![]() ![]() This was admittedly an isolated incident, but there are plenty of sequences in Ori that manage to capture a high level of difficulty and challenge, even on normal. There were growing pains that were only made worse by the sudden rise in difficulty I encountered in my first hour, which was capstoned by a sequence where Ori needs to use an ability they just received in order to avoid a lethal target that unceremoniously begins coming after them while the players expected to indulge in rapid platforming when I was still getting used to simply moving Ori around. My trouble stemmed from a lot of things, the immediate nature of some of the challenge, the unique manner in which Ori runs, jumps, and climbs up walls, and the concept behind an auto-aiming attack in what amounted to a 2D platformer. In theory, it sounds very easy to grasp, but I had a fair share of trouble with Ori early on. From a broader perspective, Ori meets this criteria by being a fluid action platformer in a world densely populated with secrets and upgrades that allow the main character to go from a vulnerable little woodland creature into a powerful force to be reckoned with. The story is largely ignorable thanks to this, but is at least a serviceable justification for the game’s premise, which follows the core tenants of action, exploration, and character growth that have come to both define metroidvanias, and make up why I consider them one of my favorite genres. There is a lot of attention given to the background and world of this place, but it is so poorly conveyed that I don’t think I remember a single thing either character said. Text that I just found clumsy in its attempts at complicating things or dealing out needless exposition, whether it be directly from Sein, or ominously from the spirit tree that dwells at the heart of the forest. While the visual storytelling of Ori and the Blind Forest is compelling in the attention to detail placed in character animations and general direction whether it be through scripted sequences or genuine cutscenes, they are only a small portion of the game, and a lot of the story is conveyed through text. ![]() ![]() It’s a pretty simple set up when you get down to it, and one that begins rather strongly with a ten minute introductory scene detailing the loving relationship between Ori and his adoptive mother that sets a high emotional bar for the story to meet, which is unfortunately doesn’t. Or to be reductive, the premise is to explore a series of varying environments in a metroidvania styled affair, collect the three thingymajigs at the end of each dungeon, and save the world from the encompassing darkness. In wake of this devastation, Ori sets off to restore the forest by recovering the light of the elements, helped by a forest spirit by the name of Sein, and whatever latent power Ori can recover throughout the forest. ![]() Trees of the wonderous forest they live in become barren, and darkness begins to encompass much of the land. Ori and The Blind Forest: Definitive Edition ReviewĪfter being separated from her home and family during a terrible storm, the titular Ori soon becomes the adopted child of a motherly blobbish creature named Naru, who raises them lovingly and enjoy peaceful days together before disaster strikes the land. My reasoning behind this was that I knew just enough about the game to be worried about whether or not I personally would enjoy it, and for good reason. It came out, was received well, but I never wound up buying it until over a year later, and after the release of an updated “Definitive” version. Despite how Ori and The Blind Forest was instantly on my radar the moment I saw it, seeing as how it was shown off as a lavishly beautiful metroidvania game, it’s taken me quite a while to finally play it. ![]()
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