Ori and the Blind Forest Review Roundup

Ahead of its debut Xbox One release on Wednesday, Microsoft's Ori and the Blind Forest has garnered near-unanimous praise from critics.

GameSpot's Ori and the Blind Forest Review hailed it as a "rapturous platformer that is as fun as it is beautiful". The video review can be watched above.

This praise was echoed by critics across Europe and the US, with Moon Studios' breakthrough project receiving glowing write-ups at other publications such as IGN, Polygon, Game Informer, and Destructoid.

Ori and the Blind Forest will also ship on PC on Wednesday, and later on Xbox 360, though the release date for the latter has yet to be announced.

• Game: Ori and the Blind Forest
• Developer: Moon Studios
• Platforms: Xbox One, PC, Xbox 360
• Release Date: March 10 (Xbox One)
• Price: $20

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GameSpot -- 9/10

"It's important not to mistake Ori and the Blind Forest for being simply beautiful. It certainly is--but it is also unceasingly clever. It consistently surprises you with new tricks: gravitational divergences, new ways to move through its spaces, and carefully designed levels that require you to think quickly and respond. It is not as snappy as, say, a typical Mario platformer, seeking instead a broader gameplay arc stretching across a single, interconnected world. It's a superb and thematically consistent approach that allows Ori and the Blind Forest to build joy on a bed of heartache, adding a new layer of mechanical complexity with each ray of hope." - Kevin VanOrd [FULL REVIEW]

"Ori and the Blind Forest builds joy on a bed of heartache"

Kevin VanOrd, GameSpot

IGN -- 8.5

"Ori and the Blind Forest is a beautifully realized, brilliantly designed, and at times brutally difficult sylvan Metroidvania-style platformer with enough charm to leave a lasting impression. It's often frustrating and sometimes confusing, but its spectacular platforming, memorable world, and engrossing story wash those concerns away." - Mikel Reparaz [FULL REVIEW]

Destructoid -- 9.5

"From a mechanical standpoint, Ori and the Blind Forest isn't an evolution of the genre, and you've seen most of what's on offer here before. But aesthetically it's in a league of its own, and everything it does, it does well. If you're looking for a metroidvania, I'd consider this a new classic." - Chris Carter [FULL REVIEW]

"If you're looking for a metroidvania, I'd consider this a new classic."

Chris Carter, Destructoid

Game Informer -- 9.5

"Ori and the Blind Forest is one of the best games of the year, and should be a no-brainer for anyone looking for an exciting new adventure to dive into. That said, it comes with a warning: Expect to be humbled by its difficulty. Death comes quickly. Over and over, you're going to watch an adorable little creature perish because you had a moment of indecision or your skills failed you. Again, nothing about this experience feels unfair. Some of the long scripted sequences are enormously challenging--to the point that you'll likely repeat every swear word that you know. My wife periodically poked her head into my game room to ask if I was having a nervous meltdown, but I instead told her that I haven't had this much fun with a game in a long time." - Andrew Reiner [FULL REVIEW]

Polygon -- 9

"Ori and the Blind Forest is a rare realization of fantastic design and production values in a space where I wasn't expecting to find it, displaying a spectacular level of confidence in what it is and what it does. And here's where we come back to wishing I hadn't reviewed it as quickly as I had to. It's a game that provides so much to explore and appreciate, and I would have liked to have taken just a little more time than I was able." - Arthur Gies [FULL REVIEW]

DigitalChumps -- 7

"Ori and the Blind Forest imparts a beautiful and intricate framework of the platforming and progression that came to define latter day Castlevania and Metroid titles, but it can't muster the same technical and design prowess to fuel its own ideas. This leaves Ori as an adequate model of its revered genre, just short of the execution and innovation that could have made it exemplary." - Eric Layman [FULL REVIEW]