Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition (PC, 2016)
Graphics-9 Sound-8 Control-8 Challenge-7.5 Story-6.5
Level Design-8/7* Frustration-7/8* Fun-8/6.5* Originality-6
Overall Score-7.5
*Escape segments
+
Metroidvania/Platform Adventure gameplay (interconnected world, ability gating, backtracking to previous areas to explore further into them with gained abilities, skill tree and skill points, upgradeable mp and hp, can teleport between spirit wells/placed save points (these also restore MP & HP), map stones which reveal a sub area's layout, etc)
Skill tree/ability tree w/ three separate branches (collect spirit energy to increase ability points used to gain skills - these are separate from most movement abilities which are found at ancestral trees in the world; one movement ability, mostly convenience features/efficiency upgrades for pre-existing abilities/weapon upgrades)
Great animation and lighting, great art direction overall (a bit like modern 2D Rayman)
Some interesting abilities (can revert larger enemy projectiles back to them using the charge attack, Bash - lets you bounce off of enemies/lanterns/projectiles to gain a boost in mid-air (controllable direction and you have some time to choose as the gameplay pauses for a couple of seconds) - essentially a quintuple (!) jump with an air boost in the middle as you can triple jump before and then double jump after but you can also keep bashing in mid-air as long as there's something close enough to use it on (a bit like the homing attack in Sonic Adventure but better, bash can also be used to travel faster making backtracking more fun), Bash also has the secondary use of sending enemies and projectiles flying in the opposite direction which can be used as a weapon, light burst - a ball of light you can throw at lanterns to light them and also bash away from while it's active (you have control over both the arc and strength of a throw, allows pretty awesome maneuverability combined with the other abilities), )
Fast movement and fairly zoomed out view
Some sequence breaking possibilities (can grab some underwater ability point stashes before you purify the waters, can grab some other items or progress faster by intentionally taking damage from spikes, more)
The first boss spies on/harasses/taunts you throughout its area while you're chasing it (similar to a boss in Strider 2014 and some older games like ESWAT (ARC))
Optional damage value display for healing and damage
Can change difficulty mode at any point (3 levels; there's also a one life only mode)
Satisfying feedback from interacting with the environment and attacking enemies (enemies don't get stunned by regular attacks but on the other hand you can move back and forth freely while using them, charge attacks and bashing sends them flying as does the finishing hit from a regular attack, stomp stuns some enemies)
Can grab and climb ledges as well as scuttle over gentle slopes at the edge of platforms from the get go (you also auto-cling to uneven walls when gliding down them/jumping next to them though this can cause issues at times - see below)
Upgradeable charge attack (becomes like a smart bomb when upgraded, can also be canceled with B)
Shows your stats in the pause menu (collection progress, time taken, number of deaths)
Decent-good puzzles (luring - enemies are also affected by traps and spikes as well as some explosive attacks by other enemies and their attacks can open up some paths, using enemies/projectiles as boost pads with bash (or as thrown "bombs" to break certain obstacles - this also allows for alternate solutions to a few rooms), blocks that redirect enemy shots to destroy certain blockades, bouncing the light burst ball into switches - a bit underused though) and decent-very good platforming puzzles (the one with the moving vertical platform and zig zag pattern of laser beams is one of the more interesting ones)
Adjustable controller vibration strength
Some mini-bosses
Some unlockable shortcuts between sub areas (the upwards wind one is the best as it also lets you backtrack through an area in a new way)
Some scripted events (boulder chase, escape segments)
Nice music transitions for events like the boulder chase and the mushroom platform path
Zoomable map - becomes a bird's eye view of the world when fully zoomed out which isn't useful but looks nice (the max zoom before it goes to that screen could've been a bit further out though)
Get to interact with kuro/the main "villain" a few times while exploring (as cutscenes or as guided sidequests where you distract it) Nice cutscenes (mostly skippable)
Dialogue can be sped up on a text box/paragraph basis
Some creative enemies (rhino-like enemies whose armor can be removed with a stomp, ) and level design (second dungeon - gravity switching+heat protection mechanic via an orb you carry through it (also contributes to an unexpected sense of vulnerability), pretty good (but short) stealth segment where you avoid the owl/kuro and alter the environment a bit, hot surfaces that you can only stand on briefly in the third dungeon)
Some memorable locations (misty woods - looks cool and transforms as you travel through it (a bit like Silent Hill 2) though it is almost completely linear, sorrow pass - also funny how you're struck by lightning if you float off the top of this area, parts of valley of the wind and southern black root burrows)
One unexpected twist in the story (it's biblical!)
