When it comes to indie games, few have ever been as anticipated as Ori and the Blind Forest. Winner of multitudes of pre-release awards, the expectations are high… very high. In-fact, Microsoft has positioned it to be its premier console exclusive for March. But is all this hype rational? You bet it is.
Strong Foundation
In Ori and the Blind Forest you play as Ori, a small, fox-like guardian spirit trapped in a world unfamiliar. It’s a 2D platformer inspired by the likes of Super Metroid and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, but unlike many other games in its genre who have been similarly influenced from the gaming industry’s greats it perfectly nails down the fundamentals. Moving Ori around and executing attacks inspires confidence as everything is performed as quickly and accurately as you could hope.
Ori is accompanied by a small orb named Sein that performs ranged attacks for him. Although the source of your attacks are separated from the protagonist’s body, it feels like an extension of Ori as the game intuitively decides who it thinks you want to target when several enemies are on screen. A light shade of red is cast over enemies that Sein targets to make sure you aren’t just guessing, too. Managing Sein is an element in and of itself that makes Ori and the Blind Forest feel different than other platformers on the market.
Moon Studios calls it a ‘Metroidvania’ style game, and it’s an outstanding one at that.
Ori’s library of skills grow as you progress through the game. A few of the abilities you earn have huge implications on the enjoyability of your game experience. Take Bash for example. Before acquiring it you’re limited to jumps and basic attacks. With it, you’re able to turn projectiles into opportunities to leap great distances, or even launch them back at the attacker. The ceiling for complexity in puzzle design increases with each subsequent unlock, and you’ll be regularly pressed to push the potential of your toolkit.
You’ll also earn abilities points while progressing that allow you to improve Ori’s functions by traversing down three linear ability trees. Each tree has a theme, whether it be offense, survival, or support. Improving all three in some manner helps give you a balanced attack, though you’re free to choose where your points are allocated. As a whole, it’s a good system that provides a sense of decision making to the game without being overbearing.
A Great Place to Spend Time
Over the years the gaming industry has seen some beautiful indie games, but nothing quite like this. Ori and the Blind Forest is a remarkably good-looking game. You could even say that it’s one of the most gorgeous games ever made, taking on the identity of an eye-pleasing painting in motion. Screenshots don’t really do it justice; you need to see it with your own two eyes.
The forest might be blind, but it is unquestionably alive. You can feel its heartbeat pulse with the glow of mushrooms and the swaying of foliage as wind brushes through it. This is just one element of the game’s tremendous sense of atmosphere and being. It’s a pleasant place to be, to say the least.
Ori and the Blind Forest is kind on the senses.
While the full campaign takes place in a forest, there’s a wealth of variety. You’ll venture to a swampland, an area blazing with smoke and fire, as well as mist-laden woods—a personal favorite of mine. Each of these areas are held to a remarkably high standard in terms of art design. The only problem with the world design is that there is no fast travel, and the game tends to enjoy making you run long distances. You are bound to get lost, but hopefully you don’t venture too far from your goal or you’re in for a long run.
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The game’s short but well presented narrative pieces are done subtly and tastefully as well. The story doesn’t impede on your control, and does just enough to substantiate the existence of this beautiful land and Ori’s venture through it. In some ways, the delivery is reminiscent of Team ICO’s works (i.e. Shadow of the Colossus). Yes, it’s that good.
The gorgeous visuals are accompanied by an equally remarkable soundtrack that is rich with texture and catchy melodies. The pieces have been crafted specifically for the varying environments and moods that are presented along the way. They embody the spirit of the game perfectly, furthering its ability to captivate your senses.
An Unforgotten Journey
The pretty visuals might give you the false impression that Ori and the Blind Forest is a game that aims to be delightful. Hidden beneath its cascades of color is a game that is extremely challenging. Many puzzles and enemy encounters require quick reflexes and timely use of your abilities. Some even require absolute perfection.
The game’s unique saving system asks you to place limited save points as you venture through the forest. You’ll have to make risk/reward decisions that sometimes lead to frustration, while other times to an eruption of excitement. Though, some sections can be infuriating depending on how quickly you adapt to the game’s mechanics. Unfortunately, in some cases the difficulty gets in the way of the fun, and you might just find yourself hoping that it was toned down a little.
An epic journey awaits.
What may surprise you about Ori and the Blind Forest is that it’s a lengthy journey. You can expect to spend over eight hours playing the game to completion, and only a small piece of that isn’t pure gameplay. There’s a leaderboard so that you can compete with your friends for speed runs, too. At $20, it rivals recent AAA games.
Conclusion
Ori and the Blind Forest isn’t just another platformer, it’s a beautiful and memorable adventure waiting to be experienced. Equipped with a spectacular presentation and top-tier controls, its four years of development have paid off. Though its difficulty can be poorly moderated at times, you’ll feel like you’ve accomplished something when the credits roll. More importantly, you’ll feel like you’ve played something unlike any other.
You could argue that Ori and the Blind Forest is the best game of 2015 so far, and there’s no doubt that it’s joined the indie gaming elite. It’s a $20 game with the heart of a full priced AAA title.
Jonathan Leack is the Gaming Editor for CraveOnline. You can follow him on Twitter @jleack.
Xbox One copy provided by publisher. Ori and the Blind Forest is available for Xbox One and PC. An Xbox 360 version will be available at a later date.
