Ori and the Blind Forest
Overview -
'Ori and the Blind Forest' was created by Moon Studios, a team of developers who work from all over the world and have no centralized headquarters. It has been in the works for at least four years, and was picked up by Microsoft for publishing during that time.
Video Review
Nibel Forest is a beautiful, charming portrait. Imagine the alien, brightly colored, luminescent world of Pandora from 'Avatar', stretched out into a two-dimensional canvas and filled with ledges, pits, and glowing orbs of energy. It feels alive and about as real as a 2D video game forest can get. The effects are excellent, especially light and water. My only real complaint about the art design is that some of the backgrounds are very light in color, which camouflages the completely white Ori. This can make some jumps difficult when in those environments. From a technical standpoint the framerate is smooth, although there is the occasional lockup that lasts a few seconds.
Audio Review
The music of 'Ori and the Blind Forest' is hauntingly lovely. Woodwinds abound throughout, lending it a primordial, indigenous feeling. The accompanying piano is contemplative and almost sad. Sound effects are sharp and distinctive. The only voices are the narrator and the occasional squeak from Ori, and in total, the audio presentation was flawless.
Final Thoughts
'Ori and the Blind Forest' isn’t just a great platformer, it’s a work of art. It oozes style and charm and has an accessible and touching story. Games like this don’t come along every day. Despite its brevity, $20 is well worth the experience.
