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First things first, Ori and the Blind Forest is gorgeous. Absolutely jaw-droppingly eye-poppingly gorgeous. You'd have to look back to Okami for a game so visually beguiling. It's the sort of game where you'll actually stop and give an involuntary "ooh" sound when you first see it in motion.That introduction comes not via title character Ori, but through Naru, a large lolloping creature living in Nibel forest, who simultaneously evokes memories of both Totoro and the faceless masked spirit from Spirited Away. Those Studio Ghibli stylings can't be accidental, as indie collective Moon Studios delivers much the same rich, deep and gentle visuals that made Hayao Miyazaki's work so beloved. Naru plods through lush bucolic scenery with real weight, his belly swaying just so. The hazy dappled lighting is beautiful, the 2D gameplay field augmented with multiple scrolling layers, each painstakingly animated. It's so inviting, so tangible, that if you have hayfever you may find yourself stifling a sneeze.
This isn't Naru's story, though, and we're soon introduced to Ori, a cat-like sprite that emerges from a leaf fallen from a glowing Tree of Life. Naru and Ori form an immediate friendship, and the game wisely takes the time to illustrate this through gameplay, as they gather fruit and frolic in the late afternoon sun.
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