Ori and the Blind Forest Review

Ori and the Blind Forest is a game I’ve been meaning to get to for about a couple of years now and I have to say that I’m sad that I didn’t get to it sooner. It is such an amazing game. It has it all. Right now, as I type this, my friend is playing their run and is loving every second of it. It’s so good that I’m sad I didn’t buy it for full price when it released. Only one other game made me feel that way and that was the first Nioh. They did everything right with this game and allowed everything to work in concert with each other. The gameplay really sets up the art design and sound track. They really brought the world and story to life. If one slipped, even just a bit, it would have been noticeable. I’m excited to jump right into telling you all about it.

Oh my fucking god on the gameplay! I mean, fuck! I don’t know what else to say. It’s like Nioh 2 and Doom Eternal had a platformer baby, but this was before them. It is hard. Really fucking hard. Satisfyingly hard. I loved every frustrating moment. Though, it didn’t help that I was playing like a complete idiot. I missed a bunch of stuff. Let me put this into perspective. I ended with 3 energy pips and 4 health pips and earned 19 skill points. My friend has 9 energy pips and 13 health pips and earned 34 skill points. They aren’t even halfway through the game. That’s how different it is and can be. They also give you a variety of skills. I didn’t even get some of them. It made the game harder and still a loads of fun. Not only that, the puzzles. I’m not used to such a smart game that makes you think. My favorite puzzle was the gravity puzzle. I’ve never played a game with a gravity puzzle and it was amazing. The gameplay was more than I could imagine. It really made you feel like you were Ori in their world.

The art design is gorgeous. Beautiful and rich with colors. It brings the story and world together. Every level has its own personality. Whether it’s making you feel hot, cold, or in between. Even the background set pieces are amazing. I did quite a few times thinking I was going to hit spikes because the background had a spike plant in it. Then there are the characters. They are all so cute and cuddly. They also have their own personalities that show in how they interact with the world and other characters around them. The art team did a lot because everything is told through visuals. There’s speaking parts in the game, however, they are speaking in a gibberish language. If it is a real language, then I definitely would love to know which language it is. Don’t worry, they have the story come across in text and the font they use is perfect. I wouldn’t know how to choose a font to begin with, but whoever did made the perfect decision. Speaking of perfect decisions…

The sound track is something else. It pulls everything together and pulls the player into the story. Every note tugs at the heartstrings when it needs to or fills your stomach with anxiety and dread when something dangerous happens. I feel like there is no wasted note and every song is unique. It fits right in and I found myself humming along to it while playing. I suggest if you love video game soundtracks then this is a must listen. I can’t say enough about this game, but that’s also causing me to lose my words. Ironic for someone who loves to write. All I can say is buy it at whatever price and buy it for your friends. It’s a beautiful and magical experience that I have yet to find anywhere else.