Well presented relationship between ori and naru with some emotionally effective scenes (might've been even more effective if the prologue was somewhat longer and more interactive so that the loss meant more to the player at that point)
Some nuances in the story make it not quite the cliché dark vs light type of thing and makes the "villain" more sympathetic (it's still pretty basic and a bit sappy though)
Can cancel out of a stomp move or a charge dash
+/-
Can create save points anywhere where there's no enemy and you're standing on solid ground (hold B, costs 1 energy point/MP; better than having tons of checkpoints for the player agency it gives but has a few issues (see below) - you also can't teleport between created save points and placed ones/spirit wells)
Mostly linear structure early on (can do some things out of order within the sub areas, can enter the black root burrows but it's very tough without some stat upgrades so you can finish lighting it up, opens up a bit more after purifying the water/finishing the second area, partially non-linear third dungeon)
Can't retool your skill tree build
Collectathon elements (2-4 keys per locked door, energy for energy doors, map pieces for map stones - 1 per stone)
Very "high fantasy" tone similar to Lord of the Rings but also some Studio Ghibli movies (pretty melodramatic at times, very idyllic depiction of life for the "dark" creatures, magical talking trees)
Many death traps
When you reach the first "boss" the game just plays a cutscene where he's converted to your side instead of you doing something
Lose skill point and map progress when dying
The game tells you where to go next and marks it on the map
Some semi-interactive story segments (feels a bit slow and limited to just walk to the next cutscene trigger)
Post-apocalypse and world restoration themes
Can upgrade an ability on the skill tree before you've found the ability (air dash for example) - not necessarily a bad thing but the game should've indicated that it's an ability you don't have yet
No control config (not really needed though)
Precise platforming even early on (actually gets easier for a bit when you get the double jump)
Weird that you can't use the charge attack on horizontal breakable walls when they are the same material and width (need to stomp them)
Can ignore certain paths in the ginso tree dungeon by using the charge shot to grab MP from such containers
Borrows various abilities from previous games (double jump - Dragon Buster, wall jump - Rastan/Ninja Kid II, stomp - Horace & The Spiders/Exterminator/Mendel Palace, dash and air dash+dash attack - Mr. Ghost/Altered Beast/Golden Axe/Mega Man X2 (the dash attack/charge dash lets you reach a bit longer and also homes in on enemies like in Sonic Adventure), glide jump - Below the Root/Pac-Land, charge jump/charge wall jump - similar to Super Metroid's shinespark but easier to use, fairy helper - Zelda, healing (save point upgrade) - various)
Replaces boss fights with escape segments out of three short dungeons - sadly these are pretty frustrating and overly limited in how you can tackle them
Movement underwater starts off limited by an oxygen meter but can be upgraded to infinite via the skill tree later on
The triple jump makes a lot of platforming challenges easier and you can get it fairly early (before valley of the wind)
Some cooldown time after creating a save point - it already cost some energy so why the cooldown? (can be sped up though)
Made-up language used for NPCs (made up of multiple existing languages)
Can't use bash on small projectiles and certain lanterns which don't glow (the latter are for opening certain doors with the light burst ball which you get to later)
Charge jump feels kind of redundant when you already have bash+light burst+charge attack (it seems arbitrary that it breaks certain walls that other skills don't when it doesn't look stronger, aimed charges while clinging to walls is used pretty well in sorrow pass though) - could've been used for traveling longer distances at a fast pace like shinespark or the hollow knight equivalent
Kinda sappy "the villain is actually good and will now sacrifice itself to save the hero" ending
The game kinda forgets about the light burst ability towards the end
Some checkpoints during dungeon 3
-
Enemies respawn too quickly (just from moving about 1-2 screens away) - sometimes they'll also respawn next to you when you respawn at a created save point after dying
