Memories in Orbit Emerges as a Standout Metroidvania Ahead of Silksong

While the wait for Hollow Knight: Silksong continues, a new contender is stepping into the spotlight. MIO: Memories in Orbit, developed by French studio Douze Dixièmes and published by Focus Entertainment, is shaping up to be one of the most promising indie releases of 2025.

Set aboard The Vessel, a once-majestic ark now in decay, the game follows MIO, a small but agile robot tasked with restoring the ship’s corrupted memories and staving off collapse. The premise blends science fiction with melancholic undertones, creating an atmosphere that recalls the haunting beauty of Hollow Knight while carving out its own identity.

The free Steam demo already offers two to three hours of gameplay, giving players an early taste of its world. Exploration is central: every upgrade is earned by scavenging components across the ship, and new abilities like grappling, wall-clinging, and gliding open pathways to deeper secrets. Each tool serves multiple purposes, used for both traversal and combat, allowing players to tailor builds by trading defensive options for greater offensive power.

The challenge ramps up quickly, with over 30 enemy types and 15 guardian encounters demanding skill and adaptability. Combat emphasizes precision and versatility, forcing players to experiment with MIO’s evolving arsenal while mastering the ship’s shifting environments.

Visually, MIO is striking. Its art style combines influences from comics, painting, and anime, filling the world with eerie flora, rare NPCs, and intricate backdrops that capture the sense of a living but fractured ecosystem. Critics who sampled the demo praised not only its aesthetics but also its emotional depth, noting its exploration of self-acceptance and purpose within a collapsing world.

With a full release planned for 2025 on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, and Xbox One & Series X/S, MIO: Memories in Orbit is already drawing attention as a potential gem in the Metroidvania genre. For players searching for a rich, atmospheric adventure to fill the void before Silksong, MIO is more than a placeholder, it is a statement of its own.