A platforming game with flair.

Ori and the Blind Forest is an entertaining platformer game with beautiful graphics and increasing difficulty as you progress through the game. To help you cope with the challenges you’ll face in each new area, you can unlock new skills by ‘absorbing the light’ from the Ancestral Trees you find while you’re exploring. These skills all have varying levels of utility (and fun-ness), so I am here to rank ten abilities you will uncover while playing the Definitive Edition.

10. Spirit Flame (Early Game)

Ori uses Spirit Flame.
Source: Ori and the Blind Forest Wiki

‘Spirit Flame’ is the first skill you will learn in the game as it’s the bare minimum skill you will need to be able to fight enemies. I suppose it’s important to have; a first-person shooter won’t throw you into the deep end without at least a handheld weapon. While I’m ranking it low, I will acknowledge that it’s a crucial part of the game, even if it may not be as flashy as some of the mechanics I ranked above it.

Details of ‘Spirit Flame’:

• Press ‘X’ to fire Sein’s light while battling enemies.
• Hit multiple enemies at once (with the ‘Split Flame’ upgrade).
• Attack from a distance.

What’s cool about ‘Spirit Flame’:

• Pretty colors.
• Auto-locks on the nearest enemy.
• Arguably the most important skill.

9. Charge Jump (Late Game)

Ori uses Charge Jump to avoid spikes.
Source: Ori and the Blind Forest Wiki 

I’ll admit, I’m ranking this skill low because I’m bad at it. It’s an extremely necessary part of the game but I’ve misjudged distance and died from it too many times to stop myself from projecting those bitter feelings on the skill itself. Ill feelings aside, it is one of the skills that puts the ‘precision’ in precision-platforming.

Details of ‘Charge Jump’:

• Hold down ‘W’ or ‘LT’ or ‘L2’ while on the floor to charge your jump.
• Jump much higher than normal, reach new areas
• Charge jump while holding onto a wall.

What’s cool about ‘Charge Jump’:

• It causes a lot of damage when aimed at enemies.
• It’s easier to avoid deadly spikes.
• Get across wide gaps without needing to ‘Dash’ or ‘Double Jump’

8. Bash (Mid-Game)

Ori uses Bash to soar higher than before.
Source: Ori and the Blind Forest Wiki

‘Bash’ is the most useful skill, sporting a wide variety of features. Though I personally haven’t really used it for attacks, I find the ability to redirect projectiles and swing through the air to be a lot of fun. ‘Bash’ is a skill you will get a lot of mileage out of from the time you learn it to the end of the game.

Details about ‘Bash’:

• Hold ‘Y’ or the right mouse button near a lantern or projectile and aim in the direction you want to leap.
• Repel projectiles in the opposite direction.
• Leap higher to reach new areas.

Cool things about ‘Bash’:

• Repel enemies with ‘Bash’ to break through sturdier walls.
• Go farther and higher without ‘Dash’, ‘Double Jump’ or ‘Charge Jump’.
• Is the main skill needed in some of the most exciting and fun parts of the game.

7. Double Jump (Mid-Game)

Ori flies over toxic water.
Source: Ori and the Blind Forest Wiki

I’d never thought I’d taken the ability to double jump in games for granted until I played Ori and the Blind Forest for the first time. The fact that ‘Double Jump’ has to be earned quite a ways into the game makes me respect it all that much more. That said, being able to double jump really makes things a whole lot easier.

Details about ‘Double Jump’:

• Self-explanatory - press ‘A’ to jump and ‘A’ again to jump higher.
• Can achieve ‘Triple Jump’ through an upgrade.

What’s cool about ‘Double Jump’:

• A skill you’ll only learn when you really, REALLY need it.
• Helps you jump further.
• It looks cool when Ori does her little spin.

6. Wall Jump (Early Game)

Ori leaps from wall to wall.
Source: Ori and the Blind Forest Wiki

‘Wall Jump’ is the early game climbing mechanic but doesn’t run out of utility even when you learn the skill, ‘Climb’. In my experience, it is still the fastest way of getting up walls even after you’ve acquired the rest of the skills.

Details about ‘Wall Jump’:

• Push towards a wall and press ‘A’ to jump up.
• It is the first skill learnt after ‘Spirit Flame’.

What’s cool about ‘Wall Jump’:

• It’s faster than ‘Climb’.
• It’s fun jumping from wall to wall and watching Ori do her little flips.
• It’s not ‘Charge Jump’.

5. Light Burst (Late Game)

Ori uses Light Burst.
Source: Ori and the Blind Forest Wiki

‘Light Burst’ is your titular bomb mechanic in Ori and is exclusive to the definitive version. It’s handy for when you can see enemies ahead but are in a rush and would rather they be dead before you get there. I rank this below ‘Charge Flame’ only because it comes so late in the game.

