The Tragic Backstory of Orbital's Heroes
54sEmotional storytelling about children put in a mind machine to survive a cosmic disaster hooks viewers quickly.
▶ Play ClipAI Summary
Orbitals is a co-op-only puzzle-adventure game developed by Shape Farm, a Tokyo-based studio founded by former Hazelight Studios director Jacob Lundgren. The game follows two cosmonauts, Maki and Amura, as they investigate a cosmic anomaly that stranded their colony ship. It features anime-inspired visuals, a unique frame-rate animation style, and will launch exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2.
Chapters
[00:17]
Story Premise
The game opens with Maki and Amura as children aboard a colony ship searching for a permanent home. A cosmic anomaly damages the ship, leaving it stranded. To survive, they are placed in a one-mind machine that can rebuild their bodies and implant their consciousness into clones. Fifteen years later, they set out to uncover the anomaly's origin.
[01:13]
Developer Background
Orbitals is the first game from Shape Farm, based in Tokyo. Director Jacob Lundgren previously worked at Hazelight Studios on co-op titles like It Takes Two and A Way Out, which serve as gameplay blueprints. However, Orbitals focuses more on puzzle-solving than platforming.
[01:45]
Visual Style and Animation
The game pays homage to 80s and 90s anime like Dragon Ball, Gundam, and Neon Genesis Evangelion. It runs at a locked 30 FPS, but characters are animated at 24 FPS, with some background animations at 12 FPS, to emulate the feel of those shows.
[02:13]
Art Collaboration
Shape Farm partnered with Studio Mascot, an animation house known for Attack on Titan, Dandadan, My Hero Academia, and Pokémon. Veteran artist Toru Yoshida, who worked on the original Gundam series, also contributed. The collaboration is described as a co-development, with both teams learning from each other.
[02:43]
Co-op Gameplay
Orbitals is co-op only, playable locally or online. Local play uses the Nintendo Switch 2's game share feature, allowing another player on a different Switch to join. Online, a free friend pass version lets others play with a friend who owns the full game. Players can swap roles at any time, unlike in Hazelight games.
[03:27]
Hub and Ship Mechanics
Between missions, players return to their ship, which acts as a hub that evolves with story progress. It contains Easter eggs and references to anime, plus new mini-games. Some missions require controlling the ship, with one player piloting and the other manning weapons and tools.
[04:22]
Release Details
Orbitals launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on September 3rd. Pricing: $40 digital, $50 physical. A digital deluxe edition at $50 includes a digital artbook, soundtrack, and cosmetics for characters and ship. No other platforms are planned.
Orbitals is a promising co-op puzzle adventure that blends Hazelight-style gameplay with a unique anime aesthetic, delivered through a distinctive animation technique. It offers a rich story, evolving hub, and ship-based missions, making it a notable exclusive for the Nintendo Switch 2.
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Study Flashcards (7)
What is the name of the developer of Orbitals?
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What is the name of the developer of Orbitals?
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Shape Farm, based in Tokyo, Japan.
01:13
Who is the director of Orbitals and what studio did he come from?
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Who is the director of Orbitals and what studio did he come from?
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Jacob Lundgren, who came from Hazelight Studios.
01:13
What frame rates are used for the game and character animations?
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What frame rates are used for the game and character animations?
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The game runs at a locked 30 FPS, characters are animated at 24 FPS, and some background animations at 12 FPS.
01:45
Which anime series inspired the visual style of Orbitals?
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Which anime series inspired the visual style of Orbitals?
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Dragon Ball, Gundam, and Neon Genesis Evangelion.
01:45
How does local co-op work on the Nintendo Switch 2?
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How does local co-op work on the Nintendo Switch 2?
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It uses the game share feature, allowing another player on a different Switch to play.
02:59
What is the price of the digital deluxe edition and what does it include?
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What is the price of the digital deluxe edition and what does it include?
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$50, including a digital artbook, digital soundtrack, and cosmetics for the protagonists and their ship.
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What is the release date of Orbitals?
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What is the release date of Orbitals?
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September 3rd, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2.
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💡 Key Takeaways
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Hazelight pedigree
The director's background at Hazelight Studios signals a strong focus on co-op gameplay, a key selling point.
