Every once in a while, there sometimes comes an independent developed game that has huge ambitions and delivers on almost all fronts. This is the case with Moon Studios' brilliant and beautiful game titled Ori and the Blind Forest. Originally released for the Xbox One and eventually ported to the Nintendo Switch, This metroidvania style video game would go on to get massive praise from critics and gamers alike for it’s beautiful visuals, challenging gameplay and even deep storytelling
A white guardian spirit named Ori is whisked away from the spirit tree and found by a creature named Naru who adopts Ori and raises him as her own. However the unexpected withering of the forest causes Naru to tragically die and Ori finds himself alone in the forest. Ori’s purpose is rediscovered when he comes across a small glowing orb named Sein who tells Ori about the forest and how to restore it to its former glory. Ori will now have to set free the tree elements of the forest in order save the forest from darkness while also avoiding many dangers.
The story of the game takes a very subtle approach in its deep complexity. Most of the time the story is told visually instead of relying on dialogue which creates a very engaging way to suck us into Ori’s story. The story keeps getting darker and more interesting as the game progresses and some moments are so touching and sad that it may be possible for you to get emotionally invested from time to time. If I did have to make a minor nitpick I would say while the storytelling is fantastic, I do admit that the emotional moments are not quite as impactful as they make themselves out to be but that complaint is so small that it still doesn't disregard the fact of how great the storytelling is.
The game’s visuals are beyond amazing and the locations Ori visits have their own distinct color pallet. The colors can evoke many feelings and the further you go into the game the visuals only get more harsh and elaborate as you make your way through the unpredictable but lively forest. The overall look of the game presents itself as a 2D platformer but the designs of the characters, the creatures and the backgrounds have a sort of 3D look to them. It’s very impressive to comprehend the level of painstaking detail to make the overall presentation like a moving piece of art that you can control to an extent. Like mentioned before, the entirety of the game is told visually and they make great use of using a video game to create a world that is hard not to resist. I could definitely go on with how amazing the visuals are but all in all, these may be some of the most complex visuals I've seen in a 2D platformers to date.
The gameplay is rather simple to understand and you’ll start out with only a few abilities and moves. As you get further into the game, your amount of abilities increases and there is a good chance you’ll need to use your new found abilities multiple times to traverse areas and unlock secrets of the forest. Your health and soul link will increase when you find secret orbs hidden in hard to reach areas in the forest and you’ll need to use soul links in order to create checkpoints that you can spawn mostly anywhere in the entire game. The game surprisingly doesn’t use some of the familiar tropes in most other 2D platformer's. For example there really are no boss battles as most of the game is just simply making your way through the forest and avoiding the owl in the sky. The difficulty of the game can put up a good challenge and it can admittedly be frustrating at times but not to the point where it’s unfair as it’s easy enough to figure out what you did wrong and quickly rebound from where you left off
The music for the game is both epic and hauntingly atmospheric. There is an actual orchestrated score that was conducted by Gareth Coker and each piece of music has such an awe inspiring quality that even on its own it still stands in being such a wondrous and intriguing score that evokes so many emotions and is a treat for the ears.
This is such a beautiful game and it’s no wonder that this game would receive critical praise and a follow up that would further expand on the original’s source material. It may be challenging, but trust me when I say that it's worth it to keep playing because it’s hard to stop after you’ve picked up the controller. It’s beautiful visuals, deep storytelling, engaging gameplay and lovely music make this a must play for gamers and non gamers alike. This is a game that proves that video games can be more than fun time wasters, they can also tell meaningful narratives that can speak to people on many different levels.
(Final Grade: A-)