7/10
Ori and the Blind Forest (SW)
Let’s start by clarifying that I’m going to shorten Ori and The Blind Forest as OATBF throughout this review since the name is quite long. I’m not really familiar with metroidvanias, nor am I a big fan of them. So, I decided to play one of the games that might change my mind about the genre. That being said, my review won’t include much comparison or technical depth, just my humble opinions and experiences as someone who isn’t usually into this type of game.
To be honest, my first impression was that the game was harder than I expected. Normally, I would see this as a flaw since I prefer a smoother flow where dying isn’t such a big part of the experience. However, I’ve been trying to keep a more open mind lately and give different genres a chance. Maybe that will even help me become a more patient person in real life… patient enough to play Souls games someday lol. But enough about me; OATBF didn’t tire me out with its difficulty as much as I thought it would. Instead, I felt motivated to overcome the puzzle like platforming challenges I got stuck on. Managing your own save points with limited resources added a layer of strategy that I really appreciated. Plus, the game keeps its flow by instantly respawning you at your last save point after death. Sure, there were moments when I was convinced I wouldn’t be able to finish it, but after 11 hours and exactly 889 deaths, I finally beat the story and felt satisfied with my time in OATBF.
That being said, I still don’t think metroidvanias are really my cup of tea. Don’t get me wrong, I quite enjoyed the gameplay, especially unlocking new abilities that made the map more accessible. My issue was that I never felt motivated enough to go back and explore new paths I had previously skipped. Maybe the game could’ve been more rewarding in that aspect.
As for the presentation and narative, I don’t have much to critique. The art design is beautiful, and the soundtrack is amazing, OATBF clearly feels like a passion project. Sometimes I even found myself pausing just to enjoy the visuals. The story isn’t anything groundbreaking, but it has its touching moments and wraps up nicely. Playing on Switch was also smooth; the graphics were sharp and I had no frame drops whatsoever.
At the end of the day, OATBF was a really nice experience for me. I’m not very familiar with the metroidvania genre, but this game gave me a great first taste of it. Even with all the times I died, I still had fun and felt like I actually accomplished something by finishing it. The mix of fun gameplay, beautiful art design, and an amazing soundtrack makes it absolutely worth checking out.
''7.5/10''