The first aspect of the title you need to know about is that Orbit is a local multiplayer only game that includes no single-player or online modes. Take this into account before making a purchasing decision. You need at least two people present to experience it. The game meant to be a social experience. When you do manage to find a friend or two, you’re guaranteed a chaotic and wonderful time.
The goal of the game is to maneuver your ship between planets at breakneck speeds and destroy your opponents with a variety of weapons. You get access to a magnificent arsenal that makes that somewhat easy but the game has a small learning curve so your friends will be destroying you in no time. It’s all about skill and planning your shots.
The most important gameplay mechanic has to be gravity. You have to take gravitational forces exerted by planets into account as you crush your competitors. You can get trapped in a planet’s pull and crash into it. There are also planets that revolve around other celestial bodies so you have to constantly avoid them when they venture near you. If you’re playing with three other people, the game is just loopy. Bullets and other shots also alter their trajectory depending on gravity. Beating your opponents requires quick reflexes and understanding how your shots will bend.
Other gameplay elements come to light the longer you play. Orbit features special powers and the ability to level up between matches. Shields are available that protect against damage. My favorite would have to be the riot shield that works well when you’re attacked by rockets. Weapons can be upgraded to fire faster rounds. On top of that, teleportation can also be used to quickly move around the arena and avoid certain death.
The depth this game offers is truly remarkable. There are nine different game modes which include Capture, Kill, Mayhem, and Survive. There’s even a technology tree which allows you to specialize. This changes the way you play the game. It also introduces a lot of variety. Usually when you think of a space brawler, you think that everyone will have the same weapons and abilities and there will be no individuality. Orbit changes that and makes you feel different without giving one player a clear advantage over the others. It’s balanced and unique which is a rare combination for a game like this.
One of my favorite features has to be the ability to design your own battles. The title features a custom game mode where you can modify a multitude of conditions. For example, you can change how victory is attained, the number of gravitational influences on your map, and even the duration of the matches. There’s also a random map generator if you want to experience something new each time.
The graphics of the game are very basic but the particle effects are stupendous. Its like watching fireworks at times when you destroy other players. The soundtrack is also great and adds to the intensity of the battles. Usually such games feature monotonous sounds but Orbit is the exception.
Overall, the title is a great twin-stick multiplayer space brawler. However, the fact that it’s local multiplayer only makes it so limited. Not everyone has people readily available to play it with them. Nowadays, many people prefer playing online. I’m one of them. I would love if all of my friends lived in the same building so I could play this game with them but many are across the United States or even abroad. I rely deeply on online multiplayer and co-op capabilities to experience certain titles with them. I understand that developing online systems is difficult but a title that’s as polished as Orbit deserves it. It would make it appeal to so many people. It would really take off if this were the case. I can even see people playing it competitively. It’s a shame it doesn’t have that. That has to be my only complaint and unfortunately it’s a big one that directly impacts its appeal. The developers should release an expansion or update that allows that. I would gladly pay for the ability and it would make this game one of the best brawlers I’ve ever played.
Asher is a games journalist, former News Writer (Gaming) at Windows Central. They contributed 1110 articles to ICXM between 2015–2017, focused on opinion pieces, game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news: wrote over 1,100 ICXM pieces on Xbox news, hardware reviews, and platform commentary before joining Future plc’s Windows Central in 2017.