Ori and the Blind Forest
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Top Critic
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.
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Challenging and gorgeous, Ori is a classic platforming genre modernized and done strikingly well. Use a controller and save often.
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Natural wonder, nonlinear exploration, and brutal difficulty come together beautifully in Ori and the Blind Forest.
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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.
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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.
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Nothing short of a work of art
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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.
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Ori and the Blind Forest is a rapturous platformer that is as fun as it is beautiful.
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A very charming platformer, but not a groundbreaking one.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Top Critic
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.
Top Critic
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.
Top Critic
Ori and the Blind Forest is a captivating platformer with a visual splendor that's only matched by its excellent execution of the Metroidvania formula.
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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.
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A staggeringly beautiful puzzle-platformer that remains a masterpiece despite occasional spikes of difficulty.
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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.
Top Critic
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.
Top Critic
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.
