Ori and the Blind Forest Review (Niklas)
Words simply can't describe what a beautiful game this is, developer Moon Studios really poured their heart and soul into this game and the end results show.
Graphically, the game is just stunning, with colors running the gamut of the rainbow and the backgrounds teeming with detail to make the land of Nibel come to life. It's a literal example of the "Games as Art" trope and that is not a bad thing, it looks like a moving painting and easily rivals the best of what Japanese developer Vanillaware has to offer. Simply put, this game is one of the best looking action platformers. It's sequel eclipses it that much more. Story wise, without giving away too much spoilers, you play as Ori, a character whose unique appearance belies explanation, but whose story starts off with tragedy. Ori begins their journey to explore the Nibel where the balance of light and dark has gone awry, and finds out what their destiny is. The story is explained in vignettes scattered throughout the game as you progress further within. Fun fact: Ori is a name that means "My Light" in Hebrew, fitting since the character you play is literally a being of light. Gameplay wise, it's a Metroidvania, meaning that you are playing through a large, labyrinthine maze that is all connected to a central hub, fighting creatures using your abilities that you have, and yes, you end up gaining more abilities as the game progresses through fighting enemies to gain what are known as ability points, which is a mechanic used to grant Ori, the game's titular main character, new abilities that help them progress throughout.
All in all, no matter what platform you get this game and its incredible sequel on, you're in for a treat all around. Ori and the Blind Forest is one of those rare gems that is just stunning to look at and an absolute joy to play once you master the mechanics given to you throughout. So I will simply say, get this game.