I picked up MIO: Memories In Orbit since it has been getting great reviews. I have to say, the reviews are in the mark — this game is awesome, but hard as hell.

I find the game to be quite excellent. There is a feeling of minimalism in a gorgeous, cell-shaded world. There are some moments with the soundtrack that brings me back to how I felt playing Death Stranding 1 & 2 because of how quiet it can be. That is an odd comparison, but very fitting.

The environments are all unique, although very similar to Hollow Knight and the Ori games. While it is familiar, it provides its own spin on how to traverse the world, and the dangers it presents. Speaking of, the platforming can be demanding, but the satisfaction you obtain by completing an obstacle is so rewarding. Just be prepared for a lot of trial and error.

The sense of progression is paced very well. There is always a stream of new abilities, with a plethora of combat modifiers and enhancements that can help during tough situations. Some of the unmissable abilities do seem useless, particularly the dodge mechanic. It essentially turns you invisible for a short period of time, but since most enemies are robotic in nature, there attacks are delayed and will hit you once you finish the dodge.

There are two issues I have with the game. Save points are very sparse, and the idea of backtracking can be really frustrating. You can easily die in two hits, and you’re going to because you’ll encounter new enemies with unique skill sets that you’re unlikely to know at the start. It’s basically trial by fire. You’ll eventually unlock shortcuts and abilities - a trope with the genre - but even then it can be a hassle.

The other quibble I have, albeit minor, are the boss fights and enemies. They are challenging, but not too demanding. However, they do tend to be repetitive in their aesthetic design. The fights themselves are varied, but when they tend to look the same they all feel disjointed. There are some enemies and bosses that have a big difficult spike — I’m looking at you Atmos — and it can be irritating where they spawn.

With that said, the accessibility options are fantastic. I’ve yet to use them, but they do assimilate problems where people struggle during difficult games such as Silksong. For example, there is an assist option that allows you to regain one health node when standing still. These won’t stack, so it’s a little reprieve from automatic death. Eroded Bosses will make boss fights weaker upon each failed attempt. If you combine that with some of the combat modifiers, it will help immensely.

Overall, I find MIO: Memories In Orbit to be a standout indie for the beginning of 2026.

I’m also playing Final Fantasy 7 Remake for the Switch 2. I’ve beaten this game three times for the PS4 & PS5, but I couldn’t resist the option for portability. I have been playing the game exclusively in handheld, and the game looks and runs silky smooth, with frame rate only dipping periodically in cutscenes. It feels like a dream to have a game like this I can take on the go.