Ori and the Blind Forest (2015) - Game Review
Ori And The Blind Forest, what a wonderful and beautiful game. Playing this game reminded me of the best part of a few other games: from the jumping mechanics classic side-scrollers, to the upgrades that unlock areas you can see but can't quite get to like Zelda and Darksiders, to the deeply moving story and themes like The Last of Us. It was truly a pleasure and one of my favorite platform games for the Xbox One!
From the moment the game starts, you can see that there are no spoken words in the game. Much of the story that is told is done so from a visual or audio perspective. There are also text boxes when needed.
The different areas of this game are just stunning to see and play through. But even as great as it is, the sounds may even be better. The music is nothing short of fabulous, and very moving. It fits the situation whatever is going on in the game, whether it is sad, exciting, or scary. It's actually so good I have listened to it occasionally when I am not playing the game. The score is composed by Gareth Coker. Great job Gareth!!!
The story is quite moving. You play as some little whisp that was given life from this great big sentient tree (think The Secret of Mana or Zelda and the Deku Tree). You are cared for by this forest creature that assumes parentage over you. Without giving too much away, there are some tear-jerking scenes as you progress through the game, and learn about the hardships of life. And what you may perceive as a purely evil enemy just might not be what you think.
Collecting items in this game was also fun. You need a certain number of upgrades in order to unlock areas, but many other upgrades are optional. You can find them if you look a little closer and explore secret areas. These upgrades can also make you stronger with more impactful attacks, more life, and different types of attacks. The skill tree is set up nicely and it's fun to review all the paths and try to figure out which one has the best upgrades for your play style.
The various stages of the game will have different puzzles that are also fun. Some are more twitch-based where once you understand what to do, you still have to react very quickly to successfully complete it. Sometimes this can be a bit frustrating until you get the hang of what you need to do, and how to do it. This did not detract from enjoying the game though, but actually added a layer of challenge that made me feel like I earned it.
Ori And The Blind Forest is a magical game. I have bought it for a few friends just to get them to play it. I highly recommend everyone give it a try.
Happy Game Nights!
The different areas of this game are just stunning to see and play through. But even as great as it is, the sounds may even be better. The music is nothing short of fabulous, and very moving. It fits the situation whatever is going on in the game, whether it is sad, exciting, or scary. It's actually so good I have listened to it occasionally when I am not playing the game. The score is composed by Gareth Coker. Great job Gareth!!!
The story is quite moving. You play as some little whisp that was given life from this great big sentient tree (think The Secret of Mana or Zelda and the Deku Tree). You are cared for by this forest creature that assumes parentage over you. Without giving too much away, there are some tear-jerking scenes as you progress through the game, and learn about the hardships of life. And what you may perceive as a purely evil enemy just might not be what you think.
Collecting items in this game was also fun. You need a certain number of upgrades in order to unlock areas, but many other upgrades are optional. You can find them if you look a little closer and explore secret areas. These upgrades can also make you stronger with more impactful attacks, more life, and different types of attacks. The skill tree is set up nicely and it's fun to review all the paths and try to figure out which one has the best upgrades for your play style.The various stages of the game will have different puzzles that are also fun. Some are more twitch-based where once you understand what to do, you still have to react very quickly to successfully complete it. Sometimes this can be a bit frustrating until you get the hang of what you need to do, and how to do it. This did not detract from enjoying the game though, but actually added a layer of challenge that made me feel like I earned it.
Ori And The Blind Forest is a magical game. I have bought it for a few friends just to get them to play it. I highly recommend everyone give it a try.
Happy Game Nights!
Great info! I appreciate the recommendation, I have a hard time finding games that are kid friendly on the Xbox one.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a player, but I enjoyed watching this being played. The music is great and wouldn't mind listening to it throughout the day.
ReplyDelete