Review Sepix 3/5 · Apr 30, 2026
Charmingly lacking
After I needed a break from Hollow Knight, I finally got around to playing Ori, which had been sitting in my pile of shame for so long. At first, I was really impressed—it’s genuinely beautiful and charming. Up to the midpoint, it was fine: standard Metroidvania and platforming. But then it falls apart incredibly fast. Looks aren’t everything, after all. …
Read moreAfter I needed a break from Hollow Knight, I finally got around to playing Ori, which had been sitting in my pile of shame for so long. At first, I was really impressed—it’s genuinely beautiful and charming. Up to the midpoint, it was fine: standard Metroidvania and platforming. But then it falls apart incredibly fast. Looks aren’t everything, after all. The movement doesn’t feel quite right, the skills aren’t satisfying to use, and the exploration is shallow—it’s basically just a linear tunnel. Worst of all is the difficulty, though that’s not even the right word for it. The game constantly breaks its own rules and feels unfair. The flying and long-jump sequences are the absolute worst. You only get through with a lot of patience and trial and error, and it never feels good. The level design is just mediocre—and this is all especially obvious when you compare it directly to Hollow Knight, which is brutal but always fair, logical, and consistent. When I die there, I know exactly why—not because some off-screen enemy hit me out of nowhere. There are also sections that are just poorly explained; when I looked them up on YouTube, I immediately found others who’d been stuck for the same reason. I’m glad I finally played it and made it to the last level, but right now, I’m not sure I can bring myself to finish it. The whole experience just isn’t satisfying enough.
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