Info about Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition:

Official game description:
NEW IN THE DEFINITIVE EDITION  
• Packed with new and additional content: New areas, new secrets, new abilities, more story sequences, multiple difficulty modes, full backtracking support and much more!  
• Discover Naru’s past in two brand new environments.  
• Master two powerful new abilities – Dash and Light Burst.  
• Find new secret areas and explore Nibel faster by teleporting between Spirit Wells.  
The forest of Nibel is dying. After a powerful storm sets a series of devastating events in motion, Ori must journey to find courage and confront a dark nemesis to save the forest of Nibel. “Ori and the Blind Forest” tells the tale of a young orphan destined for heroics, through a visually stunning Action-Platformer crafted by Moon Studios. Featuring hand-painted artwork, meticulously animated character performance, a fully orchestrated score and dozens of new features in the Definitive Edition, “Ori and the Blind Forest” explores a deeply emotional story about love and sacrifice, and the hope that exists in us all.

Release date: Apr 27, 2016

Categories: Metroidvania, 2D Platformer, Precision Platformer, Exploration, Action Platformer, Atmospheric Horror, Environmental Storytelling, Character Progression

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 30; verdict: Mostly Fair with Aggressive Marketing Tactics; summary: The monetization model of *Ori and the Will of the Wisps: Definitive Edition* is largely perceived as fair, with no evidence of pay-to-win mechanics, lootboxes, or aggressive microtransactions. However, two key concerns emerge: (1) the game is marketed as a full-priced new release despite being a remaster, which some users feel could have been handled as a free update or DLC, and (2) regional lockout and language exclusion practices are seen as aggressive and alienating. These issues slightly tarnish an otherwise fair monetization approach.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: External Data Dependency (Instructional); summary: The user feedback highlights a significant issue with the game's reliance on external resources, such as wikis and walkthroughs, to understand mechanics, solve puzzles, and progress through the story. While some users appreciate the game's 'show, don't tell' approach, many find the lack of in-game guidance frustrating and disruptive to immersion. The most severe complaints revolve around unclear tutorials, unintuitive design, and the necessity of external aids, which overshadow the game's strengths in storytelling and aesthetics. However, a few users report a positive experience when the game effectively teaches mechanics without external help.
- Steam Deck: score 15; verdict: Seamless with Minor Friction; summary: Ori and the Blind Forest delivers a largely seamless experience on the Steam Deck, with the majority of users reporting native compatibility, stable performance, and no significant technical barriers. The game is labeled as 'Verified' and runs well at 60 FPS, though isolated incidents of FPS drops, vsync issues on the OLED model, and minor cinematic glitches on Linux with Proton were noted. Control precision, while generally praised, can lead to frustration during challenging platforming sections. No external launchers or Proton toggling are required, reinforcing the game's accessibility on the Steam Deck.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Stunning art and soundtrack (weight 0.99): Players consistently praise the game's visuals and music, describing them as breathtaking, immersive, and emotionally resonant. The art style is often compared to Studio Ghibli, and the soundtrack is highlighted as a key enhancer of the game's atmosphere.
- Emotionally impactful storytelling (weight 0.94): The narrative is praised for its emotional depth, minimalist storytelling, and ability to evoke strong feelings without relying on excessive dialogue. Themes of loss, hope, and resilience resonate deeply with players.
- Well-crafted level and world design (weight 0.79): The game's levels and world are praised for their organic design, interconnectedness, and attention to detail. Players enjoy the variety of environments and the way abilities integrate seamlessly into the level design.
- Charming and expressive characters (weight 0.72): Players appreciate the game's characters for their cuteness, expressiveness, and emotional depth. The character animations and designs are often described as delightful and nuanced.
- Fluid and satisfying movement mechanics (weight 0.62): The game's platforming and movement mechanics are frequently described as smooth, responsive, and enjoyable. Players appreciate the weight and fluidity of the protagonist's abilities, which make exploration and traversal engaging.