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Unique animation technique
Using different frame rates for characters and backgrounds is a creative way to emulate anime aesthetics, setting the game apart visually.
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Veteran anime collaboration
Partnering with Studio Mascot and Toru Yoshida adds credibility and authenticity to the anime-inspired art style.
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💡
Flexible role-swapping
Unlike Hazelight games, players can swap roles at any time, offering more freedom and accessibility in co-op play.
03:27Full Transcript
[00:02] its co-op only gameplay differs from similar games that came before it, is similar games that came before it, is everything to know about Orbital. everything to know about Orbital. >> [music]
[00:17] game opens with them as children living in a colony spaceship that is in search of a permanent home. However, the vessel tragically runs into a cosmic anomaly that not only does incalculable damage to the ship, but also leaves it
[00:33] dead in the water, unable to circumnavigate the galactic storm. In order to preserve the lives of the young cosmonauts, Maki and Amura are placed in the one mind machine, which allows them to have their bodies rebuilt in case
[00:48] anything happens to them, and have their consciousnesses implanted in the clones. The game then jumps 15 years into the future with the colony still stranded in
[01:00] future with the colony still stranded in space. Maki and Amura, now all grown up, are preparing to leave in their own ship to find out what is behind the cosmic anomaly and how to get the station back up and running. [music]
[01:13] Orbital is the first game from developer Shape Farm based out of Tokyo, Japan. The game's director, Jacob Lundgren, came to Shape Farm from Hazelight Studios, the team behind co-op exclusive titles such as It Takes Two and A Way
[01:30] Out, which serve as blueprints for Orbital's gameplay. However, Lundgren says that a big differentiating factor between those games and Orbital is that the latter leans more on the side of puzzle solving than it does
[01:45] platforming. Aesthetically, the game is an homage to 80s and 90s anime such as Dragon Ball, Gundam, and Neon Genesis Evangelion. To emulate the feel of those shows, the game runs at a locked 30 frames per
[02:00] second, but the characters are animated at 24 frames per second with certain at 24 frames per second with certain background animations running at 12 FPS. For the game's art, Shape Farm partnered with Studio Mascot, an animation house
[02:13] in Japan that has worked on anime from Attack on Titan and Dandadan to My Hero Attack on Titan and Dandadan to My Hero Academia and Pokémon. The studio also enlisted the help of Toru Yoshida, an artist in the industry for over 40 years
[02:28] who worked on the original Gundam series. Shape Farm describes the partnership as a co-development between the two halves, each learning from the other with many finalized elements in the game forming from new skills [music]
[02:43] that both teams were sharing between themselves. similar gameplay to titles from Hazelight, which means that it can only
[02:59] be played in co-op, either locally or online. When playing locally, the game will take advantage of the Nintendo Switch 2's game share feature, which allows another player to be on another Switch and play
[03:12] the game there. But online, other players can download a friend pass version of the title, which is free, in order to play with a friend remotely that owns the full game. As Maki and Amora, players will solve
[03:27] puzzles and create pathways using a variety of tools. Unlike [music] in Hazelight games, however, picking a specific character does not lock you into a certain style of gameplay. The characters can swap
[03:40] what they're doing with each other at any time. Between missions, the duo can return to their ship, which acts as a hub in the game. Over time, this space will evolve as they progress through the story. Orbital's hub will be littered
[03:55] with Easter eggs of and references to the anime that inspired it, and will gain access to new mini-games as players make their way through the campaign. And make their way through the campaign. And yes, there will be cats to pet.
[04:08] This ship doesn't just serve as a hub to spend time in. Some of the missions will require Maki and Amaru to take control of the transport, with one taking the reins of its controls and the other manning its weaponry and tools.
[04:22] Orbital's will release exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 for $40 digitally and $50 physically on September 3rd. The digital deluxe edition of the game is also priced at $50 and comes with a digital artbook, digital soundtrack, and
[04:38] cosmetics for not only the two protagonists, but for their ship as well. At the time of writing, there are no plans to bring Orbital's to any other platforms. And that's everything to know about Orbital's. For more on the game,
[04:53] including our eventual review, stay right here on GameSpot.
