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==Reception==
==Reception==
{{video game reviews
{{video game reviews
| GR = 88.58%<ref name="GR">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/xboxone/805488-ori-and-the-blind-forest/index.html|title=Ori and the Blind Forest for Xbox One|work=[[GameRankings]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|accessdate=2015-03-10}}</ref>
| GR = 88.26%<ref name="GR">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/xboxone/805488-ori-and-the-blind-forest/index.html|title=Ori and the Blind Forest for Xbox One|work=[[GameRankings]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|accessdate=2015-03-10}}</ref>
| MC = 90/100<ref name="MC">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-one/ori-and-the-blind-forest/|title=Ori and the Blind Forest for Xbox One Reviews|work=[[Metacritic]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|accessdate=2015-03-10}}</ref>
| MC = 89/100<ref name="MC">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-one/ori-and-the-blind-forest/|title=Ori and the Blind Forest for Xbox One Reviews|work=[[Metacritic]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|accessdate=2015-03-10}}</ref>
| Destruct = 9.5/10<ref name="Destruct">{{cite web|url=http://www.destructoid.com/review-ori-and-the-blind-forest-288779.phtml|title=Review: Ori and the Blind Forest|author=Chris Carter|work=[[Destructoid]]|date=2015-03-10|accessdate=2015-03-10}}</ref>
| Destruct = 9.5/10<ref name="Destruct">{{cite web|url=http://www.destructoid.com/review-ori-and-the-blind-forest-288779.phtml|title=Review: Ori and the Blind Forest|author=Chris Carter|work=[[Destructoid]]|date=2015-03-10|accessdate=2015-03-10}}</ref>
| EGM = 9/10<ref name="EGM">{{cite web|url=http://www.egmnow.com/articles/reviews/ori-and-the-blind-forest-review/|title=Ori and the Blind Forest review|author=Ray Carsillo|work=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|date=2015-03-10|accessdate=2015-03-10}}</ref>
| EGM = 9/10<ref name="EGM">{{cite web|url=http://www.egmnow.com/articles/reviews/ori-and-the-blind-forest-review/|title=Ori and the Blind Forest review|author=Ray Carsillo|work=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|date=2015-03-10|accessdate=2015-03-10}}</ref>
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''Ori and the Blind Forest'' received critical acclaim upon release, with praise particularly directed to the game's story, visual, gameplay, music, exploration and environmental design. It received an aggregated score of 88.58% on [[GameRankings]] based on 19 reviews<ref name="GR"/> and 90/100 on Metacritic based on 23 reviews.<ref name="MC"/>
''Ori and the Blind Forest'' received critical acclaim upon release, with praise particularly directed to the game's story, visual, gameplay, music, exploration and environmental design. It received an aggregated score of 88.26% on [[GameRankings]] based on 23 reviews<ref name="GR"/> and 89/100 on Metacritic based on 29 reviews.<ref name="MC"/>


Writing for ''[[Game Informer]]'', Andrew Reiner gave the game a 9.5/10, praising its accessible yet challenging gameplay, well-designed controls, strong storytelling, surprising plot twists, rewarding exploration, orchestrated music, breathtaking and mesmerizing environmental design, as well as the wonderfully scripted challenges, which requires players to utilize creative thinking. However, he stated that the combat system in the game is not as refined as the platforming. He named the game "one of the best games of the year" and claimed that "There isn’t a bad moment in ''Ori and the Blind Forest''".<ref name="GI"/>
Writing for ''[[Game Informer]]'', Andrew Reiner gave the game a 9.5/10, praising its accessible yet challenging gameplay, well-designed controls, strong storytelling, surprising plot twists, rewarding exploration, orchestrated music, breathtaking and mesmerizing environmental design, as well as the wonderfully scripted challenges, which requires players to utilize creative thinking. However, he stated that the combat system in the game is not as refined as the platforming. He named the game "one of the best games of the year" and claimed that "There isn’t a bad moment in ''Ori and the Blind Forest''".<ref name="GI"/>

Revision as of 03:34, 11 March 2015

Ori and the Blind Forest
Developer(s)Moon Studios
Publisher(s)Microsoft Studios
EngineUnity
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox 360
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows & Xbox One
March 11, 2015
Xbox 360
TBA 2015
Genre(s)Platform adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Ori and the Blind Forest is an upcoming platform adventure video game designed by Moon Studios, an independent developer, and published by Microsoft Studios. The game is currently scheduled to be released on March 11, 2015 for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One.[1] An Xbox 360 version is to be released later in 2015.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot showing Ori and Sein (blue orb above Ori's head)

