Orbitals: Shapefarm blends high-end anime style with co-op roots
Developed by It Takes Two veterans, the new co-op title leans on stunning visuals and character charm to navigate a crowded genre.
Orbitals has arrived as a visually striking co-op experience that tests whether artistic direction can carry a game through a saturated market. Developed by Shapefarm, the title brings together a team including veterans from the award-winning It Takes Two, specifically Jakob Lundgren.
The game centers on twin protagonists, Maki and Omura, who navigate their shared starship home. The narrative is introduced via a hand-animated cinematic that establishes the twins' childhood before leaping forward 15 years into the main action. The experience is defined by its immaculate anime stylings, though the atmosphere is best captured using Japanese audio with subtitles.
A crowded co-op landscape
Orbitals enters the industry during what has been described as a "co-op renaissance," a period of increased development and interest in the genre sparked largely by the massive success of It Takes Two. By utilizing a distinct anime aesthetic, Shapefarm is attempting to carve out a unique identity in a space where mechanical innovation is increasingly difficult to achieve.
Aesthetics over innovation
While the visual fidelity and character touches are high, the game faces criticism regarding its impact on the genre. Critics suggest that Orbitals does not bring significant new elements to the post-It Takes Two era of cooperative gaming. The project essentially serves as a test of whether strong aesthetics and character-driven charm can sustain a player's interest when the underlying gameplay loop does not fundamentally evolve the established co-op formula.
The path forward
As the industry continues to iterate on the cooperative model, the success of Orbitals will likely depend on whether players prioritize atmospheric storytelling and art style over mechanical breakthroughs. While the game is described as "never a bad hang" when configured with the original Japanese voice acting, it remains to be seen if this stylistic approach is enough to elevate it above its predecessors in the co-op renaissance. The tension between visual polish and mechanical stagnation defines the current challenge for Shapefarm as they attempt to prove that style can be a primary driver of engagement in the modern co-op era.