Ori and the Blind Forest, a beautiful game by Moon Studios GmbH is about to get even better. According to this Twitter post, they are getting ready to launch Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition on March 11, which happens to also be my birthday. The definitive edition is coming to Xbox One and PC, and players who already own the original game will get a discount on the definitive edition. Unfortunately, they have not yet released specific pricing details even though March 11 is only 9 days away. The original game is currently $19.99 on Steam.
So what’s new in Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition? Well, the game adds some new difficulty modes and new abilities which can be found in a new playable area of the world, called Black Root Burrows. I’ve decided not to go into detail on the new abilities to avoid spoilers, but you can check out the source of this article if you want to read more about them. Black Root Burrows also contains a new narrative that shines some light on the past of Naru, the mother figure in the game’s intro sequence. The developers have also expanded theater mode, as Executive Producer Mark Coates commented:
“Not only will you be able to view all of the cut-scenes, but now you will be able to see early concept material from the game, trailers, and some other really cool content in theater mode.”
While fans overall loved the original game (and it’s not hard to see why), there were some complaints about difficulty in some areas. In particular, the Ginso Tree comes up in community discussions. Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition addresses this. They have added some new difficulty levels like easy mode, as well as hard mode, and also the greatest challenge of them all: 1-life mode. Are you crazy enough to take on that challenge? It is true, very few players will take on such a steep challenge, but it’s there for those who have what it takes!
You can see from the screenshots above that the visuals in the game are amazing. It looks like you are playing a painting rather than a video game. The environments are very immersive and you can get absorbed in just the visuals alone because they are so wonderful to look at. The developers behind this game have done some incredible work. So if you own the original or are just interested in the game, mark your calendar for March 11 when the Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition launches on PC (including Steam and the Windows 10 Store) and Xbox One. New players may want to buy the original game in the meantime, not only to experience it now but also because then you can upgrade to the definitive edition with a discount.
