Ori and the Blind Forest

Having always been a fan of 2D games in general, and especially platformers, I was looking forward to playing this game, and while high expectations are often a danger, this is one of those times when the game in question satisfies them with ease. This is such a well-crafted and delightfully adventurous game, full of secrets, solid characters and great gameplay. First of all, the graphics are gorgeous, the perfect mix of details and simplicity. Equally great is the score, which overall sounds pretty good, with a few tracks that are truly amazing.

I also think the gameplay is excellent. I was expecting more combat, but once I got used to the platformer approach this game takes, I was hooked. The controls are solid, moving Ori around feels fluid and smooth, and while it sometimes felt like things happened at too high sensitivity, particularly in regards to the dash and other abilties, it's not something that really decreased my enjoyment in any way. The game has just enough different abilities to feel fresh and engaging everytime you get a new one, while also not being too complicated and messy, as games with ability systems often do. I really like how the different abilities connect and play off each other, and how you have to utilize several together to reach a goal in certain situations.

The world in this game is pretty well designed. I like how the different areas stretch in all directions, instead of just being straight lines, it makes it more fun to traverse, and finding new pathways is always delightful. The map is easy to manage and comprehend, and I like how you can unlock new things to show on it as you go along. The world is neither too big or too small, it's just the right size for this story. The fact that you can save at any time helps a lot with making it feel manageable, and it makes for more fluid gameplay, even if it removes some of the tension.

Speaking of story, I didn't expect it to be so central to the game. Maybe my time playing more soulslike games with next to no basic plot has had an effect on me, but whatever, I soon found myself very engaged in Ori's struggles, and the sorrow of Kuro and Naru really hit me harder than I expected. The story is simple, yet endearing, and filled with raw, emotional value.

Although I did have a grand time playing this game, there are a few things holding it back from a perfect 10/10. First of all, while the narration by the Spirit Tree makes sense on paper, I found it to be more and more annoying as the game went along, especially when it just stated things I could already see on the screen. Another little annoyance is how little the game encourages exploration. You always have a quest lined up, and the given path is always obvious. This isn't a problem in all games, but in metroidvanias it can often make said quests feel empty, as the world is often what you want to focus on. The fact that you can see where everything is thanks to the mapstones, and how every secret is shown on the map once you unlock those features, makes the exploration less fun, at least to me. This isn't a big issue, but I found myself wishing for less information a couple times. The game is also very short, but seeing as it's an indie, it didn't bother me too much.

The issues stated above are all minor though, this game is overall pretty fantastic, and while I don't consider it a true masterpiece, it is one of the better games I've played in recent years, and one of my all-time favorite platformers.

The gameplay is fantastic, the graphics are beautiful and everything's guided by a well thought-out, not too complicated story. All adds up to an atmospheric and enticing game, which I have played through three times now.

Overall a wholesome, gorgeous game.

10/10

I enjoyed the whole game, I didn't wanted to play any other game because I was so invested. The animation is so beautiful and i really enjoyed the gameplay. I found the story very touching and beautiful. I loved the owl as the bad guy, Kuro was so beautiful but scary at the same time.

But unfortunately, there was a moment I was disappointed. The story was was all game on point, till the end. It's felt like the most cliché ending that could happen. Maybe it took me off because I wasn't expecting it or I was expecting more.

However, don't let this stop you from playing this masterpiece. You will definitely love it!

Even making a video game, you should have the mind of craftsmen, because the video game is considered as "the ninth art".

Brilliant graphics, beautiful music, logical plots, the think of freedom!

Finally, I discovered that the spirit tree is the true bad man...

I really enjoyed this game. The art style, music and level design are all absolutely great. I don't usually play 2d platformers but this one kept me engaged throughout. I found this both a relaxing and stressful experience because the game has such an ethereal and cute vibe but it's pretty difficult game on normal difficulty (I finished both Sekiro and Elden Ring and I found this one quite hard at times). It's a short indie game with great mechanics which keep you hooked just long enough till the end of the game. After the end there isn't much to do anymore though.

The positives: +Art style +Music +Interesting and well-dispersed mechanics +Nice little story +Memorable and fun experience

The negatives: -Too many similarly colored items on screen which is very confusing and hard to distinguish sometimes.

-Some very annoying inconsistensies in difficulty and telling the player which surfaces are solid or harmful and just general consistency issues.

-Bossfights were kind of lame if there really were any; so many great mechanics so such a shame they are not properly tested in the end with a cool fight or something.

-The music is very dramatic and sometimes this sort of diminishes the weight of the important story moments: the music always sounds like you are in the final cutscene or bossfight.