Ori and the Blind Forest

A beautiful and memorable 2D platformer that will linger in your memory long after completion.

From a mechanical standpoint, Ori and the Blind Forest isn’t an evolution of the genre, and you’ve seen most of what’s on offer here before. But aesthetically it’s in a league of its own, and everything it does, it does well. If you’re looking for a metroidvania, I’d consider this a new classic.

One of the first things that struck me was the solid and somewhat heart-wrenching story.  In a nutshell, and without ruining anything, Ori is cast away from his home and raised by his “adopted” mother Naru when suddenly their home is stuck by disaster and Ori must venture out to save his world.  As you make your way through the game’s levels, healing various areas and vanquishing various creatures, you’ll find yourself very attached to Ori and what he represents.

Paradise.

Ori and the Blind Forest rivals the very best games in terms of presentation and controls. It offers a challenging path for you to follow on this touching emotional journey. So good, so beautiful, you can't help but want more reasons to play.

Ori and the Blind Forest isn’t just a magnificent video game with impeccable mechanics and brilliant design, it’s a work of art. What could’ve easily been a journey so wrapped up in delivering its poignant narrative that it squandered away its gameplay potential, ends up being a Metroidvania that can hang with the greatest the genre has to offer. This is a powerful experience that we expect will be remembered for a long time to come, and it's, without question, one of the best games available for the Xbox One. That's a big statement, we know, but Ori's got more than enough spirit to back it up...

The extreme highs carry Ori and the Blind Forest through to greatness if not quite flawlessness. Rarely is a game able to be so devilish in its gameplay yet so touching in its story.

From basic double jumping challenges to Portal-inspired vortexes that require gravity-defying leaps to survive, Ori offers plenty of beauty and challenge for 2D platforming fans. The story plays out subtly throughout the adventure and adds that something special to make the game more than just a pretty platforming journey. The game may not feel long enough to experienced platform players who can rush through the challenges, but at $19.99 we're confident players will get their money's worth.

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Bigger and tougher than it looks, Ori and the Blind Forest is a beautifully realized, brilliantly designed, and at times brutally difficult sylvan Metroidvania-style platformer with enough charm to leave a lasting impression. It's often frustrating and sometimes confusing, but its spectacular platforming, memorable world, and engrossing story wash those concerns away.

In summary then, Ori and the Blind Forest is a largely enjoyable game that both Xbox One and PC gamers would be wise to try, even if just to experience its emotional story. Its wonderful art and music go to great lengths to carry the lacklustre controls and generic design, and to be honest it mostly succeeds in doing so. Despite my frustrations I was gripped right until the credits rolled, taking me around eight hours to see the game to its end, although it was disappointing to find that the game doesn’t offer a “new game plus” mode, or allow you to resume the game from your last save in order...

Moon Studios' Xbox One platformer is a gorgeous Metroidvania with a heartwarming story and gut-punching challenges.