Some interface/control issues (somewhat floaty jumps (slows around the apex of the jump), can't cancel skill tree selections and they are also auto-saved, can't look at the ability tree without being near a save point - somewhat far between preplaced ones, slow movement during the prologue but it's fairly short, can't input your own notes on the map (can't see some obstacles within rooms on the map - for example the doors opened by lantern switches, false walls aren't shown on the map after discovering the paths behind them - first area and southern burrows underwater area for example), occasional hit detection issues when moving into tight spaces next to movable rocks - can get you semi-stuck for a bit, no notification to let you see if you're close enough to use bash on something - have to get a feel for it, some delay before you can unstuck yourself from a wall with the d-pad if you jump right next to one (have to jump off of it instead) - seems they copied these controls from Super Meat Boy, can't open HP containers by shooting them - very minor but why not since you can do it with MP containers?, the camera isn't quick enough in the first and third escape segments - occasionally it's a bit loose during normal gameplay too but it's much less of an issue)
Not enough MP containers and teleporters/wells in some areas which leads to backtracking (or at least the latter aren't placed centrally enough - for example there's none to the south of the moon grotto which is also a vertical shaped area nor to the east in thornfelt swamp)
Sometimes uneven difficulty (spikes: can't save during the escape segments and there are no checkpoints either, second dungeon escape - you're not used to floating upwards yet, unkillable enemies that kill you in one hit early on in hollow grove, valley of the wind before you're supposed to go there; dips: between the first dungeon escape to the second one the game is mostly easier than it was in the beginning - especially if you go back and grab the upgrades)
Some trial & error (dungeon escape segments (the worms/slugs that pop out of the ground act in a strange way in the first one, you don't get enough time to react to some fallings obstacles in the second, the camera shakes too much in the third and you don't have enough time to properly react to most of the hazards), parts of the ginso tree dungeon exploration segment - can't properly see where you've teleported to in time to react to some of the platforming due to the portal glow being almost the same color as Ori, parts of the mushroom path segment in misty woods)
Invincibility time is too short when touching spikes - if you screw up a wall jump near them you're likely to get hit twice and die early on (however some spikes do less damage than others and it becomes less of a problem as you upgrade Ori)
Can't skip any abilities on the ability tree to get to what you want faster (several of them are kind of lame convenience features like the two levels of enemy & container item drop magnets (pull items towards you - slowly then near instantly) and four (!) different map markers, ) - one alternative could've been allowing you to trade in a skill to activate another
A few too many minor dead ends from ability gating early on (you're better off just going where the game wants you to, there's a couple in-between valley of the winds and misty woods as well, before you finish the second dungeon sorrow's pass is also blocked off (which is fine in itself) but the game lets you move quite far vertically before revealing that you can't actually enter it)
Some distracting elements in the visuals (foreground trees in valley of the wind, sometimes hard to tell the difference between enemy projectiles+enemy debris when hitting them+enemy & container item drops - the drops could've been made darker or more transparent as they're pulled towards you and/or the bloom could've been toned down a bit)
Some unskippable cutscenes - the game also doesn't remember that you've seen one of these if you die afterwards without saving
Save points costing energy to create leads to minor grinding and backtracking at times in the early-mid game - you also use energy for charge attacks which are used for breakable wall barriers
You'll keep getting the same kind of consumable items even when you're fully stocked on them (MP/ammo, health, skill points) - there are placed item containers that always contain either MP (blue) or HP (green)
Wall climb feels redundant given the other abilities you have and underwhelming after bash and light burst
A few invisible walls/roofs (northern thornfelt swamp, valley of the winds frozen area sky and minor parts of the misty woods sky)
Some unnecessary one way paths
