Nintendo has absolutely delivered on their original promise of more third party support than ever before when they first unveiled the Switch as a hybrid console. With ports we never thought we’d see on a Nintendo platform, the Switch has more than proven its worth. When Ori and the Blind Forest was revealed to be the latest title to make the on-the-go jump, I couldn’t help but jump at the chance to play since this title has been in my backlog forever. Since I travel so much, seeing it on the Switch finally forced me to sit down and play all the way through and oh my god, I’m so glad I did.
Just as I was warned, the story of Ori and the Blind Forest was one that was as heartbreaking as it was inspiring. Though worries of downgraded experiences will always come up when a Switch port is announced, the move to portable was incredibly smooth when it comes to Ori. The art style and graphical demands of this particular title made it an easy ‘switch’ (huehuehue) but more than that, it just really seems to fit the Nintendo demographic.
At no point in my time with the game on the Nintendo Switch Lite did I run into any issues performance-wise, nor were there any issues with controls. Every action responded appropriately, every cutscene-to-motion sequence was executed flawlessly – this game was meant to be played anywhere and everywhere and the Switch version allows that to become a reality for anyone that is a fan of Nintendo.
Since this isn’t a new game, I’m not going to go into a full review of the title itself since most by now know what to expect, but I will say since this was my first time going in that I’m still in awe about how truly amazing this narrative was. When it was first released back in 2015, it was instantly hailed as a masterpiece. That made me immediately pick it up on PC, but it was left in my backlog, unfortunately.
The first 15 minutes of Ori and the Blind Forest immediately made me cry. With no dialogue, the relationship between the two characters players meet right out of the gate was astounding and very well communicated. Then the loss of reality hit like a ton of bricks and before I knew it, I had tears pouring down my face and my hand not on my handheld immediately grasping for the nearest glass of wine.
But still, the show must go on and I persisted through the story. The exploration, the sound effects created with the narrator’s dialogue – everything about Ori and the Blind Forest is pure magic. This is a title that should not be slept on and I’m so upset with myself that I let it go undiscovered for so long. If you haven’t played it – or are looking to double-dip – the Nintendo Switch port is a dream come true. It’s fluid, it’s visually and audibly stunning, everything about this iteration is perfect and fully respects the original vision that Moon Studios had for Ori and the Blind Forest.
Our Score: 10 out of 10
