MIO: Memories in Orbit [REVIEW] – From Frustration into Metroidvania Elation 

If you had asked me what I thought of MIO: Memories in Orbit during my first few hours of playing, my answer probably would have consisted of a heavy sigh and maybe one or two tears. It’s rare that a game manages to be this simultaneously breathtaking and absolutely brutal at the same time, but that is exactly where this it lives. It clearly walks in the footsteps of giants like Hollow Knight and Ori – sharing their artistic DNA, sprawling map design, and punishing difficulty, but also like those titles, it just so happens to be an absolute blast to play.  

Check out some screenshots down below: 

To be totally honest, getting into MIO: Memories in Orbit felt like a bit of a slog at first. It’s one of those experiences that throws you in the deep end and forces you to deal with it, and I didn’t know if it was going to be for me. You wake up as this tiny, fragile robot on a colossal, decaying spaceship called The Vessel, and you are given almost ZERO direction. There are no clear map markers, no obvious objectives, and you are immediately thrown into a world that feels vast, maze-like, and incredibly hostile… it’s intimidating from the get-go. 

That sense of vastness is a double-edged sword: on one hand, the scale is impressive, but on the other, it can be overwhelming. I clocked in over forty-hours by the time the credits rolled, and if I’m being honest, that was probably a bit longer than I would have liked it to be. There were definitely moments where the sheer size of the map felt like padding which certainly contributed to that initial feeling of aimlessness, and for the early hours, I spent a lot of time wandering, getting crushed by enemies I wasn’t ready for, and feeling that specific kind of frustration that comes from not knowing if you’re going the wrong way or just playing badly. 

But then? Something just clicked. 

I’m not sure exactly when it happened – maybe it was finally unlocking a specific traversal ability that made scurrying across the land all the more satisfying or taking down one of the many exciting bosses that had flattened me a dozen times – but the game suddenly shifted from feeling a little unfair to offering exhilarating thrills, and once you get over that initial hurdle of confusion and fragility, MIO: Memories in Orbit reveals itself to be one of the most rewarding Metroidvanias I’ve played in years. 

“MIO: Memories in Orbit starts with confusion and punishment (and it will test your patience), but if you stick with it, it rewards you with a deep sense of mastery across its platforming and combat and a rich sense of discovery across its stunning world and storytelling.” 

The premise of MIO: Memories in Orbit is fairly straightforward, even if the storytelling is designed to be elusive and open to interpretation. The Vessel is a ship meant to carry humanity (the Travellers) to a new home, but the humans are gone, the AI caretakers (the Pearls) have vanished, and the ship is rotting from the inside out… you’ve got to find out what happened. The narrative is delivered mostly through text logs and environmental vibes rather than cinematic cutscenes, whilst the atmosphere does most of the heavy lifting. The sense of melancholy that permeates the ship is palpable, and it makes the world of MIO: Memories in Orbit feel engaging… even IF I’d be lying if I said I always knew what was going on. 

One thing you’ll notice almost immediately is just how stunning the game looks – I mean, seriously, we are talking about a genuine contender for the best-looking game of 2026 (and we’re only in January). The art style uses this hand-drawn, watercolour aesthetic that balances this sense of vibrancy with sci-fi decay, and every biome, from the over-grown gardens of the Haven to the mechanical depths of the Metropolis, feels distinct and alive. It’s the kind of visual design that keeps you pushing forward just because you want to see what the next arealooks like, and when everything is whirring in motion, it looks sublime. 

The core gameplay loop is just as satisfying , with movement the star of the show here. You’re small, swift, and combat relies heavily on your aerial capabilities, with landing a hit in mid-air resetting your jump and allowing you to chain attacks and stay airborne for long stretches. It feels fantastic when you pull it off, and whilst I’ve probably made it sound a little overwhelming, it’s one of the best things about the game. You’ll constantly sharpen your capabilities as you progress too, ensuring the gameplay of MIO: Memories in Orbit remains engaging from start to end. 

Check out some screenshots down below: 

That said, the tough-as-nails difficulty that I mentioned earlier does remain, and even after earning multiple upgrades and sharpening your skills, you’ll always feel fragile.  Even the progression system, involving ‘modifiers’, forces you to make tough calls… you want to see enemy health bars? You might have to sacrifice a slot for it. You want more defence? You might have to lower your attack power. It’s a strategic trade-off that I found fascinating, even IF the encumberment costs for equipping new gear felt a little too steep at times. 

The platforming also demands precision, and I won’t lie, even when things had clicked, there were moments where I felt the game crossed the line from challenging to tedious, asking for pixel-perfect accuracy to avoid repeating a long section. For the most part, the platforming is great and there are some wonderfully structured platforming segments that are a real treat to get through, but be warned: failure will come thick and fast, and it’s not always pretty. The game does offer a few olive branches though, such as a toggle that can make bosses slightly easier every time you die to them – it’s a brilliant accessibility feature that keeps the challenge high but prevents you from hitting a brick wall forever, utilising something similar to what Hades did with its more forgiving ‘God Mode’. 

Developer: Douze Dixièmes 
Publisher: Focus Entertainment 
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1672810/MIO_Memories_in_Orbit/