Some of the backtracking for upgrades could've been made more fun with new enemies/hazards/puzzles added to those paths
One of the lantern switches in hollow grove is placed on the other side of a wall relative to the door it opens - tedious
Some areas are a bit too similar and the repeated enemies in some areas doesn't help them stand out from each other either
Some plot oddities ("moved by their words he decided to act" (about Gumo removing the orb in the second dungeon and making the whole place collapse - it makes more sense later but he could've waited a bit to let you out of there safely (the narration sounds like he made peace with what happened but his actions say the opposite and it's also weird that the fairy talks as if you're to blame for it when you're not), why did the owl have to die in the end? - the tree comes off as either cruel or dangerously stupid)
The skill tree is a bit too small (I ended up with 7 extra ability points after completing it and I didn't grind)
Unskippable staff roll
Bugs:
-Sometimes a clearly safe area is considered unsafe by the game (have to be standing in one to create a save point)
Notes:
-98% completion (didn't get two of the MP upgrades)
-Original version is from 2015
-Stomp (tap down in mid-air) is a bit sensitive with the XB360 controller - fairly easy to do it by mistake with the d-pad but not with the stick
-Definitive Edition differences:
• Packed with new and additional content: New areas (black root burrows), new secrets, new abilities (air dash and charge dash, ultra light burst), more story sequences, multiple difficulty modes, full backtracking support and much more! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCdXccblILc&t=1m
• Discover Naru’s past in two brand new environments.
• Master two powerful new abilities – Dash and Light Burst.
• Find new secret areas and explore Nibel faster by teleporting between Spirit Wells.
* Removes ultra bash (Increases damage and allows bashing through enemies) - not sure why
Level Design-8/7* Frustration-7/8* Fun-8/6.5* Originality-6
Overall Score-7.5
*Escape segments
+
Metroidvania/Platform Adventure gameplay (interconnected world, ability gating, backtracking to previous areas to explore further into them with gained abilities, skill tree and skill points, upgradeable mp and hp, can teleport between spirit wells/placed save points (these also restore MP & HP), map stones which reveal a sub area's layout, etc)
Skill tree/ability tree w/ three separate branches (collect spirit energy to increase ability points used to gain skills - these are separate from most movement abilities which are found at ancestral trees in the world; one movement ability, mostly convenience features/efficiency upgrades for pre-existing abilities/weapon upgrades)
Great animation and lighting, great art direction overall (a bit like modern 2D Rayman)
Some interesting abilities (can revert larger enemy projectiles back to them using the charge attack, Bash - lets you bounce off of enemies/lanterns/projectiles to gain a boost in mid-air (controllable direction and you have some time to choose as the gameplay pauses for a couple of seconds) - essentially a quintuple (!) jump with an air boost in the middle as you can triple jump before and then double jump after but you can also keep bashing in mid-air as long as there's something close enough to use it on (a bit like the homing attack in Sonic Adventure but better, bash can also be used to travel faster making backtracking more fun), Bash also has the secondary use of sending enemies and projectiles flying in the opposite direction which can be used as a weapon, light burst - a ball of light you can throw at lanterns to light them and also bash away from while it's active (you have control over both the arc and strength of a throw, allows pretty awesome maneuverability combined with the other abilities), )
Fast movement and fairly zoomed out view
Some sequence breaking possibilities (can grab some underwater ability point stashes before you purify the waters, can grab some other items or progress faster by intentionally taking damage from spikes, more)
The first boss spies on/harasses/taunts you throughout its area while you're chasing it (similar to a boss in Strider 2014 and some older games like ESWAT (ARC))
Optional damage value display for healing and damage
Can change difficulty mode at any point (3 levels; there's also a one life only mode)
Satisfying feedback from interacting with the environment and attacking enemies (enemies don't get stunned by regular attacks but on the other hand you can move back and forth freely while using them, charge attacks and bashing sends them flying as does the finishing hit from a regular attack, stomp stuns some enemies)
