So, what's so special about this game?

[Sailor Paladin]

I just finished it and... it was alright, but nothing special, really, but I feel like there should be.
This thing has 45 000 overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam. That's a lot. That's way more than quite a few games of a similar genre that I consider to be superior.

So, what am I missing? Again, I'm not arguing that the game is bad somehow, I just fail to see the 'amazing' part.
Or is it just simply an alright game that looks cute enough to appeal to a large audience?

[Melodia]

Bash,

[Stretchyf]

It can be so-so game, just beautiful game, good game for some. Few even do not like it at all. But it seems for some, game plainly nails it, just right in a sweet-spot.

It is beautiful, touching and challenging in the same time. Protagonist is cute and well-animated. Still remember how I spent almost whole first hour enjoying how smoothly and beautifully Ori moves under your control. I seen this level of attention to character's animation in a platformer for the first time. It was strikingly beautiful. Gameplay is also nice and reasonably variable and challenge was just right. Escapes were terrifying at first but later I fell in love even with them. It was just hard to stop playing this game in my case, especially after I passed the Ginso Tree. It was very captivating, complete joy to play, I not wanted it to end, ever.

After playing it I tried around a dozen "similar games" and found nothing similar actually. So Ori and the Blind Forest has a special place in my heart.

The only issue I have is the story - I mean it is reasonably good and does its job to supplement gameplay rather nicely, has some plot-twists. But while playing I wanted a deeper story explaining more about how this world is functioning. And story we have was looking as a compromise to me, to receive 6+ age rating. "Story is simple so even a kid would understand".

Experience with Ori Wotw made me change the calculus though. It looks Moon Studious plainly uninterested in more deep story or cannot made one. And they not really care to "soften" the presentation to make game acceptable to children. What we have in Blind Forest looks nice in comparison to what we have in Will of the Wisps in my opinion. But still I find Ori Wotw the closest thing to Ori BF I played.

[Floxxui]

Originally posted by Sailor Paladin:

I just finished it and... it was alright, but nothing special, really, but I feel like there should be.
This thing has 45 000 overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam. That's a lot. That's way more than quite a few games of a similar genre that I consider to be superior.

So, what am I missing? Again, I'm not arguing that the game is bad somehow, I just fail to see the 'amazing' part.
Or is it just simply an alright game that looks cute enough to appeal to a large audience?

I will be honest with you, I didn't like the game too much at first. I, just like you, felt it was just alright. I finished the game (original, not definitive edition) and didn't pick up the game again for quite some time. However I eventually decided to give it another try, and holy the experience became absolutely magical.

During my second playthrough, I learned to love the small things about it. Sure, the story may not be all to interesting and sometimes the controlls can become a bit confusing (especially on keyboard), but something about the love between kuro and her child and being able to resemle their relationship in Naru and Ori. The message became absolutely loving and it felt close to home. Not only that, the graphics and music are absolutely fantastic and you can feel the love and work the developers put down to create the character movement. I believe this is why people appriciate the game so much. However I might be wrong. I'd love to hear ur opinion if you have one! :D

[LinkSamus3]

Originally posted by Sailor Paladin:

So, what am I missing? Again, I'm not arguing that the game is bad somehow, I just fail to see the 'amazing' part.
Or is it just simply an alright game that looks cute enough to appeal to a large audience?

The game is not for everyone. There are those who will think it is awesome, and those who will not. No true piece of art can ever be appreciated by everyone.

[Tony Larsen]

Back when it came out it felt unique with its gorgeous visuals and epic music. Since I didn't know what to expect in terms of gameplay the super smooth and somewhat challenging platforming was a pleasant surprise.

I also liked that it was not "retro/pixel art" visuals for once and that the platforming didn't feel "flat" (as in only horizontal platforms and walls). Because of this it stood out from the other games in the genre for me.

That being said I just finished a playthrough after playing sequel and it felt a lot more dull and slow paced than I remembered.

So I highly recommend you give a try to Ori and the Will of the Wisps, I found it better in every way (most notably combat) !

[Unseen]

I think it looks great, even tho I'm not that far and put off this game for other stuff for a while, it looks very nice. Love the art, graphics, music. Only thing that kinda sucks is its really hard and I like metroidvanias to be more about planning and strategy like SOTN and the ultra hard platforming is kind of like a brick wall for me at times.

But I probably need more levels and more exploring.

[☼Arkonev☼]

There is nothing 'special' about it. It's just the rare case of a game being competent in many aspects, of sound, art direction, visual direction, and short form narrative story telling. A lot of factors came together that other games could not mach. Combined with some gradient of chance to create an experience that bequeathed a heft of praise.

There is nothing 'special' about it. There is no mania about it. This isn't among us, or under tale. It's relatively speaking just something done well.

[Unseen]

Seriously this is way better than undertale lol, boring game.

This is far more special than an overrated turn base with an annoying storyline, and cringy skeletons. Ya'll overrate stuff constantly. Ori is far more special than the garbage all these fans review bomb cause its got some doge meme humor...

[☼Arkonev☼]

Undertale is a fine game. It's just special because of the praise/attention it got. Things are rarely special in concept. No part of Ori is some envelope breaking artisinal dish.

It's just a lot of things done well. Undertale does break convention, but far more of it's praise is an offshoot of novelty, and attention.

You can hate undertale all you like. Just understand why you are hating it. Is it the game? or is it the mob of people around it? For me it's the mob. The game is fine.

[Unseen]

This game is fine and I'd sooner play this than undertail anyday.
I love rpgs, was lead to believe undertail was good, overrated more like it. I didn't like it at all. And bringing up that it has something special and ori does not is not fair to other people.

