Genre: Metroidvania
Year: 2015
Developed by: Moon Studios
Published by: Microsoft Studios
Platforms: PC, XBOX One, Switch
#35
Feeling Like: Escaping the Ginso Tree
Ori and the Blind Forest nearly won my very first Top 10, and for good reason. I was beyond enamored with it. I wanted to be a part of it. Every soft light source, every blue orb, every background diorama, every source of shadow, every color, every piece of solid ground Ori can walk on is gorgeous. Drop dead gorgeous, I cannot overstate that in this post. Without a single word of spoken dialogue, Ori manages to convey more emotion than 10 AAA games put together. It feels very much like Pixar at the height of their powers. Up’s first ten minutes has nothing on Ori. If you’re at all predisposed to liking animals, there’s a very good chance you’ll shed a few tears before you even start the first level.
It’s both gentle and threatening. It epitomizes nature; sometimes you’ll be staring slack jawed at moonlight cascading through foliage, other times you’ll be sprinting away from gnashing teeth. Because the world is so well thought-out, because the characters are so earnest, because I cared so much for little Ori, I was emotionally invested from the first jump. I legitimately don’t know how anybody isn’t transfixed upon their first few moments with this game.
I have played hundreds of platformers and Metroidvanias. Ori is in a class all its own, aside from the sequel. Threats are clearly laid out and while the challenge is brutally difficult at times, it never feels unfair. Dangers ask a lot of the player at times, but because the controls are based upon decades of tried-tested-and-true gameplay, I felt right at home. As I said in Celeste, I may hesitate to tackle something like Elden Ring, but platformers in a two dimensional space are far more palatable. I can do this. Maybe not as well as this player, but I can do it.
God, even watching that clip covers my arms in goosebumps. The mechanic where you bounce off of enemy projectiles opens up so many interesting methods of traversal. It’s not enough to run, jump, climb, float and attack. You have to take in the entire landscape, warts and all, to make your way through.
If you’ve been following the blog with any kind of dedication, you may be getting sick of me gushing about various soundtracks. I must apologize once again, because the gushing will continue until morale improves.
Ori and the Blind Forest would still work well without a masterpiece of a soundtrack, but lucky for us, it has one. What is it with the UK and producing incredible game composers? I owe Gareth Coker a Christmas present, because listening to Ori’s soundtrack puts me in a positive, hopeful mood. Every single time.
“Naru, Embracing the Light” is set perfectly to the opening montage. Just try to frown listening to this.
“The Blinded Forest“, mysterious and beautiful.
“Up the Spirit Caverns Walls“. Just listen to that part at 2:28. Masterful.
“Restoring the Light, Facing the Dark” if this doesn’t motivate you to keep moving, nothing will.
“Riding the Wind” This starts out good and then proceeds to get even better with every passing second. The section at 2:26 may be the single most beautiful thing I’ve heard in a video game. When the piano kicks in at 2:40, I start to lose it.
“Light of Nibel” is the grand finale. Can’t you tell?
See, this is why I can’t ever rank soundtracks. Off the top of my head, I wouldn’t say Ori and the Blind Forest has my favorite soundtrack but after listening to it for a few hours, it reminds me how powerful a connection it was with the visuals and the gameplay. It is stunningly beautiful, I can’t hear it too often. The peaceful tunes make me want to give Ori a hug, the faster ones make me want to sprint through a tree. The triumphant ones make me want to pump my fist in the air. What other purpose can a soundtrack have, but to make one feel?
Both the overarching design and the tiny details are well thought out. Secrets are everywhere and no two areas of the world are alike. Secrets and collectibles are everywhere, rewarding extra exploration but not requiring it. The maneuvers are simple, but capitalize on Ori’s agile nature. The air-dash is a game changer, it makes me wish every Metroidvania had it. There’s no sense of being overwhelmed with the mechanics themselves, the tutorials feel organically placed to teach me things, but not over educate. Simply moving through the Blind Forest is a joy. I was speechless to learn this was the very first title from Moon Studios. Talk about a debut!
This is one of those examples of a game where I would recommend it to anybody, as long as they’re up for a challenge. If the first few minutes don’t hook you, nothing will. The magnificent atmosphere, the air-tight controls, the brilliant level design and the classic platforming perils are all here for you to enjoy. Few games inspire this level of pleasure in me.
Amazingly, miraculously, the sequel (Ori and the Will of the Wisps) is even better in every regard. The bar has been raised so high, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to play another 2D Metroidvania without comparing it to the Ori games. I don’t envy those who will try to surpass them, but if they ever succeed, bully for them.
I hope you don’t need any more convincing, but if you do – here’s my entry for Ori and the Blind Forest from the Top 10 of 2015.If you need to be persuaded further, they released a “Definitive Edition” of Ori, adding even more bells and whistles. All for $25 Canadian. I swear, I’m not getting a commission. GO PLAY IT!
I really thought this would be my number one upon completion, and I’m not entirely convinced it shouldn’t be still. This is one of the most complete 2d adventures I’ve ever beaten. Everything connected with me; the tragic, Disney-like intro. The soundtrack that is instantly lovable. The graphics…, I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a more serene looking game in my life. Even the menus are a cut above.
It helps that it’s a Metroidvania-style game, and yes, I’m going to keep using that term because it’s a good one and because it’s an accurate one. I’ve always liked backtracking in these types of games. If the world is interesting enough and the controls are hassle free…hell yes, why wouldn’t I want to go back to the first area with a new jump equipped? The progression of growing stronger, earning additional abilities and getting through the monumentally difficult escape sections were more than just satisfying. They were empowering.
Overall there’s probably very little that experienced gamers would see here that they haven’t seen already. But the duality of the difficulty and beauty that exists here is so completely rare that I had no choice but to be astonished. I adored Ori and the Blind Forest and look forward to any future iterations, no matter what form they take.
The 500 