Can grab and climb ledges as well as scuttle over gentle slopes at the edge of platforms from the get go (you also auto-cling to uneven walls when gliding down them/jumping next to them though this can cause issues at times - see below)
Upgradeable charge attack (becomes like a smart bomb when upgraded, can also be canceled with B)
Shows your stats in the pause menu (collection progress, time taken, number of deaths)
Decent-good puzzles (luring - enemies are also affected by traps and spikes as well as some explosive attacks by other enemies and their attacks can open up some paths, using enemies/projectiles as boost pads with bash (or as thrown "bombs" to break certain obstacles - this also allows for alternate solutions to a few rooms), blocks that redirect enemy shots to destroy certain blockades, bouncing the light burst ball into switches - a bit underused though) and decent-very good platforming puzzles (the one with the moving vertical platform and zig zag pattern of laser beams is one of the more interesting ones)
Adjustable controller vibration strength
Some mini-bosses
Some unlockable shortcuts between sub areas (the upwards wind one is the best as it also lets you backtrack through an area in a new way)
Some scripted events (boulder chase, escape segments)
Nice music transitions for events like the boulder chase and the mushroom platform path
Zoomable map - becomes a bird's eye view of the world when fully zoomed out which isn't useful but looks nice (the max zoom before it goes to that screen could've been a bit further out though)
Get to interact with kuro/the main "villain" a few times while exploring (as cutscenes or as guided sidequests where you distract it) Nice cutscenes (mostly skippable)
Dialogue can be sped up on a text box/paragraph basis
Some creative enemies (rhino-like enemies whose armor can be removed with a stomp, ) and level design (second dungeon - gravity switching+heat protection mechanic via an orb you carry through it (also contributes to an unexpected sense of vulnerability), pretty good (but short) stealth segment where you avoid the owl/kuro and alter the environment a bit, hot surfaces that you can only stand on briefly in the third dungeon)
Some memorable locations (misty woods - looks cool and transforms as you travel through it (a bit like Silent Hill 2) though it is almost completely linear, sorrow pass - also funny how you're struck by lightning if you float off the top of this area, parts of valley of the wind and southern black root burrows)
One unexpected twist in the story (it's biblical!)
Well presented relationship between ori and naru with some emotionally effective scenes (might've been even more effective if the prologue was somewhat longer and more interactive so that the loss meant more to the player at that point)
Some nuances in the story make it not quite the cliché dark vs light type of thing and makes the "villain" more sympathetic (it's still pretty basic and a bit sappy though)
Can cancel out of a stomp move or a charge dash
+/-
Can create save points anywhere where there's no enemy and you're standing on solid ground (hold B, costs 1 energy point/MP; better than having tons of checkpoints for the player agency it gives but has a few issues (see below) - you also can't teleport between created save points and placed ones/spirit wells)
Mostly linear structure early on (can do some things out of order within the sub areas, can enter the black root burrows but it's very tough without some stat upgrades so you can finish lighting it up, opens up a bit more after purifying the water/finishing the second area, partially non-linear third dungeon)
Can't retool your skill tree build
Collectathon elements (2-4 keys per locked door, energy for energy doors, map pieces for map stones - 1 per stone)
Very "high fantasy" tone similar to Lord of the Rings but also some Studio Ghibli movies (pretty melodramatic at times, very idyllic depiction of life for the "dark" creatures, magical talking trees)
Many death traps
When you reach the first "boss" the game just plays a cutscene where he's converted to your side instead of you doing something
Lose skill point and map progress when dying
The game tells you where to go next and marks it on the map
Some semi-interactive story segments (feels a bit slow and limited to just walk to the next cutscene trigger)
Post-apocalypse and world restoration themes
Can upgrade an ability on the skill tree before you've found the ability (air dash for example) - not necessarily a bad thing but the game should've indicated that it's an ability you don't have yet
