A forest that breathes, a light that catches in your throat, and a controller that becomes an extension of your hand.

On gut feeling, with no thinking involved, Ori edges past a little over half the games. Decent, no more. But look closer and the picture sharpens. The art style crushes everything, ahead of 98% of titles, and the soundtrack isn't far behind, ahead of 96%. Feel in the hands follows, ahead of nearly 80%. The real surprise sits elsewhere: on fun, this one drags near the bottom, ahead of only a fifth of the rest. Few votes so far, to be confirmed, but the contrast is sharp. A game you find gorgeous and precise, yet don't necessarily fire up just to mess around.

In the Metroidvania landscape, this is the emotion-and-beauty side rather than the raw twitchy-challenge side. Where others bank on difficulty that stings, Ori banks on what tightens your chest.

So, who's it for? You, if you like a game that makes you feel before it makes you sweat, an art direction that leaves a mark and music you keep. Much less so if you're chasing the raw fun hit first, the game you launch just to laugh without thinking.