Ori and the Blind Forest – Our Review

The most beautiful Metroidvania game you’ve never played.

Summer is here which means an influx of blockbuster films (mostly duds this year) and conversely a complete drought of quality games as release dates get pushed closer to the profitable holiday window.  We’re taking this chance then to catch up with titles we missed or ones that demand more hours than most (seriously 80 hours into MGSV and I’m only 40% done?!).  One such title we never had a chance to play before is the adorably sentimental Ori and the Blind Forest.

Be warned though, it kicks off with a patented-Pixar gut punch.

This game originally launched over a year ago on PC and Xbox One but got went under the radar for us until it started getting such acclaim.  Currently the re-release that arrived this year is the second highest scoring Xbox One game of the year just behind the wildly popular Overwatch.  Interestingly the developer, Moon Studios, is not one central entity but a disparate group of developers from around the world that worked on this one title.  Inspired by Hayao Miyazaki movies, coming of age stories like The Iron Giant, and designed as a love letter to Rayman and Metroid, the game has a ton of potential for greatness.

The game’s obtuse story follows Ori, a glowing being that fell from the godlike Spirit Tree during a storm.  Ori is found by a bear-like creature called Naru initially but as the Spirit Tree tries in vain to find Ori and depletes the resources of the woods, Ori is soon orphaned again to fend for himself.  You take over on a quest to make sense of the world, restore the elements, and bring back life to the woods.

Honestly the story doesn’t try too hard to make sense and it doesn’t matter because the game has some of the most stunning visuals and immersive soundtrack we’ve heard.  It helps that it’s also extremely easy to play thanks to the familiar formula.  Yes, you do navigate a 2d world back and forth, unlocking new areas through power ups you find like all good Metroidvania titles.  What’s perhaps surprising though is how challenging this well-worn game formula can be.  Death is frequent thanks to your limited lifespan and some precarious platforming but thankfully the game has virtually no loading times so you never really mind.  Weirdly enough the random enemy drops you pick up also allows you to quicksave anytime so the onus is on you to be mindful of your last save before taking on a new challenge.

Don’t let its cuteness deceive, this game is crazy hard at times

Visually the game is absolutely stunning.  The entire world sways back and forth in the wind.  Rich use of parallax backgrounds and shadowed foregrounds layer nearly square foot of the map immersing you in surreal world.  It’s meticulously designed and one of the best looking games we’ve ever played.  One interesting tidbit to note, none of the artwork or background elements repeat anywhere in the game.  Every element is unique throughout.

All right, I can’t write this review without addressing one nagging element that still bothers me now even after putting the game down a week ago.  To avoid SPOILERS, I’ll be brief.  There’s a story reveal in the last chapter of the game that addresses character motivations that’s simply heart breaking.  A resolution to this, in a game where death is a mere annoyance and resurrection is quite common, seems blatantly obvious, however the game takes an unexpected dark turn in the end that just seems unfair to that character and really out of place when every other element is as heartwarming as it is.

That’s a trivial complaint though when the rest of the game is so well designed.  If you haven’t had a chance to play this game, you’ve been missing out.

What works

The Metroidvania formula is good but the game stands out due to the absolutely amazing artwork.  The hundreds of deaths you’ll no doubt experience would normally be a concern but the lack of load times and the fact quicksave is always in our power makes this less of an issue.

What doesn’t work

The story resolution is just… wrong.  At least for one significant character.  Other than that not much else.

Overall: Buy It

Every frame of this game looks like a Miyazaki movie brought to life in a game and it’s a joy to playthrough.  If you are looking for a good 10 hour distraction this summer, this is a great option.

Yeah, she’s a jerk, but we still feel bad for the owl.