Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 297 sampled Steam reviews (266 positive / 31 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing20% mention it
- Visuals & art19% mention it
- Music & audio18% mention it
- World & exploration8% mention it
- Combat4% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Story & writing26% mention it
- Visuals & art13% mention it
- Music & audio13% mention it
- World & exploration10% mention it
- Difficulty & balance10% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
79%
75 reviews
5-15h
93%
131 reviews
15-40h
94%
77 reviews
40-100h
92%
13 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 90 | 29 |
| Creator reviews (4 tracked) | – | 88 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 94% | 88 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 90 | 67 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 88% | 82 | 47 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 133 reviews sampled · 116 total reviews in window · weighted 89.5 up / 11.6 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (124)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
- 75
“Like a big interlocking puzzle, you'll enjoy unravelling as much of this world as possible, while the narrative itself will keep you invested in the little ball of light far more than you might expect.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Ori and the Blind Forest combines enthralling narrative sandwiching derivative but solid gameplay. It's this approach that makes you wish the rest of it was as compelling. But by the time you've realised that, you've been played, the fantastic presentation would have pushed you to its end, which should take you around seven hours. Well played Moon Studios, well played.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“There might be rough patches, but the friction falls away when I'm locked into the core of Ori and the Blind Forest. We here at Paste Games believe that Metroid is pretty much the best game to emulate. Unlike games with concrete missions or levels, a great Metroid-style game never gives the player a reason to stop. They pull us through on a steady current of gradually expansive play that makes us never want to put the controller down. Ori expertly nails that rhythm, timing out its revelations and offering enough unique ways to navigate its world to maximize the player's engagement.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Ori and the Blind Forest is magnificent. It has gorgeous views, excellent gameplay, and a solid challenge. The entire game just flows natural and flawlessly and you will enjoy ever part of it.”
read full review ↗ - 93
“A rare gem that truly shows the potential for games as a medium.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Games with outstanding aesthetics always run the risk of falling victim to the old "style over substance" criticism, but Ori and the Blind Forest supports its style with a constant stream of timeless, captivating substance.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Ori and the Blind Forest isn’t just a magnificent video game with impeccable mechanics and brilliant design, it’s a work of art. What could’ve easily been a journey so wrapped up in delivering its poignant narrative that it squandered away its gameplay potential, ends up being a Metroidvania that can hang with the greatest the genre has to offer.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“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.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“A complete game that has succeeded in all its pillars to reach such a position that sometimes even surprises the audience.”
read full review ↗ - 92
“Don't be fooled by the looks of it. Behind the delicate and beautifully handcrafted visuals lies a truly hardcore experience, built on top of intense mechanics. You will scream, cheer, and curse as you progress through the cleverly designed platform puzzles with their exquisite soundtrack. Ori and the Blind Forest is a must-have experience for this season on Xbox One.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“undefined.While I could pick apart some specific nagging problems in Ori and the Blind Forest, whether it's the combat or tiny platforming problems, my lasting memory of this recent replay and my previous Xbox One playthrough a few years ago is just the high moments. The bliss of exploring this world, combined with the deft storytelling and dazzling artwork, make for an enthralling adventure that stands tall as one of the modern classics of the Metroid-esque genre.”
read full review ↗
Stryftek
Jump Dash Roll
Gadgets 360
Paste Magazine
Kinglink Reviews
VGChartz
Cubed3
Pure Xbox
Prima Games
Zoomg
LevelUp
NintendoWorldReport…and 112 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Steam Patch 3 Release NotesOct 14, 2015
- Steam Patch 3 Release NotesOct 14, 2015
- Steam Patch 2 Release NotesMay 4, 2015
- Steam Patch 2 Release NotesMay 4, 2015
- Steam Patch 1 Release NotesMay 1, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Steam Patch 1 Release NotesMay 1, 2015significant · resets scoring window