Developer: Moon Studios

Publisher: Microsoft

Platform: Xbox, Windows, Xbox 360

Once again my faith in video games is restored thanks to the work of yet another indie studio—and their latest offering Ori and the Blind Forest. Developed by independent developer Moon Studios and published by Microsoft, this Metroidvania is excellent.

Story

The protagonist, Ori, is a white guardian spirit who looks like a puppy or a wolf cub conceived out of sheer divinity. The story starts with Ori drifting away into a forest—in the form of a leaf—during a storm. Ori is then adopted by a Naru, a plump lonely creature. Like a mother and her child, Naru and Ori share a blissful time in the peaceful forest of Nibel, but terrible things lie on the horizon. The ever so fruitful forest starts to wither and the food supply becomes scarce and Naru leaves Ori on his own. Then, the tale gets gloomier as Ori, who is wandering the dead forest as an orphan, soon runs out of will and breath and collapses near a spirit tree. The spirit tree uses the last of its power to revive Ori, who is then accompanied by a guardian wisp named Sien, and the two of them set off on an adventure to restore the forest’s balance and bring it back to life and stamp out the cause behind the chaos.

The first ten minutes of the opening scene do a spectacular job in telling the story, and its interactive elements, where you control Ori and Naru, help the player get immersed into the story right from the get-go. Complemented by a soothing background score and brought to life by magnificent visuals, the intro alone is enough to seal you inside the game’s world.

It would not be an overstatement to call the game an emotional rollercoaster. It will involve you completely—a feat that even many full-length movies cannot achieve. As the story progresses, the characters of the forest are revealed, and their motivations are justified clearly, which will make you believe that even that darkest of hearts possess a spark of love.

10/10

Gameplay

Ori and the Blind Forest is what is called a Metroidvania, a sub-genre of 2D platformers—meaning that the game is based in a virtual world where you can travel back and forth and can actually access the previously inaccessible areas once you acquire new skills and items.

Ori moves with agility and grace as you jump from wall to wall or parachute your way down a tree with the aid of a leaf, while Sein, a guardian wisp, attacks your enemies that are within range. The combat feature is not loaded with options as your main focus will be on moving Ori and dodging the incoming projectiles while finding the range for your wisp to damage the enemies. The combat mechanics are very basic one and get better as you upgrade your skills.

As for skills, players have the option of choosing one out of three different skill sets to help you get through the game. One of them focuses on your attacks and how much damage you can dish out to multiple enemies; the second one determines the capacity and use of energy gems, which you spend to open doors and save the game; and the third one assists you in finding the hidden-item pickups throughout the map.

Apart from just jumping and hitting stuff, Ori and the Blind Forest boasts a great blend of precise character movement and puzzle solving adventure. The only way to achieve mastery is through repetition. The levels become increasingly difficult and will require the players to get their creative juices flowing with their acquired skills while also paying attention to the environmental details.

The gameplay is exciting. It does not get stale even when you play it for a second or third time. The only flaw I see is that sometimes its own design and visuals get in the way—when you can’t overcome an obstacle you have to start from your last save because the game does not have an autosave feature. The gameplay in this indie masterpiece is probably the best one in the genre.

10/10

Graphics

Everything works well right from the opening scenes. Portrayed in vivid colours, the forest of Nibel—where the entire game is set—displays a striking depth-of-field for a 2D platformer. The graphics are powerful, and they make you feel as if you are actually strolling in a forest.

There are a few snippets of dialogue, but they can be deciphered only by consulting the subtitles. Owing to this, the narrative relies completely on the visuals. But given the awesome graphics work put out by Moon Studios dialogues are rendered redundant.

10/10

Sound

The background score works both as narrative device and to set the scenes. Ori and the Blind Forest’s score has already made a name for itself, with even many non-gamers adding the soundtrack to their playlist. The sound is the soul of Ori and the Blind Forest.

10/10

Verdict

Ori and the Blind Forest is a must-play for any gamer. It will remind you of why you fell in love with video games in the first place. A moving story with extraordinary narrative, this game has cemented its place alongside modern day classics like Braid and Super Meat Boy.

A perfect score or 10 out of 10.