Ori and the Blind Forest: Analysis

Art and Animation

Environment

Plants and thorns move back and forth when Ori or enemy characters move past them. This adds realism to the game world.

Every level is beautifully rendered with new art styles and color palettes.

Enemies

On each kill, the enemy explodes and is disintegrated to give a satisfying kill. Similarly, as the enemy rolls past Ori, it crashes and explodes with their respective sound and particle effect. Each kill, animation and attack by the enemy needs to provide player feedback.

Lighting

Global illumination features add a lot of realism to the game world.

Tutorial

As you go through a chasm with thorns on its edges, you end up acquiring the next power up: Double Jump. When you try to make yourself back through the chasm, you are forced to use Double Jump to get out. You are introduced to a new game mechanic without explicit tutorials.

No Restarts in Game Play or Music

During the escape from the Gisno Tree, we have no breaks or rests. It’s a fast-paced endeavor through the game and during which the music is fast and energetic. But if we die during the escape, the game doesn’t show any loading screen, instead it instantaneously starts from the beginning of the level. The music doesn’t restart either. This gives a sense of urgency and momentum.

Save as a Game Mechanic

In most games we can save at any time by going to the Main Menu. But in this game, we are forced to be strategic about saving our game. We collect and use each Energy Stone to save our game. So, if we are stuck at a level, we should be strategic on when and where to save our game.