MIO: Memories in Orbit is an beautiful Metroidvania by French indie team Douze Dixièmes, who are based in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine (the Northern suburbs of Paris).
It launched in January 2026 and is available on all consoles and PC. With its striking 2.5 platforming style, it’s easy to swoon for its look. But be prepared for a gameplay experience that can be a bit on and off.
Robotic Platforming Stuff in MIO: Memories in Orbit
The main thing with MIO is it does try to be a bit different, but also whilst into platforming tropes. It’s an odd combo. Now, Metroidvania is our favourite genre (see our favourite modern 2D platformers) and we play a lot of them, with MIO instantly standing out thanks to its looks.
A stunning intro section leads to a strangely flat opening hour, where we got lost easily and then a bit bored, which is down to the lack of a map.
That’s very unconventional for a Metroidvania. Games like this have vast, dense maze-like corridors to navigate. You need one almost instantly to make progress fun and engaging, but MIO’s devs left it out here by choice. We don’t think it was a good idea.
However, once you get through that cumbersome opening section this is when Memories in Orbit finds its feet.
It uses environmental storytelling to progress the narrative. Everything is set on a spaceship called The vessel and the player controls Mio the robot as you aim to do the usual equilibrium restored stuff. Around that you do platforming, get power ups, and marvel at this thing’s looks. Here it is in action.
From the above clip, that’s from a bit further in the game and things have picked up. It’s important to stress the disappointing opening section of the game doesn’t last forever.
Not exactly the best game design there, where the opening hour leaves you wondering if it’s boring and mediocre, but there we go. It is what it is and the graphics are pretty to stare at whilst you wait.
Helping things along is Nicolas Gueguen’s suitable sci-fi soundtrack. Lots of ambience and atmospherics going on here.
The score is some three hours long! Very ambitious stuff from the French composer, with a big focus on electronic themes.
There are around 10 hours of gameplay across Memories in Orbit, so it’s a sizeable platformer with plenty to explore and discover. And to the dev’s credit, it does try to do a few things differently to shake up the genre.
However, there’s no denying the main standout here is the game’s incredible art style.
Away from that, we just couldn’t quite get into it fully. Good game, but not a great one, and we think of that time we fired up the incredible Ghost Song (2022) and immediately fell in love with it. In total awe at its phenomenal game layout, soundtrack, and sense of disturbed atmospherics. Metroidvania at its very best.
MIO didn’t offer us that feeling at any point. At its best, we found it to be enjoyable but not captivating, and we found the combat system a bit of a chore.
That’s our take on it, though, and we should add there are very positive reviews from others online. The gaming press has been largely positive, with some 10/10 scores (way over the top, to be honest), but an average score around 7/10ish.
Worth a rumble, then, if it piques your interest.