- Engaging puzzles and platforming (weight 0.59): The game's puzzles and platforming sections are well-designed, offering satisfying 'Ah ha' moments and requiring precise execution. Players enjoy the variety and integration of puzzles into the exploration.
- Rewarding exploration and replayability (weight 0.56): The game encourages exploration through its Metroidvania structure, hidden secrets, and abilities that unlock new areas. Players find replaying the game enjoyable due to achievements, speedrunning, and discovering forgotten paths.

Common complaints:
- Excessive difficulty frustrates players (weight 0.73): The game is criticized for its high difficulty, particularly in platforming and combat sections, which frustrates players with limited experience or slower reflexes. Many report repeated deaths and punishing mechanics like instakill hazards and tight time limits.
- Weak or unsatisfying combat (weight 0.63): Combat is criticized as shallow, spammy, or nearly non-existent, with repetitive mechanics and unengaging enemy design. Players find it boring, overly simplistic, or poorly integrated with the rest of the gameplay.
- Visual and hitbox clarity issues (weight 0.61): Poor visual design (e.g., excessive lighting, foreground clutter) obscures hazards, enemies, and hitboxes, making it difficult to navigate or react. This is especially problematic in fast-paced or high-difficulty sections.
- Poor checkpoint and save systems (weight 0.45): The lack of frequent checkpoints and an awkward save system (e.g., scarce resources, manual saves) forces players to repeat long sections, increasing frustration. Chase sequences and boss fights are particularly punishing due to this design.
- Short length and repetitive content (weight 0.37): The game is described as too short (6–12 hours), with repetitive gameplay loops, reused enemies, and limited replayability. Players feel it lacks meaningful content or variety beyond its initial playthrough.
- Unfair or broken achievements (weight 0.36): Achievements are criticized for being excessively difficult (e.g., one-life modes, no-save runs) or broken (e.g., not unlocking despite meeting conditions). Some feel they artificially extend gameplay without adding fun.
- Lack of accessibility and customization (weight 0.36): The game lacks accessibility features (e.g., remappable controls, difficulty settings) and assumes right-handed keyboard layouts, alienating players with different needs. Performance issues on older hardware are also noted.
- Lack of boss fights and skill progression (weight 0.34): The game is criticized for having few or unremarkable boss fights, limiting opportunities to test learned skills. The skill tree is also described as shallow or non-existent, reducing player agency.
- Slow or dull early-game pacing (weight 0.05): The game’s introduction is described as slow, boring, or overly childish, with a lack of engaging mechanics or storytelling early on. Some players struggle to stay interested during the prologue.
- Poorly explained mechanics (weight 0.03): Core mechanics (e.g., combat, platforming, saving) are not adequately tutorialized, leaving players confused or frustrated. Some systems feel illogical or unfair due to lack of clarity.

Gameplay feedback:
- Progressive Ability Unlocks (weight 0.75): Players unlock new movement abilities (e.g., double jump, dash, wall-cling) that progressively open up exploration and backtracking, a hallmark of Metroidvania design. These abilities are tightly integrated with level design and puzzles.
- Precision Platforming Challenges (weight 0.63): The game emphasizes pixel-perfect jumps, timed sequences, and instant-kill obstacles, requiring split-second reflexes and mastery of movement mechanics. This is a core aspect of its platformer identity, often cited as both rewarding and punishing.
- Exploration-Driven Progression (weight 0.63): Exploration is central, with hidden areas, secrets, and map completion tied to unlocking new paths or abilities. Players frequently backtrack to access previously inaccessible zones, a key Metroidvania trait.
- Adjustable Difficulty Modes (weight 0.6): The game offers multiple difficulty settings (e.g., easy, normal, hard, One Life), though some players note these don’t drastically alter core mechanics. Challenge runs (e.g., no-death, speedrunning) are explicitly encouraged via achievements.
