MIO: Memories in Orbit is one of the best Metroidvanias I’ve ever played. This is absolutely my favorite genre of game, and this one hits all the right notes for me.

I loved Silksong, but it leans very heavily into combat. To the point that, because of the difficulty, I probably won’t replay it much.

MIO, instead, leans much more into platforming. Though, paradoxically, it’s often platforming without the platforms; it’s more akin to fast-paced aerial acrobatics. Everything relies on your abilities to double-jump, glide, slingshot off targets, and crawl on walls, all based on a limited resource of energy that only resets when you strike a target or enemy or land on solid ground. Even the combat often relies on this mechanic beautifully.

The world is vast but interconnected, beautifully drawn but often fast-paced. Exploration often presents you with a sort of puzzle, where you have to figure out which combination of aerial maneuvers will work to get through all the hazards before you run out of energy. Often, you have to work out these puzzles on the fly.

I love this stuff. It’s like a more challenging version of the Ori games, but with a completely unique hand-drawn art style and soundtrack that rivals Hallow Knight. I’ve seen it criticized for having a simpler combat system than Silksong, but I actually prefer this. I’m here to explore. I’m here for the challenging platforming. The combat difficulty ramps up as the game progresses, but never to a place that’s brutally difficult.

To me, this strikes the right balance for a casual gamer: enough challenge to keep it interesting, but not so much I’m going to dread a replay. I have a feeling this is a game I’m going to revisit over and over for a long time.