Mio: Memories in Orbit Preview: A mesmerising Metroidvania

Admittedly, considering the immense flood of Metroidvanias that are currently on the market, it can be a challenge to pinpoint a new addition to the sub-genre as a worthy highlight. This is especially the case this week, as many gear up for the return of Hollow Knight... But Douze Dixiemes' Mio: Memories in Orbit is a game to keep an eye on, something I can attest to after having an opportunity to go hands-on with the project at Gamescom recently.

For those familiar with this type of game, Mio does conform to the Metroidvania format quite naturally. It's a 2D world that essentially exists as one big puzzle, a world where you have to figure out how to reach a new area by travelling down one route that is open to you to earn a new technique or ability to crack open access to another sector. There is fast-paced and challenging combat to master, platforming sections to overcome, secrets to find, and ways to enhance the character with additional upgrades. Again, Mio isn't looking to rewrite the Metroidvania book, it's just putting its own spin on it.

And this spin comes in a handful of different ways. For one, there's the art direction which many will be entranced by after seeing gameplay and a few images of Mio. Douze Dixiemes describes it as "technomagic", and that's precisely how it feels, with stunning backdrops and setpieces that you can get lost in. It's a truly beautiful game that has been designed here, and the choice of colour, the use of light and space, the differences in biomes, it all combines to make Mio a memorable-looking Metroidvania.

Additionally then is the movement suite. The main character of Mio has a special movement technique that is best described as gliding across a surface. Mio has protruding tentacle-like appendages from its head, and can use these to attack enemies, interact with the world, and also clamber around. Mio's tentacles can attach to walls and ceilings to enable it to glide across and up these surfaces to reach new areas, with the caveat being that it's a stamina-based system where if you run out you will plummet back down to the ground. The fun part about this system is that it can be chained with other more traditional movement techniques, like wall-jumping, to reach distant locations, and can even be extended by attacking special flower-like items that reset the endurance bar to enable you to continue platforming for even longer.

In the demo version I tested, which was said to be around eight hours through the main adventure, it became evidently clear that Douze Dixiemes is not pulling any punches in regard to challenge. The platforming is precise and tough, yet rewarding when overcome, and the combat is equally so, especially the boss fights. I had the luxury of facing a hidden boss that resembled a supernatural wardrobe, and it routinely looked to surprise me with unique attacks, lightning fast moves, and even a multi-phase setup that made the fight twice as hard in the second half. The intriguing part is that this boss was only a side project, an added extra in the overall whole of Mio, which suggests that the full game will be chock-full of challenges to best.

It's because of this that I'm encouraged by what I saw with Mio: Memories in Orbit. It operates in a complex and tough genre of games but I'm fairly confident that Douze Dixiemes has the creative vision and the focus to serve up a title that will stand out and thrive. We'll know for a fact later this year when the game launches on an undetermined date on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.