The player controls Ori, a white guardian spirit.[2] Long ago, Ori fell into the forest and was adopted by a bear-like creature who raises Ori as its child.[3] A malevolent entity, Kuro, appears and takes Ori's mother from him, forcing Ori to explore the forest on his own.[3][4][5] Initially, Ori is very weak and can only jump about.[3][6] During the game, Ori meets Sein /saɪn/, who will both guide Ori on his adventure and attack enemies.[6] As the player gains experience, they may choose new abilities for Ori and Sein, allowing Ori to explore more of the game world.[6]

In addition to save points scattered in the game, players can create "soul links" at any time they choose to serve as checkpoints.[4][6] However, soul links can only be created using special resources collected during gameplay; the needed resources are not in abundant supply, forcing players to create them only when necessary.[6]

Development

Ori and the Blind Forest is being developed by Moon Studios, a worldwide collaboration of designers and programmers who have been working on the game for the past four years, with Microsoft acquiring the game about a year after development started.[6][7] One of the lead team members is Thomas Mahler, an artist formerly working with Blizzard Entertainment.[3] According to Microsoft producer Daniel Smith, Moon Studios is not located in any one location, but instead staffers can be found throughout the world, from Austria to Australia and Israel to the United States.[8] Gameplay programmer David Clark described the team as being inspired by current and classic adventure games, notably the Rayman and Metroid franchises, and that Ori is intended as a "love letter" to those games.[5]

The core components of the game story have not been revealed, although the designers say they were guided by works such as The Lion King and The Iron Giant and that it would be a "coming-of-age story".[5] The art style is meant to appear hand-drawn, similar to the more recent Rayman titles that utilize Ubisoft's "UbiArt" graphics engine; the game instead uses the Unity engine.[4][5] The game takes place in one large map, and is planned to be rendered at 1080P and 60 frames per second with no visible loading time as the player explores.[4][8] According to Mahler, the game's backgrounds are all individual components, with none duplicated as in other similar titles. As an example, Mahler explained, "You see this tree in the background and this mushroom and this rock? That's the one and only place you'll ever see those assets."[7]

The game was first unveiled at E3 2014 during Microsoft's pre-show press conference at the Galen Center;[3] E3 was also the first time a number of Moon Studios employees had actually met face-to-face.[7] Microsoft's Yusuf Mehdi, in charge of marketing for Xbox One, stated that they considered opening the conference with Ori, but instead chose Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.[3] During E3, attendees waited in long lines in order to play a demo version of the game, often waiting in queues 7-8 people deep for each of the four consoles featuring the game.[3]

Sometime after E3, Moon Studios announced on the game website that an Xbox 360 version of Ori and the Blind Forest was in development and planned for release sometime in early 2015.[9] In November 2014, Moon Studios updated the status of the game and announced plans to push back the launch of the title into "early 2015" for Xbox One and PC, but no further mention of the Xbox 360 version was made at the time.[10] Asked to clarify the status of the Xbox 360 edition, Moon Studios confirmed it was still in development and would be released later in 2015.[11]

Reception

Ori and the Blind Forest received critical acclaim upon release, with praise particularly directed to the game's story, visual, gameplay, music, exploration and environmental design. It received an aggregated score of 88.26% on GameRankings based on 23 reviews[12] and 89/100 on Metacritic based on 29 reviews.[13]

Writing for Game Informer, Andrew Reiner gave the game a 9.5/10, praising its accessible yet challenging gameplay, well-designed controls, strong storytelling, surprising plot twists, rewarding exploration, orchestrated music, breathtaking and mesmerizing environmental design, as well as the wonderfully scripted challenges, which requires players to utilize creative thinking. However, he stated that the combat system in the game is not as refined as the platforming. He named the game "one of the best games of the year" and claimed that "There isn’t a bad moment in Ori and the Blind Forest".[16]

Chris Carter from Destructoid gave the game a 9.5/10, praising its well-execited and light narrative, satisfying upgrades as well as the visuals, which he compared to the Rayman series but he stated that "[Ori] easily surpass them in quality". He also praised the game for allowing players to set their own checkpoints anytime. He summarized the review by saying that "It succeeds in being both a great introduction to the genre and a rewarding experience for the hardcore audience" and called the game "a new classic [as a metroidvania]"[14]

Ray Carsillo from Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the huge variety of environments, the delicate hand-drawn art style, remarkable and memorable story and the quick save system, which has effectively avoid annoyance and frustration. He also praised the game for putting emphasis on platforming, puzzle-solving and exploration instead of combat as it allows players to fully appreciate the level design. He also praised the game for successfully capturing the balance between too forgiving and too punishing. However, he criticized the framerate issue and well as the game for forbidding players to enter re-enter certain areas. He stated that "[Ori and the Blind Forest] is polished enough to rarely break the immersion it inspires. It’s one of my favorite titles of 2015 so far and an unforgettable debut for indie developer Moon Studios."[15]

Lou Contaldi from Middle of Nowhere Gaming gave the title a perfect score, noting that Ori and the Blind Forest is one of the best games to come out this generation, let alone on any Xbox platform. He believes the game finds a perfect balance that both newcomers and long time gamers will enjoy, making it easily recommendable to everyone. He notes that the game borrows from a tried and true formula, every mechanic feels fresh and polished largely thanks to the orchestrated music and stunning world. While the few framerate problems, the inability to re-enter locations for 100% completion, and bizarre difficulty spikes were minor blips, he believed that it was never enough to ruin the experience.

