Ori and the Blind Forest Reviews
After years of seeing praise for this game, I found myself underwhelmed. It seems to run like a dream on Switch and this is the Definitive Version of the game, so all the extras are here, but I just didn’t find myself as in love with it as I’d have hoped.
Ori and the Blind Forest imparts a beautiful and intricate framework of the platforming and progression that came to define latter day Castlevania and Metroid titles, but it can't muster the same technical and design prowess to fuel its own ideas. This leaves Ori as an adequate model of its revered genre, just short of the execution and innovation that could have made it exemplary.
Moon Studios' Xbox One platformer is a gorgeous Metroidvania with a heartwarming story and gut-punching challenges.
Ori and the Blind Forest is a largely enjoyable game that gamers would be wise to try, even if just to experience its emotional story
Ori and the Blind Forest had the potential to be a game that appealed to all gamers, casual and hardcore alike. Unfortunately, the difficulty spikes (and the aforementioned bugs) keep this one solely in the realm of core gamers and speed runners. While it's still a good game, it seems silly to limit its audience unnecessarily. Perhaps Moon Studios will hit perfection in its sophomore outing.
Ori and the Blind Forest combines enthralling narrative sandwiching derivative but solid gameplay. It's this approach that makes you wish the rest of it was as compelling. But by the time you've realised that, you've been played, the fantastic presentation would have pushed you to its end, which should take you around seven hours. Well played Moon Studios, well played.
There might be rough patches, but the friction falls away when I'm locked into the core of Ori and the Blind Forest. We here at Paste Games believe that Metroid is pretty much the best game to emulate. Unlike games with concrete missions or levels, a great Metroid-style game never gives the player a reason to stop. They pull us through on a steady current of gradually expansive play that makes us never want to put the controller down. Ori expertly nails that rhythm, timing out its revelations and offering enough unique ways to navigate its world to maximize the player's engagement.
Ori and the Blind Forest is a stunning, impressive and unforgettable new IP, but its challenging gameplay will turn some folks off.
Ori and the Blind Forest is breathtaking in more ways than one: it's dazzlingly beautiful, cleverly designed, and its demanding platforming will test your patience.
Ori and the Blind Forest is a great game Xbox One game. Its world and characters are delightful. The music and visuals are extraordinary. The high level of difficulty and distinct save system may be off-putting for some players, but those looking for an exceptional Metroid-like substitute will thoroughly enjoy what Moon Studios have created here.
Though it can be completed in a single night and doesn't give much incentive for a replay, it's worth the price of admission. Still, if it weren't for a few stumbles near the end, Ori and the Blind Forest would have finished in a brilliant flash of light.
While it stumbles over its own ambition far more than it should, Ori and the Blind Forest bursts with both detail and passion. At times it's less a game you play than one you force your way through despite your better judgment, but the parts where it all works together make it worth the pain. And wow, does it look good.
If you can steel yourself for a challenge and come to grips with an unwieldy checkpoint system, Ori and the Blind Forest will mesmerize you with its lush world and incredible artistry.
Gorgeous visuals and some sublime visual storytelling, Ori And The Blind Forest might not do much that is genuinely new but almost everything it does attempt is genuinely great.
Ori and the Blind Forest is a fantastically beautiful journey, but it's by no means a perfect one since it contains a few hard to ignore flaws.
Much more than a pretty face, Ori and the Blind Forest is a remarkably solid – if somewhat disappointingly conventional – Metroidvania with a drop of 90s Nintendo magic flowing in its veins.
A helpful tip is that you'll need to collect the game's trinkets while you can, as much to the completionist's dismay it's not possible to return to your world save after the final credits have rolled. Nevertheless, Ori and the Blind Forest is one of those games to be savoured while it lasts.
Natural wonder, nonlinear exploration, and brutal difficulty come together beautifully in Ori and the Blind Forest.
While there are areas that could be further developed and we'd certainly like to be able to collect the handful of doodads we've missed, make no mistake that Ori and the Blind Forest is a satisfying adventure. It doesn't aim for style over substance, but evokes joy in movement, challenging you without being too punishing. Take in a breath of fresh air and see what the forest has in store.
Challenging and gorgeous, Ori is a classic platforming genre modernized and done strikingly well. Use a controller and save often.