It was not the people I don't even find the people that toxic, its the game. I don't let a community control my opinion.

Why are you using this forum to promote a game that doesn't need promoting? The games everywhere, people never stop talking about this rpg which I wasted time on and felt nothing.

A friend gifted me undertale, and its cause I asked for it. Cause the screenshots looked nice. I like retro rpgs, beat all the old ones from FF to chrono trigger. Did not like earthbound or dragon warrior. I hate the first person perspective for turn based. I'd prefer to see the character fighting than looking up a monsters nose hairs. But I could handle that combat perspective if the actual gameplays good. Its not, annoying turn based bullet hail system that also throws lame child like memes at you.

I played up to undyne and got extremely annoyed and bored and you guys think this is the best game ever even better than a masterpiece like ori with amazing visuals and haunting music? In favor of beeps and bloops?

And you can't just leave it on the undertale forums, you have to come on other peoples games, say undertales the best evar, and trash the game in question? Its like this game never goes away...

[☼Arkonev☼]

You don't understand what I am saying.

You list a bunch of your random feelings on the game undertale. This is not credible at the least.

You provided 0 descriptive reasons for why undertale bad other than you dislike it. I can give better arguments for why undertale is bad than you can. I can also give better arguments for why ori is better than undertale.

For some reason you also think that 'special' = 'good'. Ever been to the special kids classroom.

If you took the time to read through what I said. You'd actually understand that a game being special means it's far likelier for it to be overrated, and for a collective mania to distort the reality of what the game is. This is how I was using special. I shouldn't have to spell these things out but here we are. Maybe english is your second language.

Also I wasn't advertising. Everyone knows about under tale and it's fan base. I was using it comparitively. I was explaining that there is no such mob mania around Ori. I understand not everyone has the reading comprehension skills.

This thread is about what makes a game special. Not once did I say that Ori was not deserving of the praise. But crucially I outlined why it was praised.

To restate the initial premise of this thread was.
"Ori is well liked, what's so special about it. Author thinks it's not as special/good as some of the other games."

My rebuttal in summary. Ori does many things well, in combination that make it really good despite, not having some meme factor.

This rhetoric should be relatively simple to follow, and I really shouldn't have to spell it out for you. Next time read what I write so you don't misrepresent my character and my words

[Unseen]

Special kids classroom?
And you are claiming the other undertale fans are toxic?

Undertale is a bioware rip off with 16 bit graphics man sorry to say.

[☼Arkonev☼]

Ori is a bioware rip off with 16 bit graphics man sorry to say.

This is what you sound like.

Here is what I am claiming about the undertale 'fans'. As written in my previous post. Which I am not sure you read, or have the capacity to read.

"If you took the time to read through what I said. You'd actually understand that a game being special means it's far likelier for it to be overrated, and for a collective mania to distort the reality of what the game is. This is how I was using special. I shouldn't have to spell these things out but here we are. Maybe english is your second language."

[Unseen]

Bioware? How is ori anywhere near a bioware game. I compared undertale to bioware because its a multiple outcome interact with people rpg. Just like kotor, witcher, jade empire, mass effect, etc etc... You undertale fans act like the games unique but its a genre rpg. That I tend to not like much cause I'd rather have gameplay than a choose your own adventure I got from the library in the early 90s.

Ori has some pretty special atmosphere, and an original concept. Undetale is where the wild things are, real monsters, or any other monster themed nickelodian show you wanna pick.

Should I go harder? I mean nevermind that turn based bullet hail is a terrible idea for an rpg. Hey I don't wanna bash undertale to hard, least it has ok music and vendor art. The meme humor and gameplay was blegh didn't net me in.

Its just funny cause its like every forum you go, people always bringing up undertale like its the holy grail of not only rpgs, but gaming. Its obsessive...

And keep insulting my intelligence, calling me stupid etc, I'm not insulting you personally.

Ori is a metroidvania not even near the same as kotor or undertale.

[☼Arkonev☼]

Look you are attacking undertale, and you are doing a poor job. That's the problem. Undertale was a comparison point I used to express, that most of Ori's accolades are entirely it's own rather as a result of bandwagonning.

I am not an undertale fan. Ori is a traditional platformer with a large move set, and a very classical narrative. These features are not novel. Meaning unique, special or at the fringes of what's acceptable for a platformer. This is not a bad thing. This is the framing for what the game of Ori actually is. I don't consider ori special in it's genere. I do consider ori to deliver in all the traditional aspects that come together to make an experience great.

Undertale has a far more novel story. It doesn't make it better. It just makes different. It's not entirely unique but the premise of not fighting but making friends is different enough for the genre. Whether bullet hell works or not, is something people decide for themselves.

I am not sure it even matters that Undertale has different endings, or whatever. It's going a different way than Ori. This is okay. There is nothing wrong with either game they are practically in different genres.

---------- IMPORTANT ------------
The point at which I am comparing the two.

Is related to the main subject of the thread. The praise.

Both are heavily praised. Ori does not have the same mania around it is undertale. Therefore the chances of Ori being objectively overrated are far lower.

Undertale is novel, new, and had a mania around it. Meaning the chances of it being over rated are much higher. This is true for doki doki lit club, among us. All these games recieve a large band wagon. This means people like them because their friends like them, because there are expectations to like them, because a youtuber played them.

To my knowledge Ori does not have anywhere near the same level of band wagon behind it. Meaning it's just a really good experience on it's own. Is Ori novel? I don't think so. Does it execute every part of the traditional impeccably, yes.

I am not sure you can go harder.
Because you still don't really understand the discussion or what I am saying. Which is why each time I have to question your reading comprehension. I am not sure I could spell out what I am saying any harder.