Details about ‘Light Burst’:

• Hold ‘R’ or ‘LB’ to aim, tap ‘R’ or ‘LB’ to throw a light projectile.
• A far-range attack.
• The explosion deals damage, destroys walls and lights lanterns. You can also ‘Bash’ off Light Bursts to jump higher.

What’s cool about ‘Light Burst’:

• The longest range attack in Ori.
• Allows you to jump higher without ‘Charge Jump’.
• Pretty colors. I may be saying this a lot, but Ori is a really pretty game and that’s important to me.

4. Charge Flame (Early Game)

Ori tries to burst a huge blue cocoon.
Source: Ori and the Blind Forest Wiki

This is an incredibly useful skill as you start encountering more challenging enemies. ‘Charge Flame’ does a great deal more damage than ‘Spirit Flame’ and affects several enemies at once. Although you have to sacrifice (at most) an Energy Cell for each ‘Charge Flame’, I argue it’s a good investment of your time.

Details about ‘Charge Flame’:

• Hold ‘X’ to charge and release ‘X’ to detonate
• Increase strength and radius with upgrades
• Deal greater damage and attack multiple enemies at once

What’s cool about ‘Charge Flame’:

• You can recover your lost Energy Cell by destroying the large blue cocoons.
• You can reduce the amount of Energy Cells you consume by half with upgrades.
• It looks cool.

3. Stomp (Late Game)

Ori is about to burst through the floor to discover a secret area.
Source: Gamer Walkthroughs 

There are a great many areas I encountered before learning ‘Stomp’ that might have made me all the more grateful when I finally got it. ‘Stomp’ is vital for the player who enjoys exploration, and it helps that it deals a great deal of damage to your enemies too.

Details about ‘Stomp’:

• Press ‘A’ to jump then toggle down.
• Breaks through unstable platforms, opens new areas.
• Causes damage to all nearby enemies.

What’s cool about ‘Stomp’:

• A quick way to kill enemies.
• Opens up shortcuts, offers access to lots of experience points.
• I like the sound Ori makes when they do it.

2. Climb (Late Game)

Ori climbs up a sheer cliff.
Source: Ori and the Blind Forest Wiki

While I have shown my appreciation for ‘Wall Jump’ as the speediest climbing method, ‘Climb’ is by far the most convenient. Ori gaining the ability to cling to walls creates a lot of opportunities for strategic platforming that added a huge deal of enjoyment to my game.

Details about ‘Climb’:

• Press and hold ‘Shift’ or ‘RT’ or ‘R2’ while near a wall to grab onto it.
• Climb up without needing to jump off the wall.
• Recharge for the next ‘Double Jump’.

What’s cool about ‘Climb’:

• Adds a lot to the platforming experience.
• Less falling to your death when navigating around spike pits.
• The climbing animation is smooth, fast, and aesthetically pleasing.

Honorable Mention: Kuro’s Feather

Ori drifts upwards with Horu's Feather.
Source: Ori and the Blind Forest Wiki

Kuro’s Feather didn’t make it onto my list as I see it as more of a tool than a mechanic. Kuro’s Feather allows Ori to descend slower when falling and to be lifted up by gusts of wind. Like ‘Bash’, it’s often used in the most fun parts of the game but I find it annoying that it shares the same button as climbing, leading to some unnecessary deaths.

Details about Kuro’s Feather:

• Not learned through absorbing light from an Ancestral Tree. It is instead achieved through a plot point, similar to ‘Spirit Flame’.
• Hold ‘Shift’ or ‘RT’ or ‘R2’ while in the air to float down or ride a wind current.
• Allows you to control your movement in the air.

What’s cool about ‘Kuro’s Feather’:

• Gives you a grace period to find a safe place to land.
• Makes ‘The Valley of the Wind’ one of the most fun areas in the game.
• The cut-scene that gives you the feather is excellent.

1. Dash (Early Game)

Ori dashes through the air.
Source: Ori and the Blind Forest Wiki

I am glad I played the Definitive Edition of the game first because ‘Dash’ is a skill I don’t think I could live without. It cuts down your traveling time by a huge margin, it allows you to fly over the heads of enemies and it’s a quick way to cross huge gaps without using any of the skills already mentioned. If you have played the classic and need something to convince you to play the Definitive Edition, ‘Dash’ will do it. 

Details about ‘Dash’:

• Press ‘Ctrl’ or ‘RB’ to give Ori a burst of speed.
• ‘Dash’ midair with the upgrade ‘Air Dash’.
• ‘Dash’ more powerfully with the upgrade ‘Charge Dash’.

What’s cool about ‘Dash’:

• Cross small gaps without needing to jump.
• Get further when jumping across bigger gaps.
• Speedier travel from area to area.

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