Ori and the Blind Forest Definitive Edition Delayed on PC and Detailed

Published: March 9, 2016 4:20 PM /

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Ori and the Blind Forest

Those who have seen the beauty that Ori and the Blind Forest brought on its first iteration may be looking forward to Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition. And for some of those players, they may have to wait a little longer. The game stunned me in its first impressions for TechRaptor, and hit my #9 top games of 2015 over on my own Youtube channel

While the Xbox One release date has not been effected, Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition has been delayed on Steam and Windows 10 indefinitely, as the developers need more time to bring the game to both store platforms.  The game will still be releasing on the Xbox One on March 11th however. They will be updating the public when they know exactly when they have a firm release date for the PC versions game. It wasn't indicated exactly what the cause of the delay was in the interview however.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU3rmggIcpc

However, to help with fan's appetite for more information about the game, Microsoft Studios' Mark Coates gave a little bit of information on what new features can be expected. The game has two new additional areas in the Black Root Burrows as well as the Lost Grove, in which Coates indicates that they have a "unique theme in both graphical presentation as well as play mechanics". He gives an example of using light/darkness to challenge  the players visibility, messing with their ability to process information and react to what is on screen. Black Root Burrows also adds more in-game cut scenes that give more history regarding Naru, the guardian figure that helps Ori during his quest. On top of that, the game has added a couple of skills in the Dash and Light burst, allowing Ori to dash forward short distances or toss small projectiles.

It was made clear in the interview that Microsoft Studios are not only targeting new players with the game, but wanted to bring older players back with new challenges and a fresh take on the game as a whole. They've added a Hard difficulty (despite people saying the game was hard to begin with) and what seems to be a brutal One-Life setting. As with any Metroidvania game, there's a concern involving backtracking, but luckily they've added Fast Travel to the game as well. These on top of an expanded theatre with all the game's cutscenes, concept art, and behind the scene elements from the development of the game.


Quick Take

While it's never great to hear a delay for a game, it looks to be related specific to the porting process considering that the Xbox One Version is not delayed. Ori and the Blind Forest was a fantastic game and something of a visual marvel, and I'm in particular interested to see what they've done with the Black Root Burrows and how they've used light to mess with the player. 

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Shaun Joy TechRaptor
| Former Video Lead

YouTuber Dragnix who plays way too many games, and has a degree in Software Engineering. A Focus on disclosure on Youtubers, and gaming coverage in general… More about Shaun