Time and time again, it has been proven that games do qualify as a form of an, and I would argue it might be one of the most complex to do it thanks to the interdisciplinary knowledge one needs to achieve an amazing result. This is a MIO Memories in Orbit Review as you all already guessed, and the reason I opened this way is because I can confirm that this game is art of the highest quality. However, do not be fooled into thinking that this will be yet another game that values visuals and story telling and forgets about gameplay, that’s very far from reality.
MIO Memories in Orbit is a metroidvania game for PC in a similar vein to others, yet it still manages to bring something unique to the table, something that everyone will catch onto as soon as you put your eyes on top of it. The art style of MIO Memories in Orbit is very unique, using 3D graphics in such a way that feels like a painting that you are playing, the shading is also phenomenal as it feels it has been done by hand, having that characteristic pencil line shading you would you rarely see in the medium due to the complexity of doing it.
There’s more layers to this however, and there’s a lot at play when you start analyzing how colors are distributed. The way they try to represent an oppressive environment with dark colors is done with lots of care. You play as MIO, an unit that awakened after the Vessel was shaken to the core by an earthquake, ruining the mega structure and causing a systemic collapse that affected everyone living in it. All of these units range from different types of mechanical beings, some of them more complex than others and in the case of MIO, she is the simplest one of them in appearance.
MIO Memories in Orbit ties its plot to what is mentioned in the title, you don’t really remember what happened, but while you keep progressing one will also get stronger, and at the same time regain more memories. This journey is a perilous one, as the downfall of the Vessel has caused the environment to become hostile, what once was a friend might have become a fearsome foe that you will face as you progress. The mood is sad, the lore entries you can find spilled through the game are cryptic but end up revealing a bigger picture of the world we explore, a dark one that sometimes becomes beautiful and alive.
To compliment the sublime aesthetic, the soundtrack is equally good, and one can spot the usage of leitmotifs when listening closely, a mark that every good soundtrack often has. At the same time it properly represents the vibes it wants to give the game, like walking through something dilapidated and forgotten, quite depressing in a way. As you try to scavenge your memories with each new power up you get to traverse the map, the style changes into a wireframe-ish one and we do in fact begin the game in that way.
Even in the dark there’s beauty however, the unique engine used to render the graphics of MIO Memories in Orbit must have taken quite a lot of work to do. It is important to point out that the engine this game runs is not public, so this is truly an artisan game that is becoming increasingly more rare to see due to the fact that making your own engine is hard. While this game might not be an indie because its being published by another company it really has that feel of a classic like Hollow Knight Silksong to it.
Threading back to one of the first statements I made, this game is rather tough, and this was also a goal the developers wanted to meet. Even since the first boss, you have to properly analyze its pattern to ensure things are going in your favor, as the tides of battle can turn rather quickly. MIO starts with only 3 hits of life, lose all of them and you will permanently lose all your Nacre, which is the resource you get from killing enemies and finding it on the map. Thankfully that Nacre you lost goes directly to an NPC that eventually helps you out by enabling a map you can check at any time.
I thought this was a very neat thing to do, since sometimes players might be frustrated they lost their precious resources and they have to go and do a run back to acquire them back. This does not happen anymore because losing means that things will go into a crucial upgrade that will help you progress. However you have to keep into account that this happens near the beginning of the game, so you will have to be more careful as you advance and crystalize your Nacre to avoid losing it, yet another mechanic that lessens the impact of losing.
MIO Memories in Orbit is quite challenging, even traversing stages and environments can be a rather tricky task to accomplish, and as you gain more mobility options like your tendrils the challenge keeps growing more and more. What matters the most is that this feeling of progression flow naturally and everything feels fair, and while some of the bosses in the game might have moves that are telegraphed the same there’s still ways to adapt and outplay them skillfully, it is a game that rewards player expression.
The way passives are implemented is also quite interesting, you have very limited slots you can use but the ability to find many through your journey. Despite the fact that you can upgrade your modifier slot amount, it is quite expensive and requires you to explore more of the map, which means you are throwing yourself into tricky situations. All of this blends very well together, and as you explore you can see through the different areas that there is different places that are unreachable, teasing you and giving you ideas of what might be the ability you require to reach them in the future.
MIO Memories in Orbit is a very fun time, and despite its art driven vibes it does not disappoint with the gameplay aspect in the slightest. You can customize the way you play by using many of the different modifiers that give you abilities such as increased damage, and you can even opt to remove your ability of having an UI, meaning you can’t see how much life left you have but opening up more slots to combo with different parts. There is depth in this game, both artistic thanks to the plot and art, and also because the gameplay itself is very good.
MIO Memories in Orbit Review – Verdict
MIO: Memories in Orbit: Right from the get go the art style is alluring, and from the first minutes of gameplay this Metroidvania captures you with an unique presentation. All of this quality is representative of the work itself and as you keep advancing and beating the tough bosses, you come to realize that the balance of gameplay and art is on point. Don't ignore this little gem. – Hiro
[Editor’s Note: MIO: Memories in Orbit was reviewed on PC and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.]
