Review: Little Orpheus

In Little Orpheus, we follow Ivan Ivanovich through a series of increasingly improbable adventures. Players will experience chases by dinosaurs, the discovery of lost civilizations, and deep-sea dives in search of sunken kingdoms. The game unfolds across nine episodes, unlocked sequentially. The narrative exhibits a humorous tone, although the veracity of Ivanovich’s accounts may be questionable.

The initial release of Little Orpheus was delayed. Given the game’s setting in the former Soviet Union and the current geopolitical climate, the developers opted to postpone the premiere. Now, several months later, players can finally embark on Ivan Ivanovich’s purported journeys.

This review was conducted on Nintendo Switch. While the Switch offers comparatively lower performance than current-generation consoles like Playstation and Xbox, this does not significantly detract from the experience. The game features graphically advanced elements, including 3D-rendered creatures. Furthermore, the game exhibits neither notable lag nor excessive loading times, even in portable mode. The visuals are polished and evoke the style of classic animated films, and the details remain clear even on the smaller built-in screen.

Regarding gameplay mechanics, Little Orpheus bears resemblance to titles such as Inside. However, some control issues detract from the overall experience. The inability to swing on vines feels like an omission. Additionally, interacting with movable objects requires the player character to be stationary and precisely positioned. This necessitates stopping and carefully aligning before initiating any pushing action, which can disrupt the flow and lead to unnecessary backtracking.

In conclusion, Little Orpheus is still recommended. Despite its control shortcomings, this platform adventure offers an entertaining experience. The engaging narrative and challenging level design ultimately outweigh the noted flaws.

Secret Mode provided a review code for this evaluation. The provision of review materials does not influence our editorial assessments.