Deconstructing Ori and the Blind Forest's Best Bit | Game Maker's Toolkit

Pretty much everyone who has played Ori and
Blind Forest, will give you the same answer

when you ask them about their favourite part
from the game.

It’s the Ginso Tree.

It's one of the three main levels in this
gorgeous platforming Metroidvania, and it's

kinda like the combination between a Zelda
dungeon and a Super Meat Boy level, in that

it introduces you to one of the game’s core
abilities - but tests you on it through a

gauntlet of tricky platforming challenges.

In this video, I want to break down the Ginso
Tree, beat by beat, to reveal how this one

area in the game shows off the power and adaptability
of Ori’s best mechanic, before finishing

off with a memorable set piece sequence that
sidesteps a lot of the traps that these cinematic

moments can fall into.

I’m Mark Brown, this is Game Maker’s Toolkit,
and here’s how the Ginso Tree works.

Before we get to that new ability - the first
half of the tree is there to really hammer

home what Ori can do with his current set
of moves - which include a double jump, a wall

jump, and his spirit flame attack.

So we start with a tricky platforming section,
with lots of wall-jumping and double-jumping

between hanging platforms, and using these
new - and rather disorienting - portals to

whip around the screen.

Then we have a section that involves some
puzzle solving.

We need to redirect this monster’s projectile
to smash through these splintered trees, by

using these cornered portals to change the
direction of the bullet.

Next, we shift to a combat arena, where we
have to use Ori’s flame attack to destroy

these gross slug things.

And finally, another platforming section where
we’re jumping through portals and avoiding

spikes - this time with four keys to collect.

Now, with Ori’s current moveset thoroughly
tested, it’s time to grab that new ability:

Bash.

This move lets Ori snap on to lanterns, projectiles
and enemies, before choosing a direction and

firing off like a rocket.

It’s essentially the game’s signature
move and - if you ask me - it belongs in the

pantheon of great game mechanics, alongside
reverts in Tony Hawk’s, High Time in Devil

May Cry, and more.

Look, I’ve got video material for years. You’re never getting rid of me.

Anyway. The move is great for so many reasons.

For one, it gives you another way to stay
in the air, which is when Ori is at its absolute best.

The game’s floaty physics can make precision
platforming tricky, but the game feels great

when you’re chaining moves to stay airborne.

But Bash is not some instantly accessible action, like a double jump, because you need to skilfully

manoeuvre yourself into the right spot, to
pull it off.

Bash also connects platforming and combat,

so that might involve bashing an enemy into
some spikes, or returning an enemy’s projectile

right back into their squishy face.

Either way, it’s a lot better than Ori’s
standard combat.

Unless you’re really into hitting the X
button a lot.

It also gives you two things to think about.

When you bash off a projectile, the bullet
will fire one way and Ori will jet off in

the opposite direction.

So you need to consider both, or you might accidentally
ping Ori into some spikes.

And the way time slows down gives you a moment
to think and pick the perfect direction.

You can bash off in all 360 degrees, after
all, which makes the ability so expressive.

But this time-stop doesn’t break the flow
of the game.

In fact, that moment almost serves to emphasise
the action.

The contrast between the static build-up,
and the resulting rush of speed, just makes

it oh-so satisfying.

Like a catapult.

And so, because it’s so adaptable, Bash
recontextualises everything you’ve seen before.

Projectiles and enemies, which one were once
something to be avoided, are now a key part

of your platforming, combat, and puzzle-solving
skill set.

And what better way to prove all this, than
to take everything you did in the first half

of the Ginso Tree - and repeat it, but now
with the Bash move under your belt.

So we have another platforming section, but
this time we can use Bash to leapfrog over projectiles.

Then we get a repeat of that puzzle where
we needed to redirect a projectile into a

tree - but this time we can just use Bash
to quickly fire it in the right direction.

Also, the slug-like enemies from the combat
arena return, but now we can see how their

barf bombs can be used to our advantage.

We next have another platforming section with
keys, just like before.

But bashing off the lanterns significantly
changes how the area plays out.

And finally, there’s another combat arena,
and this time the only way to win is to use

bash to fire back projectiles.

Also, here’s a perfect moment to learn about
that whole catapulting Ori into spikes thing.

When we move up to the top of the tree, we
get two more tests.

To the right, is a final puzzle challenge.

We need to bring a projectile from here...

...to here, using both Bash and those cornered portals from earlier.

You’ll need to observe the level layout,
defeat enemies, and avoid getting hit by the

projectile yourself.

And on the left, we have a challenge that combines
all of the bash uses.

There’s some platforming, some combat, and some puzzle solving all in one room.

And now it’s time for the grand finale.

The Ginso Tree escape.

This is a climactic, white knuckle, set-piece
challenge.

It’s Ori‘s version of a boss battle and
the real test of your new ability.

You’ll need to use bash again and again
to overcome a non-stop gauntlet of projectiles

and enemies, all while a great jet of water
is nipping at your heels.

Now the problem with this sort of set-piece
moment is that if you screw them up, it completely

breaks the illusion.

It’s like cut cut cut, let’s go again,
places people, and action!

You know, the cool moment just kinda gets ruined.

You can make them very easy so the player
is unlikely to screw it up, but then it’s

all spectacle, no substance.

That’s not the case here - the escape from
the Ginso Tree is tough and you will likely

fail more than once.

But Ori does a few clever things to stop the
sequence from breaking apart.

One is that restarting is instant, with no
loading screens or cutscenes.

If you fail, you just go again.

Two, is that the music, which is incredible
by the way, doesn’t reset, it just keeps

going which makes failed attempts flow together
as part of the set piece.

And three is that there are no checkpoints.

Which means when you do succeed, you will
have successfully done about a minute of unbroken

platforming challenges.

This wasn’t a war of attrition though checkpoints,
or some flashy pseudo cutscene, or some low

stakes smoke and mirrors.

It was real gameplay with the threat of death
at your back and you nailed it!

Ori is never really better than during the Ginso
Tree.

Sure, the later dungeons - Forlorn Ruins and
Mount Horu - are also well designed.

And you’ll get to use your new Bash ability
throughout the adventure in even more difficult

and exciting scenarios.

But, the game has its issues.

The Metroidvania structure mostly just leads
to backtracking and confusion, rather than

navigational joy.

The challenge is all over the place with frustrating
difficulty spikes.

And because Moon Studios keeps chucking new
mechanics on top of old ones, the game starts

to lose some of the elegance found in the
moveset you had during the Ginso Tree.

By the end of the game you can charge jump,
triple jump, wall jump, climb up walls and

then fire off them, stomp, bash, attack, do
a charge burst, and float with a feather.

And if you’ve got the Definitive Edition,
you can also dash and throw out a ball of light.

It gets to the point where almost every button
on the controller does something new, resulting

in a finger-fumbling exercise in frustration
as half the challenge is just remembering

which button does what.

But still, Ori is a great game and I would recommend
it.

Especially for the Ginso Tree which confidently
shows off the brilliance of the Bash move

by showing you what you can do without it,
what you can do with it, and then putting

your new-found skills to the ultimate test
in a memorable set-piece moment.

Who knows what Moon Studios has cooked up
for the sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest,

but I know I’ll be checking it out.

Hey there, thanks for watching.

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Also if the stuff about Zelda dungeons and keys in this video made you think about Boss Keys,

don't worry. It's coming back soon.