No control config (not really needed though)
Precise platforming even early on (actually gets easier for a bit when you get the double jump)
Weird that you can't use the charge attack on horizontal breakable walls when they are the same material and width (need to stomp them)
Can ignore certain paths in the ginso tree dungeon by using the charge shot to grab MP from such containers
Borrows various abilities from previous games (double jump - Dragon Buster, wall jump - Rastan/Ninja Kid II, stomp - Horace & The Spiders/Exterminator/Mendel Palace, dash and air dash+dash attack - Mr. Ghost/Altered Beast/Golden Axe/Mega Man X2 (the dash attack/charge dash lets you reach a bit longer and also homes in on enemies like in Sonic Adventure), glide jump - Below the Root/Pac-Land, charge jump/charge wall jump - similar to Super Metroid's shinespark but easier to use, fairy helper - Zelda, healing (save point upgrade) - various)
Replaces boss fights with escape segments out of three short dungeons - sadly these are pretty frustrating and overly limited in how you can tackle them
Movement underwater starts off limited by an oxygen meter but can be upgraded to infinite via the skill tree later on
The triple jump makes a lot of platforming challenges easier and you can get it fairly early (before valley of the wind)
Some cooldown time after creating a save point - it already cost some energy so why the cooldown? (can be sped up though)
Made-up language used for NPCs (made up of multiple existing languages)
Can't use bash on small projectiles and certain lanterns which don't glow (the latter are for opening certain doors with the light burst ball which you get to later)
Charge jump feels kind of redundant when you already have bash+light burst+charge attack (it seems arbitrary that it breaks certain walls that other skills don't when it doesn't look stronger, aimed charges while clinging to walls is used pretty well in sorrow pass though) - could've been used for traveling longer distances at a fast pace like shinespark or the hollow knight equivalent
Kinda sappy "the villain is actually good and will now sacrifice itself to save the hero" ending
The game kinda forgets about the light burst ability towards the end
Some checkpoints during dungeon 3
-
Enemies respawn too quickly (just from moving about 1-2 screens away) - sometimes they'll also respawn next to you when you respawn at a created save point after dying
Some interface/control issues (somewhat floaty jumps (slows around the apex of the jump), can't cancel skill tree selections and they are also auto-saved, can't look at the ability tree without being near a save point - somewhat far between preplaced ones, slow movement during the prologue but it's fairly short, can't input your own notes on the map (can't see some obstacles within rooms on the map - for example the doors opened by lantern switches, false walls aren't shown on the map after discovering the paths behind them - first area and southern burrows underwater area for example), occasional hit detection issues when moving into tight spaces next to movable rocks - can get you semi-stuck for a bit, no notification to let you see if you're close enough to use bash on something - have to get a feel for it, some delay before you can unstuck yourself from a wall with the d-pad if you jump right next to one (have to jump off of it instead) - seems they copied these controls from Super Meat Boy, can't open HP containers by shooting them - very minor but why not since you can do it with MP containers?, the camera isn't quick enough in the first and third escape segments - occasionally it's a bit loose during normal gameplay too but it's much less of an issue)
Not enough MP containers and teleporters/wells in some areas which leads to backtracking (or at least the latter aren't placed centrally enough - for example there's none to the south of the moon grotto which is also a vertical shaped area nor to the east in thornfelt swamp)
Sometimes uneven difficulty (spikes: can't save during the escape segments and there are no checkpoints either, second dungeon escape - you're not used to floating upwards yet, unkillable enemies that kill you in one hit early on in hollow grove, valley of the wind before you're supposed to go there; dips: between the first dungeon escape to the second one the game is mostly easier than it was in the beginning - especially if you go back and grab the upgrades)
