Ori and the Blind Forest Reviews
Lush appearance and polished mechanics are not to be sniffed at, of course, and even if the game's long term appeal never quite reaches the dizzying heights its first impressions hint at, the difference is barely worth quibbling over. It's no exaggeration to say that Ori and the Blind Forest is still arguably the best Microsoft console exclusive of the last six months.
Natural wonder, nonlinear exploration, and brutal difficulty come together beautifully in Ori and the Blind Forest.
'Ori and the Blind Forest' may only pack about ten hours of gameplay, but the 2D platformer offers a touching story, beautiful hand-drawn art, and challenging puzzles.
Challenging and gorgeous, Ori is a classic platforming genre modernized and done strikingly well. Use a controller and save often.
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.
Nothing short of a work of art
Ori and the Blind Forest is a rapturous platformer that is as fun as it is beautiful.
Ori and the Blind Forest is a rare realization of fantastic design and production values in a space where I wasn't expecting to find it, displaying a spectacular level of confidence in what it is and what it does.
A very charming platformer, but not a groundbreaking one.
There's nothing quite as rewarding as a good Metroidvania and Ori and the Blind Forest proves itself to be classified as one. Giant, sprawling landscapes hide tons of goodies just waiting to be collected once you've gained some new skills.
Throughout all of this is the lovely music, the gorgeous artwork and a moving story. That intro sequence brought a lump to my throat, but I wasn't sure whether the game would be able to sustain that ability to be affecting once it became less cinematic. But as the story plays out and I completed tasks I was fed more snippets. The game gradually reveals what's behind the tragedy of the forest and that emotional facet is unspoilt by unforgiving and unadventurous mechanical requirements.
I loved every second of Ori and the Blind Forest. It's as fun as it is pretty, which is an incredible achievement when its one of the most gorgeous games I've ever seen. If you've ever enjoyed a 2D sidescroller, you'll definitely appreciate what developer Moon Studios has done here.
A staggeringly beautiful puzzle-platformer that remains a masterpiece despite occasional spikes of difficulty.
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.
A memorable adventure and much more complex than its audiovisual section seems to want to tell us. Fans of metroidvania-style games have a new mandatory stop thanks to Moon Studios.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
It may be too early into the year, but I honestly believe this title to be more than a good contender for game of the year — it's certainly worth every penny.
Ori has opened our eyes to a world of audiovisual poetry that does not innovate but distills the sap of the classics and spreads it through a forest of emotions, playable quality and visual amazement. The first essential of the year.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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.
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.
Ori and the Blind Forest does all these things and is by nearly all accounts a masterpiece in video games. It has a little something for just about everyone, but more than enough to satisfy even the most galvanized platforming fans. Its difficulty might keep some from seeing the credits roll, but the sense of achievement and experiencing how the story ends makes any hardship along the way well worth the ride.