eight hours of co-op is a long time to keep the momentum going without it feeling repetitive. And we’ve all been burned by 'revolutionary' art styles before. But if they can actually stick the landing on the transition between those gorgeous cutscenes and the gameplay, we might be looking at a future classic.
I’ll be keeping my digital crystal ball focused on this one. Stay curious, mates.
Tags: Orbitals, Switch 2, Co-op Gaming, Anime Games, Indie Dev
Original article: Eurogamer