Some trial & error (dungeon escape segments (the worms/slugs that pop out of the ground act in a strange way in the first one, you don't get enough time to react to some fallings obstacles in the second, the camera shakes too much in the third and you don't have enough time to properly react to most of the hazards), parts of the ginso tree dungeon exploration segment - can't properly see where you've teleported to in time to react to some of the platforming due to the portal glow being almost the same color as Ori, parts of the mushroom path segment in misty woods)
Invincibility time is too short when touching spikes - if you screw up a wall jump near them you're likely to get hit twice and die early on (however some spikes do less damage than others and it becomes less of a problem as you upgrade Ori)
Can't skip any abilities on the ability tree to get to what you want faster (several of them are kind of lame convenience features like the two levels of enemy & container item drop magnets (pull items towards you - slowly then near instantly) and four (!) different map markers, ) - one alternative could've been allowing you to trade in a skill to activate another
A few too many minor dead ends from ability gating early on (you're better off just going where the game wants you to, there's a couple in-between valley of the winds and misty woods as well, before you finish the second dungeon sorrow's pass is also blocked off (which is fine in itself) but the game lets you move quite far vertically before revealing that you can't actually enter it)
Some distracting elements in the visuals (foreground trees in valley of the wind, sometimes hard to tell the difference between enemy projectiles+enemy debris when hitting them+enemy & container item drops - the drops could've been made darker or more transparent as they're pulled towards you and/or the bloom could've been toned down a bit)
Some unskippable cutscenes - the game also doesn't remember that you've seen one of these if you die afterwards without saving
Save points costing energy to create leads to minor grinding and backtracking at times in the early-mid game - you also use energy for charge attacks which are used for breakable wall barriers
You'll keep getting the same kind of consumable items even when you're fully stocked on them (MP/ammo, health, skill points) - there are placed item containers that always contain either MP (blue) or HP (green)
Wall climb feels redundant given the other abilities you have and underwhelming after bash and light burst
A few invisible walls/roofs (northern thornfelt swamp, valley of the winds frozen area sky and minor parts of the misty woods sky)
Some unnecessary one way paths
Some of the backtracking for upgrades could've been made more fun with new enemies/hazards/puzzles added to those paths
One of the lantern switches in hollow grove is placed on the other side of a wall relative to the door it opens - tedious
Some areas are a bit too similar and the repeated enemies in some areas doesn't help them stand out from each other either
Some plot oddities ("moved by their words he decided to act" (about Gumo removing the orb in the second dungeon and making the whole place collapse - it makes more sense later but he could've waited a bit to let you out of there safely (the narration sounds like he made peace with what happened but his actions say the opposite and it's also weird that the fairy talks as if you're to blame for it when you're not), why did the owl have to die in the end? - the tree comes off as either cruel or dangerously stupid)
The skill tree is a bit too small (I ended up with 7 extra ability points after completing it and I didn't grind)
Unskippable staff roll
Bugs:
-Sometimes a clearly safe area is considered unsafe by the game (have to be standing in one to create a save point)
Notes:
-98% completion (didn't get two of the MP upgrades)
-Original version is from 2015
-Stomp (tap down in mid-air) is a bit sensitive with the XB360 controller - fairly easy to do it by mistake with the d-pad but not with the stick
-Definitive Edition differences:
• Packed with new and additional content: New areas (black root burrows), new secrets, new abilities (air dash and charge dash, ultra light burst), more story sequences, multiple difficulty modes, full backtracking support and much more! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCdXccblILc&t=1m
• Discover Naru’s past in two brand new environments.
• Master two powerful new abilities – Dash and Light Burst.
• Find new secret areas and explore Nibel faster by teleporting between Spirit Wells.
* Removes ultra bash (Increases damage and allows bashing through enemies) - not sure why