- Bash Mechanic Integration (weight 0.56): The Bash ability (slingshotting off enemies/projectiles) is a versatile tool for platforming, combat, and puzzles. Its mastery is often cited as critical for overcoming later-game challenges.
- Chase and Escape Sequences (weight 0.55): Timed escape sequences and chase mechanics (e.g., boss gauntlets) test player reflexes and memorization. These sections are polarizing due to their trial-and-error nature and lack of checkpoints.
- Responsive Controls and Input (weight 0.55): Controls are praised for precision, with support for both keyboard and controller (though controllers are often recommended). Fluid movement and ability combos are critical for success.
- Atmospheric Storytelling (weight 0.52): The game uses visual storytelling, atmospheric areas, and a memorable soundtrack to enhance immersion. While not narrative-driven, these elements complement the platforming focus.
- Skill Tree and Progression (weight 0.12): A skill tree allows players to customize abilities (e.g., combat, traversal) and unlock new playstyles. Progression is tied to exploration and collectibles, adding replayability.
- Hollow Knight Comparisons (weight 0.04): Players frequently compare the game’s movement, exploration, and Metroidvania structure to *Hollow Knight*, noting similarities in ability-gated progression and fluid traversal mechanics.

Performance notes:
- Mixed performance across hardware (weight 0.13): The game runs smoothly on low-end and older hardware (e.g., laptops, Steam Deck) but exhibits lag, stuttering, or performance issues on both older (i3 without dedicated GPU) and modern systems (Intel 14th gen, Meteor Lake). Users report inconsistent experiences depending on hardware configuration.
- Graphical and resolution adjustments needed (weight 0.12): Users must tweak resolution settings, disable V-Sync, or adjust graphical options to achieve playable performance, especially on 2K/4K screens. Some report resolution and aspect ratio issues even after adjustments.
- Input and responsiveness issues (weight 0.08): Players frequently report input delays, dropped inputs, and input cancellation, particularly on PC. Controller input issues and laggy responsiveness further exacerbate gameplay frustration.
- System-specific workarounds required (weight 0.06): Players need to disable Nvidia threaded optimization, unpark CPUs, or use Windows 7 compatibility mode to mitigate performance or launch issues. These workarounds highlight underlying optimization problems.
- Freezes and crashes during gameplay (weight 0.03): The game freezes or crashes, particularly with V-Sync enabled or due to heavy visuals. Some users report generating crash reports, indicating stability issues.
- Definitive Edition improvements (weight 0.02): The Definitive Edition addresses visibility issues during action-heavy scenes and fixes collectible tracking bugs, suggesting prior versions had notable gameplay and usability flaws.
- Lack of post-release patches (weight 0.01): Users note the absence of patches since release, leaving performance and stability issues unresolved for extended periods.
- Initial slow-motion gameplay (weight 0.01): Some players experience the game running in slow motion at launch, which may resolve after initial loading or require system adjustments.
- Audio bugs during action scenes (weight 0.01): Players report audio glitches or bugs during heavy action sequences, which can disrupt immersion and gameplay clarity.
- Better performance on Switch (weight 0.01): The Nintendo Switch version is reported to offer a smoother experience compared to PC, suggesting platform-specific optimization differences.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended for genre fans (weight 0.37): The game is strongly recommended for fans of Metroidvanias, platformers, and challenging games, with many reviewers calling it a must-play for these audiences. Its emotional storytelling and artistic design also appeal to those who value narrative depth.
- Appeals to casual and hardcore players (weight 0.35): The game is praised for its accessibility to casual gamers while still offering a high difficulty curve for achievement hunters and masochists. This dual appeal broadens its audience significantly.
- Worth the price, especially on sale (weight 0.35): Reviewers frequently mention the game’s value, recommending purchases during sales (under $10) or as a bundle. Many consider it worth full price due to its quality and content.
- Challenging but rewarding gameplay (weight 0.34): The game’s difficulty is a polarizing but defining feature, with precision platforming and punishing mechanics appealing to players who enjoy mastery and risk-reward systems. Some caution against completionism for better enjoyment.
