The review embargo for Orbitals has lifted, so we're starting to see a bunch of verdicts making their way online ahead of its Switch 2 launch on 3rd September 2026.

Now, we thought it was a cracking co-op experience, and so we awarded Orbitals a score of 9/10. Here's a snippet of what reviewer Nathan Ellingsworth said in his conclusion:

"Orbitals set out to do something very specific: deliver an action-packed co-operative game while building a new world inspired by anime classics. On those two notes, it smashes it out of the park. The puzzles not only last just the right amount of time, but my friend and I were consistently delighted by the clever ways the strict set of tools were utilised, and the many fun ways you interact with this fantastically realised anime world."

Not bad, huh? Okay, now let's see what other outlets have to say...

Gaming Boulevard - 95/100: "I had high hopes for Orbitals after seeing that beautiful 80s anime style, but I didn’t expect the co-op to be this creative. We had a lot of fun figuring out the puzzles while messing around with all the different tools and discovering whatever strange idea the game had waiting for us next. I also love that it doesn’t really care who does what, swap tools, switch roles, and figure it out together works incredibly well, whether you play games every day or barely touch them. There really isn’t much I would change here; Orbitals is exactly the kind of co-op adventure I love to play."

Gaming Trend - 95/100: "It feels like we’re still just scratching the surface of what co-op only games can be with the likes of A Way Out, Split Fiction, and now Orbitals. Orbitals is full to bursting with incredible ideas, more than it can properly execute on, but it remains an incredible, fun, and charming experience the whole way through."

Giant Bomb - 4.5/5: "The important thing is that its runtime is a blast from start to end. You and your co-op partner are going to have a hard time putting Orbitals down and will always be excited to discover the next challenging puzzle and gorgeous destination. We used to dream about games looking this good. Even after beating it, I still look at Orbitals with wonder."

Noisy Pixel - 8.5/10: "Orbitals is a charming Switch 2 co-op adventure that combines inventive puzzles, rewarding exploration, and a striking '80s anime-inspired world. Its story can struggle to land its emotional beats and progression sometimes limits exploration, but the consistently creative cooperative design makes communication, experimentation, and shared discovery the heart of the experience."

Respec - 8/10: "Orbitals is an easy recommendation if you’re looking for a new co-op game on Switch 2. It’s close to being best in class at what it does and properly feels like a cartoon come to life. It’s hard to imagine anyone not having a good time with it, the co-op gameplay, standout anime presentation, and riveting story making for a game you’ll enjoy from start to finish."

The Gamer - 4/5: "Though I did have some qualms with the gameplay and story here and there, a game like Orbitals is more than just the sum of its parts. Overall, it was a phenomenal experience to share with my partner, and I’d gladly enjoy it all over again. The creativity and visuals are stunning, the characters have a ton of heart, the soundtrack is an absolute banger, and the atmosphere immediately transported me to the cozy feel of an ’80s–’90s anime. If this is only the beginning for Shapefarm, the future of co-op games is bright."

Game Informer - 7/10: "Orbitals doesn't quite crash and burn, but its execution leaves a bit to be desired. That said, even after a lukewarm ending, returning to the game to hear the title theme and see the smiling protagonists once more makes me undeniably sentimental. I wish I connected more to Orbitals' story and systems, but I can't deny its playful, cozy vibes."

Siliconera - 7/10: "Orbitals gives Switch 2 owners a new It Takes Two and Split Fiction style co-op game that also experiments with bringing the 2D 1980s anime aesthetic into a 3D world. There are some satisfying challenges here and a few occasions where there’s clever level design. It also features a camera that often doesn’t feel quite right in certain situations, moments that will leave you spending 5-15 minutes wondering what exactly it is you’re supposed to do, and storytelling that expects you to care about characters without showing you why them and their situations should matter. Orbitals is interesting and could prove a fun follow-up for folks who have been playing Hazelight Studios multiplayer games since A Way Out, but there are some times when this experiment doesn’t always work out."

Eurogamer - 3/5: "I wonder if I might've been spoiled by Hazelight's output, and more recently the superior hangouts of Big Walk. A couple of frustrating puzzle executions aside, I never have a bad time with Orbitals, and there's always that buoying factor of playing with a friend. It's just that I've come to associate these games with voice-comm gasps at the sheer audacity of what we're experiencing. So maybe some recalibration of expectations would help. If you can approach it more like an especially shiny pub table, or a shared sofa with some mid-tier anime series on in the background, Orbitals has plenty to offer. Just be aware that, after you've said sayonara, not much of it is likely to stick in the memory."

Final Weapon - 2.5/5: "Despite its gorgeous anime-inspired presentation, Orbitals never quite manages to reach the heights it desperately aims for. There is an undeniable passion stitched throughout each piece of the game, but a lack of difficulty, lackluster narrative, and mediocre area design left me mixed on what I hoped would be a defining game of 2026. Younger players could have a great time with Orbitals, but I struggle to recommend it to anyone looking for anything more than a surface-level experience."

Pretty positive thoughts overall, then, though it's perhaps a tad more mixed than we were expecting. At the time of writing, Orbitals is sitting at an average of 81 on Metacritic with 49 critic reviews. Pretty solid result!

What do you make of the initial reception to Orbitals? Will you be picking it up? Let us know with a comment.