![]() Though the gameplay is metroidvania, the actual structure is more akin to The Legend of Zelda. The stats screen ominously keeps track of your deaths by the end of the game I had over 150. Good thing because creating constant Soul Links becomes imperative if you want to minimize redoing a particularly difficult section over and over. In the early game I was quite nervous about hoarding this ability, but by the midpoint I had so much energy it was never an issue. The biggest innovation comes from the ability to expend energy to create manual save points called Soul Links. ![]() The game is challenging as hell, and it knows it. Enemies are auto-targeted once they’re in range, allowing you to focus on avoiding their attacks as well as the many traps and pitfalls that remain a constant threat. Without any loot or weapons, Ori’s sole means of attack is through the spirit Sein, a constant hovering point of light that fires off a rapid burst of fireballs at the nearest target, not unlike Dust’s companion in Dust: An Elysian Tail. These can be spent on three different skill trees to grant Ori various passive buffs and help, like revealing secrets on the map or granting double and triple jumps. Collectibles come in just three flavors, life and energy cells that give you more…life and energy, as well as ability cells that are essentially big experience point boosters. Ori steadily gains new traversal abilities, allowing it to climb walls, float, bash through rocks, and stomp through the ground, gaining access to new areas and previously unreachable goodies. If you’re game has a great in-game map, chances are I will love it. The beautiful forest can be easily navigated thanks to the lovely in-game map, probably one of my single favorite feature of the game. ![]() There’s very little dialogue Sein is the only one that really speaks to explain about new abilities or tasks, while Ori’s journey and Kuro’s backstory are told via beautiful cutscenes. It’s difficult to convey how well the relatively simple tale is effectively told using poetic narration (translated via text on screen by the tree spirit – who sounds like an operatic Jabba the Hut). I’ll understand if that little story causes a hefty amount of eye-rolling. It’s up to Ori and little tree spirit companion Sein to gather together the other elements around the forest and restore the tree’s light. In searching for Ori, the great tree ends up burning through the forest, and the giant owl named Kuro fights back by stealing away its light source. The story centers on the titular little spirit creature that becomes lost from its parent tree during a great storm. With its perfectly balanced difficulty, simple but emotional story-telling, and intriguing world, Ori and the Blind Forest is easily one of the best metroidvanias I’ve ever played. I finally decided to take the plunge when it went on sale during the Steam Summer Sale, and now I’m ashamed at myself for dismissing it so quickly without ever having tried it. I know I initially felt a been there-done that vibe, even when the great critical reviews started rolling in. Thus it’s easy to initially dismiss a game like Ori. ![]() It also helps to be published by a giant like Microsoft. In many ways Ori and the Blind Forest has become the new standard for typical indie games gorgeous 2D art, hardcore platforming, and a whimsical, faerie tale-like story. You can read my latest Final Thoughts below and also on my gaming blog on Game Informer. I have finished another backlogged game via Rogue’s Adventures.
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