The first two and a half hours of this game are an utterly mediocre metroidvania wrapped in particularly nice aesthetics. It's nothing you won't have seen before--jumping puzzles, blocks to be pushed, a double jump and later a wall jump to be unlocked. If you can get by on looks alone, you should probably buy the game.

After those two and a half hours, however, you get the "Bash" ability, which is an innovative, compelling, and satisfying mechanic that opens up the entire remainder of the game. I'd go so far as to call it what makes Ori--art direction aside--a truly unique experience. 80% of the rest of the game is a whirlwind delight, focusing prominently on the use of this projectile-flipping, momentum-swapping, time-dilating cornerstone.

There are still some rocky moments. All but one of the remaining abilities are mundane, to the tune of ground pounds, dashes, and charged-up launches, and at times there will be platforming sequences that reduce you to a single jump and seal away the remainder of your mobility suite. This was unfun to me. Some of the escape sequences feel tedious rather than impelling, where those with reaction speeds below a certain threshold are confined to the realm of incremental trial-and-error, being reset to the start of these sequences should they slip up and fall slightly behind the curve. The final sequence is especially guilty of this, requiring foreknowledge rather than skillful play, and I'm left without as strong a reaction to the ending cutscene as I might have had.

Ultimately though, thinking back on the game, there are a lot of stand-out moments to be had if you are willing to sit through the first two and a half hours of run-of-the mill platforming and have either the patience or the sheer reflexes required to power through the fast-paced getaways. My time as of this writing is marked for 11 hours, but removing time spent with the game running idly I'd say there's a solid 8-9 hours of game to be had after the slow start. The aesthetic alone could very well carry you through a playthrough as well, as it is truly sublime.

The first two and a half hours of this game are an utterly mediocre metroidvania wrapped in particularly nice aesthetics. It's nothing you won't have seen before--jumping puzzles, blocks to be pushed, a double jump and later a wall jump to be unlocked. If you can get by on looks alone, you should probably buy the game. After those two and a half hours, however, you get the "Bash" ability, which is an innovative, compelling, and satisfying mechanic that opens up the entire remainder of the game. I'd go so far as to call it what makes Ori--art direction aside--a truly unique experience. 80% of the rest of the game is a whirlwind delight, focusing prominently on the use of this projectile-flipping, momentum-swapping, time-dilating cornerstone. There are still some rocky moments. All but one of the remaining abilities are mundane, to the tune of ground pounds, dashes, and charged-up launches, and at times there will be platforming sequences that reduce you to a single jump and seal away the remainder of your mobility suite. This was unfun to me. Some of the escape sequences feel tedious rather than impelling, where those with reaction speeds below a certain threshold are confined to the realm of incremental trial-and-error, being reset to the start of these sequences should they slip up and fall slightly behind the curve. The final sequence is especially guilty of this, requiring foreknowledge rather than skillful play, and I'm left without as strong a reaction to the ending cutscene as I might have had. Ultimately though, thinking back on the game, there are a lot of stand-out moments to be had if you are willing to sit through the first two and a half hours of run-of-the mill platforming and have either the patience or the sheer reflexes required to power through the fast-paced getaways. My time as of this writing is marked for 11 hours, but removing time spent with the game running idly I'd say there's a solid 8-9 hours of game to be had after the slow start. The aesthetic alone could very well carry you through a playthrough as well, as it is truly sublime.