- Sequel preferred by some (weight 0.32): While the game is widely recommended, a subset of reviewers suggest playing the sequel first or instead, citing improvements in design or storytelling. This is particularly noted for players less fond of platformers.
- Strategic gameplay tips shared (weight 0.04): Players offer practical advice, such as saving frequently, prioritizing specific skills (e.g., water breath), and exploring alternate maps when stuck. These tips reflect the game’s emphasis on preparation and exploration.
- Bash mechanic as core gameplay (weight 0.01): The bash ability is singled out as a defining and innovative mechanic, shaping the game’s movement and puzzle-solving. Players note its central role in the experience.
- Avoid spoilers for full enjoyment (weight 0.01): Reviewers advise against watching playthroughs or spoiling the story, emphasizing the importance of personal discovery and emotional impact in the game’s design.

Other player notes:
- Trading card system inconsistency (weight 0.04): Players note differences in the trading card system between the Definitive Edition and the original version, with cards only dropping in the original. This has caused confusion and frustration among those who expected consistency across editions.
- Broad age suitability (weight 0.03): The game is described as suitable for a wide audience, including kids, teens, and adults, with a difficulty level that is not overly challenging. This makes it accessible to a diverse player base.
- Character and title affinity (weight 0.02): Ori is frequently cited as a favorite character, and the game is compared favorably to titles like *Celeste*, indicating strong emotional connections and high praise for its design.
- Indie game entry point (weight 0.02): The game was originally planned as a Mario-like title and later became a significant entry point for indie games, helping to popularize the genre among players.
- Steam Deck compatibility (weight 0.01): The game is frequently played on the Steam Deck and laptops, highlighting its portability and adaptability to different hardware setups.
- Multi-platform ownership (weight 0.01): Players often own multiple editions of the game (e.g., Xbox Series S/X, Switch), suggesting high replay value and cross-platform accessibility.
- Indie over AAA preference (weight 0.01): Players mention a shift in preference from AAA titles to indie games, reflecting broader trends in gaming culture and the impact of this game on their tastes.
- Merchandise appeal (weight 0.01): Some players express interest in purchasing physical merchandise such as figures and posters, indicating strong emotional engagement and brand loyalty.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.21): Players frequently cite extreme difficulty spikes, punishing checkpoint systems, and reliance on RNG or trial-and-error mechanics as major sources of frustration. Issues like imprecise controls, instant-kill obstacles, and poorly designed platforming sections exacerbate the problem, often requiring repetitive deaths to progress. Additionally, technical problems such as input lag, resolution issues, and unchangeable keybinds further contribute to the negative experience.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.09): Players derive satisfaction from overcoming challenging sequences, mastering platforming mechanics, and experiencing smooth gameplay. The game's rewarding progression system, stunning visuals, and impactful storytelling enhance this emotion, particularly when players achieve milestones like completing difficult sections or unlocking new abilities. The balance of challenge and accessibility, especially on lower difficulty modes, also contributes to a fulfilling experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.08): The game's engaging parkour mechanics, beautiful art style, and immersive world design create a fun and rewarding experience. Players enjoy exploring the game's environments, solving puzzles, and discovering secrets, particularly once core abilities like the Bash mechanic are unlocked. The overall gameplay loop, which combines fluid movement with forgiving yet challenging design, keeps players engaged and entertained.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Players express disappointment due to the game's short length, underwhelming combat, and lack of depth in exploration or boss fights. Some feel the game fails to meet expectations set by its marketing or genre conventions, such as the absence of post-credits free roam or meaningful localization. Weak storytelling, repetitive elements, and technical flaws like performance issues or unrefined mechanics also contribute to this sentiment.
- Appreciation (weight 0.06): Players appreciate the game's artistic design, including its breathtaking visuals, emotive soundtrack, and thoughtful level design. The emotional storytelling, balanced difficulty, and innovative mechanics like the Bash ability are frequently praised. Many acknowledge the game's influence on the platformer genre and its ability to deliver a high-quality experience despite its niche appeal.
