MIO: Memories in Orbit

MIO: Memories in Orbit boasts spectacular visuals, a gigantic world, a unique atmosphere, and addictive gameplay. It demands patience and persistence, and not everyone will be able to handle the difficulty or the constant backtracking. But those who get into the spirit of it will find a profound, artistic, and memorable experience that easily ranks alongside the genre's greats.

MIO: Memories in Orbit is an outstanding metroidvania that easily stands alongside genre giants like Ori and the Blind Forest and Hollow Knight. Its watercolor visuals and captivating, vibrant world full of hazards and secrets kept me glued to the screen for dozens of hours without a single dull moment. The only minor drawback lies in the less engaging classic combat encounters during exploration, though this can be somewhat mitigated through settings.

MIO: Memories In Orbit is a thoughtful, artistically driven Metroidvania that pairs elegant movement and purposeful exploration with a striking audiovisual identity. The game excels in its cohesive world design, meaningful customization systems, and a steady sense of discovery that rewards curiosity. The result is a confident, memorable experience that stands comfortably among the genre’s strongest modern entries.

MIO: Memories In Orbit is a deceptive experience that lulled me into thinking that it might be retreading some of the roads that had already been masterfully done by its genre-siblings, but only a few hours had me appreciating every crevice and finely realised detail throughout its lush world. It manages to stand all and establish itself as a fantastic metroidvania that draws upon the strengths of the genre, while creating a world all its own.

A new star in the Metroidvania-sky: MIO: Memories in Orbit enchants with its magnificent art style, captivating atmosphere, and challenging but fair combat system. New abilities constantly motivate you to discover the world and push beyond your limits.

There's not much bad to say about Mio: Memories in Orbit, because it works really well, it plays well, it feels good, and it seems really well thought out too. It does a lot of things right and ticks all the important Metroidvania boxes, while at the same time adding something new to how such a game should be put together. If I had to point out one thing, I would have liked to see a few more enemy types but that's really the only thing of significance, because I think the rest fits together really well. If we were to give it the highest score, we would probably have liked to see a little more innovation in the gameplay that could have really moved the genre forward, but that said, I would like to emphasise that Mio: Memories in Orbit is a really successful game.

Because there have been many games that have tried to replicate the formula for success and have fallen far short of greatness. But MIO: Memories in Orbit not only succeeds, but also shines like a pearl with its own unique brilliance.

MIO wears its tough-as-nails metroidvania influences proudly, but spends enough time contorting familiar ideas into punishing gauntlets and rewarding patience with dazzling artistic spectacle that it truly comes into its own.

Finding its footing among the giants of the genre, MIO: Memories in Orbit manages to be a great piece of interactive art. Its somewhat floaty controls might take a moment to get used to, but any awkwardness quickly fades in the face of the game’s many strengths. The hand-painted Vessel is gorgeous; its narrative, haunting. Even with a few quirks, it’s impossible not to get swept up in its orbit.

MIO: Memories in Orbit is a beautifully crafted and atmospheric Metroidvania that rewards exploration, patience, and skill. Its strong visual style, fair challenge, and smart progression systems make it a standout indie title. Fans of Hollow Knight: Silksong in particular will find a compelling and memorable sci-fi adventure here.

Stunning in its audiovisual presentation and satisfying in its gameplay, MIO: Memories in Orbit is the first great metroidvania of 2026.

MIO: Memories In Orbit is abstract, quirky, brutally hard, and stunning all at once, and outside of those awful tremors, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

MIO: Memories in Orbit is a beautiful Metroidvania that features wonderful platforming segments alongside challenging encounters. The world encourages exploration, with each route rewarding you, further incentivising you to venture into the unknown. Although the game follows conventions, it delivers a fascinating adventure that fans of the genre will adore.

Even though a high level of challenge is part of the essence of MIO: Memories in Orbit, there's much more to it than just that: some of the most beautiful visuals in games of this type, excellent world design, secret locations that demand keen attention, a well-built setting, and exciting boss fights to face. However, even if the ambition to create a punishing experience may be consistent with the narrative context, it ends up posing a potential obstacle to enjoying all the other great features this game has to offer.

Mio: Memories in Orbit is a largely brilliantly designed Metroidvania. The setting and central mystery are intriguing, the watercolor art style is beautiful, and Mio feels great to control. Her powers, and the way you use them, are cleverly conceived. When Mio is at its best, it can comfortably stand alongside the genre’s greats. Unfortunately, a significant portion in the game’s second half makes it linear and needlessly frustrating.

MIO: Memories in Orbit is an example of a safe and very player-friendly Metroidvania with medium-difficulty bosses and flexible difficulty settings.

MIO: Memories in Orbit doesn't quite hit the highs of the genre greats, but developer Douze Dixièmes clearly understands what makes a Metroidvania sing, with a stylish, thoughtful, and enjoyable adventure. It starts slowly, and a few elements aren't fully realised, but this is a fabulous game for newcomers and fans of the genre who will feel right at home.

MIO: Memories in Orbit is yet another challenging but rewarding Metroidvania for genre fans to sink their teeth into. It suffers from many of the frustrations typical of the genre, such as difficulty spikes and troublesome backtracking, but its unique visual style and intriguing world make up for it.

This beautifully realised adventure earns every step you take through its hand-drawn world, and makes Metroidvania feel accessible.

Mio: Memories in Orbit is an elegant and rigorous metroidvania that puts all its focus on exploration and precision. Its world is fascinating to traverse, the movement system is solid, and the bosses provide a genuine challenge. The narrative, however, remains in the background, and the combat system lacks meaningful evolution over time, staying consistently minimal. This is a game that asks a lot from the player and doesn’t always return an equally strong emotional engagement, but it still manages to leave a mark thanks to its visual identity and the coherence of its design.

You may find Mio to be overly familiar, risk-averse, and carrying some platforming and combat flaws, but Memories In Orbit enchants you with its solemn narrative undertones and a luscious art style that should be enticing to anybody curious enough to give this one a shot.

A strikingly beautiful, sci-fi alternative to Hollow Knight: Silksong, but one which is consistently off the mark when it comes to the balance between difficulty and frustration.