Ever since it was first announced in the summer of 2024, MIO: Memories In Orbit has been likened to beloved metroidvania series Hollow Knight multiple times. French developers Douze Dixièmes even delayed its release so it wasn’t coming out at the same time as long-awaited sequel Silksong. It is a fair comparison to make – both are fiendishly difficult 2D platformers that require intense concentration and a deliberate plan of attack to slay imposing bosses – but Memories In Orbit is so much more than a lazy copy of a modern great.
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Set on a desolate, downed spacecraft called The Vessel, MIO‘s protagonist is the chirpy titular android – who awakens from slumber to investigate why the ship’s AI caretakers have abandoned their posts and let the once-magnificent cruiser fall into disrepair. This narrative is introduced in the opening, dreamlike training level that acquaints you with Mio’s agile leaps and fierce tentacle attacks. As you learn its basic moves, the spindly adventurer remembers The Vessel as “a haven among the stars” but questions whether the sense of belonging it felt was ever real. This existential crisis creeps its way through the game.
From there, you’re thrust straight into the action. Mio has to battle through grumpy robot guards and traverse platform puzzles in search of answers. Upgrades can be bought from prickly cyber-squid Mel in exchange for in-game currency Nacre, which can be harvested from downed enemies and the hunks of scrap metal that litter this floating dystopia. There’s limited space on your hard drive for modifiers though, so making the right decision about strength, defence or tactical perks is key. If you die, you’ll lose all your Nacre droplets. And with a game this challenging, you will die an awful lot.
‘MIO: Memories In Orbit’. CREDIT: Douze Dixièmes
It’s a tricky balancing act but the difficulty levels are just right. Yes, you need to have your wits about you – receive too much damage and you’ll be sent back to the ‘Nexus’ save point – but no swarm of robo-beasties feels impossible to overcome. If you do need help, a trio of ‘Assists’ are available via the pause menu. ‘Eroded’ makes boss battles a little easier after every failure, ‘Pacifist’ keeps enemies peaceful until you make the first move and ‘Ground Healing’ slowly restores your shield.
The Vessel is huge and new areas open up as you defeat baddies or unlock new abilities including the Hairpin, which lets you slingshot about the place. However, you’re never sent scurrying from one corner of the map to the other in order to pad out the story. Memory In Orbit’s developers reckon 25 hours is enough time to complete its epic tale, But you could easily spend twice as long uncovering every secret this mesmerising world has to offer, especially with scattered ‘Traveller’s Logs’ that build on the complex in-world history via journal entries from missing companions. “When we reach our new home, let’s be sure to preserve a starry sky for our kids,” reads one hopeful early entry that offers more questions than answers.
Weedy Mio might not be the most charismatic of heroes but, just like fellow French-designed game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Memories In Orbit is gorgeous to look at. Each contrasting biome, from the stunning frozen depths of The Vessel to the heavenly onboard greenhouse, is brought to life with hand-drawn watercolour artwork and a melancholic soundtrack that ramps up into an arcade rave when danger is near. It’s not an experience you’re going to forget in a hurry.
‘MIO: Memories In Orbit’ is out now for Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PC and PlayStation
VERDICT
Indie gaming reached new heights last year with Hades 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 offering thrilling stories that take place in lovingly-crafted worlds for a reasonable price. That indie renaissance continues with MIO: Memories In Orbit, an intriguingly challenging 2D platformer which looks, sounds and handles just as well as the genre’s greatest hits.
PROS
It’s challenging but not impossible
An absolutely stunning soundtrack
The hand-drawn world looks utterly gorgeous
CONS
The early stages of the game can feel daunting
A lot of the personality comes from NPCs
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