- Joy (weight 0.06): The game evokes joy through its beautiful world, fluid gameplay, and emotionally resonant story. Players enjoy mastering complex movement mechanics, solving puzzles, and experiencing the game's stunning visuals and soundtrack. The overall sense of accomplishment from overcoming challenges and the game's ability to create memorable moments contribute to this positive emotion.
- Admiration (weight 0.06): Players admire the game's artistic direction, immersive world-building, and emotional storytelling. The seamless integration of visuals, music, and gameplay mechanics creates a cohesive and impactful experience. Many describe the game as a masterpiece, praising its depth, creativity, and lasting appeal within the platformer genre.
- Awe (weight 0.05): The game's mesmerizing art style, atmospheric design, and emotionally charged soundtrack leave players in awe. Specific sections, like the 긴소나무 파트, are highlighted for their exceptional visual and auditory beauty. The game's ability to create a fairy-tale-like or dreamlike experience through its design evokes a strong sense of wonder and admiration.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Players feel excitement from the game's engaging challenges, immersive story, and innovative mechanics. The anticipation of epic encounters, such as boss fights or time trials, and the hype for sequels contribute to this emotion. The game's fluid movement, precise platforming, and addictive gameplay loop also create a sense of thrill and engagement.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.03): The game evokes nostalgia through its connection to classic platformers like Metroid and Castlevania, as well as its emotional storytelling and childhood memories. Players who revisit the game after many years or compare it to its sequel often feel a strong sense of familiarity and appreciation for its timeless design.
- Sadness (weight 0.02): The game's emotionally charged story, which explores themes of loss, grief, and sacrifice, often leaves players feeling sad. Specific moments, such as the prologue or bittersweet ending, are particularly impactful and evoke strong emotional responses, including tears.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Players express gratitude for the game's artistic and emotional impact, as well as the developers' efforts in creating a niche yet high-quality experience. The game's ability to inspire creativity, such as through fanmade mods or community engagement, further fosters a sense of appreciation among its audience.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Players feel anger toward the game's punishing difficulty, technical issues, and perceived developer hostility, such as poor handling of bugs or lack of support for achievement hunters. Frustrations with mechanics like collectables resetting or unfair insta-kill obstacles also contribute to this emotion, sometimes leading to extreme reactions like physical outbursts.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Players experience relief after overcoming particularly challenging sections, switching to a more comfortable control scheme, or discovering that others share their struggles with the game's difficulty. The checkpoint marking mechanic and the ability to retry after failure also provide a sense of reassurance and progress.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): The game's high-quality design, engaging mechanics, and emotional storytelling inspire enthusiasm among players. Many strongly recommend the game to others, express plans to complete it 100%, or praise its ability to set new standards for the platformer genre.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): The game's tight controls, atmospheric visuals, and emotive soundtrack create a deeply immersive experience. Players feel synchronized with the character, particularly during platforming sequences, and the game's narrative and world design further enhance this sense of engagement.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players are surprised by the game's depth, difficulty, and emotional impact, particularly if they initially dismissed it as a simple or 'kiddie' platformer. The high-quality music, stunning visuals, and engaging gameplay often exceed expectations, turning skepticism into admiration.
- Emotional impact (weight 0.01): The game's storytelling, which explores themes of courage, sacrifice, and hope, evokes strong emotional responses from players. Cutscenes and narrative moments are described as heart-wrenching or soul-crushing, often eliciting tears and leaving a lasting impression.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Players feel confused by the game's disjointed world design, unclear difficulty targeting, or complex control schemes. Some mechanics or systems, such as the trading card differences between versions, also contribute to a sense of disorientation or lack of clarity.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players express love for the game's atmosphere, mechanics, and overall experience. The combination of beautiful visuals, engaging gameplay, and emotional storytelling creates a deep connection, with many describing the game as a favorite or a standout title in the platformer genre.}