Kevin VanOrd from GameSpot gave the game a 9/10, praising its vibrant visuals, carefully-designed level, thrilling and exciting escape sequence, terrific pacing, rewarding challenges, as well as the narrative, which he compared to Okami and Panzer Dragoon Orta. He also praised the opening sequence of the game, calling it "the best story sequences of any game". However, he criticized the occasionally frustrating levels.[19]

Lucas Sullivan from GamesRadar gave the game a 8/10, praising its exquisite animation, phenomenal atmoshpere, uplifiting music and intuitive gameplay, which he stated "has conveyed a real sense of lightweight agility". However, he criticized the save system, which may lead to constant death, the difficulty spike as well as the unforgiving difficulty in the escape sequencse. He summarized the game by saying that "Completing Ori's six-to-nine-hour journey will certainly leave you feeling warm, fuzzy, and accomplished - just be ready to dig in for some particularly trying segments."

Nick Tan from Game Revolution gave the game a 4/5, criticizing the short length, meaningless health bar, low replay value, as well as the game for not providing direction and guidelines to players in escape sequences.[17]

References

  1. ^ Sinan Kubba (2015-01-20). "Ori and the Blind Forest lights up Xbox One & PC this March". Joystiq. Retrieved 2015-01-20.
  2. ^ "Ori and the Blind Forest Combines Beauty and Skill". news.xbox.com. Microsoft Corporation. June 10, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Todd Martens (June 12, 2014). "E3 2014: 'Ori and the Blind Forest' finds a challenge in sadness". latimes.com. Tribune Newspapers. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d Brian Hoss (June 19, 2014). "Once Secret, Now Known: 'Ori and the Blind Forest' for the Xbox One Shined Brightly at E3". highdefdigest.com. Internet Brands, Inc. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d Alex Newhouse (June 16, 2014). "E3 2014: Ori and the Blind Forest is a Beautiful Metroidvania". gamespot.com. CBS Interactive, Inc. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Leah B. Jackson (June 12, 2014). "E3 2014: The Enchanting Beauty of Ori and The Blind Forest". ign.com. Ziff Davis. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c Jeffrey Matulef (July 7, 2014). "Ori and the Blind Forest looks great, but plays even better". eurogamer.net. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  8. ^ a b Mike Minotti (June 18, 2014). "Ori and the Blind Forest's producer wants his beautiful Xbox One exclusive to play as good as it looks (interview)". Yahoo! Games. Yahoo!, Inc. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  9. ^ "Moon Studios". oriblindforest.com. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  10. ^ "21 November 2014". oriblindforest.com. Microsoft Corporation. November 21, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  11. ^ "'Ori and the Blind Forest' Platformer Delayed to 2015". crunchyroll.com. Crunchyroll. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  12. ^ a b "Ori and the Blind Forest for Xbox One". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  13. ^ a b "Ori and the Blind Forest for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  14. ^ a b Chris Carter (2015-03-10). "Review: Ori and the Blind Forest". Destructoid. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  15. ^ a b Ray Carsillo (2015-03-10). "Ori and the Blind Forest review". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  16. ^ a b Andrew Reiner (2015-03-09). "Ori and the Blind Forest review: Beauty in death". Game Informer. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  17. ^ a b Nick Tan (2015-03-09). "Ori and the Blind Forest review: Travel Light". Game Revolution. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  18. ^ Lucas Sullivan (2015-03-09). "Ori and the Blind Forest review". GamesRadar. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  19. ^ a b Kevin VanOrd (2015-03-10). "Ori and the Blind Forest review: Paradise". GameSpot. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  20. ^ Mikel Reparaz (2015-03-09). "Ori and the Blind Forest review: Into the Woods". IGN. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  21. ^ Matthew Castle (2015-03-09). "Ori and the Blind Forest review (OXM)". Official Xbox Magazine. GamesRadar+. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  22. ^ Lou Contaldi (2015-03-09). "Ori and the Blind Forest Review: An Exercise in Perfection". Middle of Nowhere Gaming. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  23. ^ Arthur Gies (2015-03-09). "Ori and the Blind Forest review: the places you'll go". Polygon. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
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