The last few reviews
that I put up on the blog were about new games that were doing nothing new, but
instead something already done. But they were doing it very very
well and at the same time implementing something cool that made those games
rather unique. Today I'm planning on continuing this trend.
Ori and the Blind
Forest is a 2D platformer/Metroidvania game with light RPG elements, developed by Moon Studios and published on 11th of March 2015.
The Setting
During a horrible storm the young Ori fell from the
Spirit Tree and is found and adopted by Naru who rise him up as her own. Later
on the Forest is struck by a disaster and it starts to slowly die out. Naru is
one of victims of this disaster.
The newly orphaned forest spirit Ori now has to try to
understand and save the Forest he is living in.
Gameplay
Ori and The Blind Forest is a 2D platformer adventure
game with rather big interconnected World to explore. But as in any
Metroidvania game in Ori you will find many doors, seals, barricades and what not that
will block your way. To open doors you
will need key fragments that sometimes can be challenging to acquire, other
times your magic power will need to be at certain level, so returning for those
mana upgrades that you passed might be a good idea. Other collectables are
revealing map fragments and life upgrades which are always nice to have.
While on your adventure you will also collect Spirit
Light from interacting with different objects and killing enemies. When enough
is collected Ori will level up this allowing him to learn new ability from the
three skill trees - Offensive, Exploration and Survival.
In the depths of the Forest you will also find
Ancestral Trees which will teach you skills that cannot be learned in any other
way and are key for progressing trough the game.
Ori and the Blind Forest use both Checkpoint
saves(Spirit wells) as well as Manual player saving(Soul Links). But while the
Chekpoint will save your progress and refill your life and mana, manual ones
will restore only part of those two and only if have the necessary skills.
Either Spirit well or Soul link is required for you to be learn new skill after leveling up.
The Soul links are very important part of the game,
not only for leveling up, but also because Spirit wells are very rare sight and
death brings you back to your last save, which can be just before that really
hard part you just got trough.
But what Ori does really well is the platforming.
There are ridiculous platform puzzles that you will have to pass. Triple jumps
with changing direction in mid-air, teleporting around deadly thorns, blinking
above filled with spikes chasm while collecting keys, using enemies projectiles
and attacks to open paths and outrunning deadly stream while enemies are coming
from all sides are just a few to mention.
The Esthetics
Other key feature of Ori and The Blind Forest is the
gorgeous graphics and great music. In its collorful, lively, beautiful scenes
it reminds me of Trine, but even better. While wandering through the Forest you
definitely gets the impression of a living world, you're really in a forest
full of live and inhabitants. Also the characters and to some degree the world
give this Ghibli vibe which is surprisingly appropriate for the game.
And the music...I don't really can describe at full.
The music is what creates the unique atmosphere that Ori and The Blind Forest
has. Every piece from it is at its right place giving you the feeling that you
need at this moment. The soundtrack of Ori for me is at the level of Transistor
and Journey.
And the third part of this already
great world is the story. I won't spoil it for you, but it is really touching,
meaningful and well told trough flash backs and short cut-scenes. It has its
tense moments with Ori hiding and running from Kuro, it has nice plot twists
and heart-breaking moments especially near the end.
Conclusion
Ori and The Blind Forest is really well made
platformer/Metroidvania adventure game that have all the necessary elements for
a game from this genre to be good...and then it has some more!
For me was impossible to find weak spot in it. Its
controls are good, it platforming puzzles are very crafty, various, challenging
and deadly. It will take real skill and a lot of patience to pass some of them.
The world in which the game is set is amazingly beautiful,
varied and alive. While playing the game you will really have the feeling that
you're traversing an old great forest full of life.
Also the masterpiece music and the well-presented,
touching story create amazing, little sad atmosphere that completes the forest
world of Ori.
I wholeheartedly recommend you Ori and the Blind
Forest, try it and you will thank me after that.
P.S. It's no brainer I guess, but don't touch it if
you don't like/are no good at platformers, because if you do it will be painful
experience for you.
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