I played the steam version when it first came out and am basing my review off of that version not this one although I dont believe my issues with the game will be resolved with this extra content. I would like to write a longer review but there is a limit here so I will keep it short. This game is a metroidvania style platformer. You play as Ori who is a charming and likeable creature. The games visuals are lovely and it is always a joy to see new areas while the music is also very nice. Control wise it is also largely responsive and intuitive. The story is simple and does not get in the way of the game much but it failed to connect to me on any level. I just found I did not care what happened to the world or characters by the end. However many I am told find it very touching. The main problem of the game is its difficulty spikes. Every so often the game will have sections that have an instant fail state and if you die its right back to the start again and again and again until you do them perfectly. While they are not that long (they feel long) I cannot overstate how much I hated these moments and how much it turned me off the game. Likewise the environment can be quite challenging to progress through which is not usually a bad thing as I never felt it was to much of a challenge but it makes having to go back through certain areas especially multiple times an absolute chore and slowly kills any want for exploration. You do get a teleport later but its not enough imo. The game starts out amazing but I found by its end all I could think was thank god that is over. There are just to many little annoying niggles in this game for me and unfortunately it to often turns it from an entertaining challenge to an annoying chore. I gave it 3 stars which I know is low for GOG but it is not a bad game in fact it is quite good in many ways I just feel that in Oris case for me at least it does not translate into an overall enjoyable experience.
Disclaimer: I played it on WiiU and have not played the PC version and so cannot say if there are problems with this particular version of it. Simply put this game is up there with Super Mario Bros 3 and Rayman Legends as one of the best platformers I have ever played. The artstyle is gorgeous with extremely animated lively sprites and and a strong colour palette. The controls are also much improved from Riskys Revenge which is the only other one in the series I have played and feel satisfyingly responsive. The game is not as path heavy as a Metroid game but the longer you play the more items you get which allow further exploration of old areas. It functions much like the transformations of the previous game but is a lot more fluid in its use and feels more satisfying. The game is designed extremely well and with the exception of a late game difficulty spike is well paced. Some may find the outside references a bit heavy in places but I found them amusing and the game does not use them as a crutch to make up for its own lack of substance. I cannot say you will enjoy the game as much as I did but I can tell you it is a charming and solid platformer with a lot of character. The story is fluff about a pirate king coming back from the dead and you have to stop him by joining forces with your old nemesis Risky Boots but really all it allows for is some lighthearted and welcome dialogue between characters. Its stronger than say Rayman or Mario in that regard but hardly something that will have you thinking after the game is over although some parts may still make you smile. The game is not without minor problems such as a few annoying areas and sequences but really these did not detract enough from the whole experience enough to trouble me. I bought the game at 15 pounds and would have gladly paid double that such was the enjoyment I got from it. If you have any interest in platformers I can strongly recommend at least serious consideration of this title.
