Ori and the Blind Forest

Ori and the Blind Forest is widely praised as a masterpiece of emotional storytelling and artistic design. Players highlight its hand-painted visuals, fluid animations, and a haunting orchestral soundtrack that deeply enhance the immersive experience. The game is a Metroidvania-style platformer that balances exploration, ability progression, and challenging platforming mechanics. The story, conveyed with minimal dialogue, centers on themes of loss, growth, and nature's balance, delivering Pixar-level emotional impact through environmental storytelling.

While the gameplay is generally lauded for its responsive controls and well-designed levels, many players note the difficulty spikes and frequent deaths can be frustrating, especially for casual gamers. Some report input delay issues in the original release, recommending the Definitive Edition for smoother performance and an easier difficulty mode. Despite these criticisms, Ori and the Blind Forest remains a beloved title for its beauty, soundtrack, and heartfelt narrative that resonates long after completion.

Highlights

Players consistently praise the gorgeous, hand-drawn art style and fluid, responsive platforming mechanics that make traversal enjoyable. The emotional, non-verbal storytelling and haunting orchestral soundtrack by Gareth Coker are standout features that elevate the narrative experience. The level design and progression system are thoughtfully crafted, encouraging exploration and mastery. Escape sequences and set pieces are memorable and challenging, adding to the game's depth and engagement.

Criticisms

Common criticisms focus on the game's steep difficulty spikes and the frustration caused by frequent deaths, which can drain player motivation. Some players mention input delay and control responsiveness issues in the original release, suggesting the Definitive Edition as a better alternative. The combat system is described as limited compared to other Metroidvania titles, and a lack of a difficulty slider initially made it less accessible for casual or less skilled players. A few players also found certain level designs somewhat bland or repetitive.