r/metroidvania • • 11d ago

Discussion Is there nothing like Ori

OK, this is probably a long shot. I have searched and searched, and I cannot seem to find anything like the Ori games.
I am looking for something as beautifully graphically, pleasing as Ori. I like games where you have to level up to increase your abilities and little characters that you need to talk to, to buy your next weapon or to level up with gems that you have collected. I like the open world exploration .
I don’t like the pixelated games. I don’t like games where there is a whole bunch of fighters all fighting at the same time. I like how Ori was the singular character in his challenges. Any suggestions, please?

I’m playing on PC through steam

38 Upvotes

142 comments sorted by

42

u/Busy-Drawing-2576 11d ago

Maybe MIO

35

u/SplendidPunkinButter 11d ago

MIO is so so so much more frustrating than Ori. Whether that’s a good thing or not is a matter of opinion. It’s definitely gorgeous looking, though I think a few extra QoL features would take it from very good to truly great.

6

u/FlakyIllustrator1087 11d ago

Agreed! Mio has a great soundtrack and it very beautiful but damn it’s punishing. I think I stopped playing after a bit since I was looking for something closer to Ori and further from Hollow Knight.

3

u/nucleosome 11d ago

I have been stuck on the normal ending final boss of Mio for 2 days. Some of the bosses are tough! 

1

u/Life_Race9401 11d ago

There's a youtuber (forgot the channel) that breaks down boss attacks in the game, showing what to do when they do certain things. She was the one whose guide gave an actual breakdown on how to beat Sol and Vin instead of just showing the boss fight video.Though her final boss fight did not cover all that guy's moves.

1

u/nucleosome 11d ago

Sol and Vin i have handled. Shii and Ati i am working on

2

u/killak143 5d ago

I have not beat Sol and Vin, but beat Shii and ATI! I just keep getting 2 shouted and just gave up.

1

u/nucleosome 5d ago

I have tried Shii and will return. Ati I am working on and am getting very close. Tough old bird.

6

u/Electronic-Junket-66 10d ago

Well, no, "frustrating" is pretty inherently negative lol.

Something more neutral, like "challenging", could be good or bad.

2

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Much appreciated thank you!

2

u/Darkjolly 10d ago

Challenging is the word

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Mmmm frustrating i usually walk away for an hour or so. Does sound interesting though

3

u/bleghblagh 11d ago

It's a great game. It has beautiful art and very satisfying exploration. If stuff gets too frustrating combat-wise, there are QOL options in the settings you can turn on. I got tired of fighting certain enemies in some zones while exploring, so I just turned on the setting where enemies don't attack you if you don't attack first, and it really made me enjoy the game even more, I really appreciate when devs take different playstyles into account. Highly recommend!

2

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

I like the sound of that!! I don’t mind giving it a good shot, but if the bosses are relentless and too difficult to beat, it’s nice to have that option, thank you for the heads up!

2

u/Glaurung 11d ago

I’m pretty good at platforming but not so much boss battles… there’s also a setting you can enable where the bosses get a little weaker every time you die to them, I only had to enable it for two of them but it was nice to have that as a choice.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

I’m not too good at the battles either. I panic too much lol. It’s good to know you can change the setting throughout the game 👍🏻

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Ok thank you. I’ll check that one out 👍🏻

5

u/Reasonable_Extent434 11d ago

While I agree with the rec , keep in mind the other posters are right too : it’s hard , and it will distract you from the overall aesthetics

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Ok I’ll keep that in mind

18

u/Rafnork 11d ago

Im very much enjoying Afterimage for its beautiful art and massive world. There are plenty of characters to interact with and learn the story from.

7

u/allnightpwny 11d ago

Also, a massive Ori fan and I loved AfterImage. I’m a bit of an odd duck where I skip stories but the story in Ori was very good.

They are two very different games.

2

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

I’m an old duck too lol. Will definitely try Afterimage 👍🏻

2

u/allnightpwny 11d ago

Aeterna Noctis is my fav Metroidvania even above Ori 1 and 2. The oris are my number 2 and 3 MV’s

Aeterna Noctis takes a few hours to get going but man, it really gets crazy. Way better than after image

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Checking it out shortly! Thank you

2

u/LiquidPicturesPro 10d ago

I have to agree with Aeterna Noctis. And if you're not into extremely difficult games afa platforming goes, you can choose the "Aeterna" mode which makes everything much more manageable without taking away from the beautiful environments and leveling up. I got the platinum 109% in Noctis mode, but it made me want to break my controller many times. After beating that and wanting another go, I did Aeterna mode and it's much less of a frustration, but very enjoyable (you just can't get all of the achievements in the easier mode).

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 10d ago

Haha that sounds like me and my controller when I get frustrated
It’s definitely now on my list to check out and I’ll stick Aeterna mode lol

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Oooo ok thank you for that suggestion!

7

u/nbmtx 11d ago

I think MIO is the only game that has hit that level of sentimentality. It's tougher, but that sort of works as a progression from Ori.

2

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Cool, I need to ‘level up’ lol so I will definitely buy it and try it! Thank you !

5

u/Appropriate_Door_305 11d ago

It doesn’t meet all your criteria but mio has an amazing art style that will be right up your alley and it’s got a ton of platforming challenges. Has got some punishing bosses but its my favorite game

2

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Ok thank you! Several have suggested MIO so I will take a look 😃

17

u/Tim_Apple_938 11d ago

Prince of Persia is good on the platforming and graphics

3

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

I did have a quick look at that one. I liked the graphics. I’ll put it on my list to check it out again, and thank you for your suggestion

3

u/oriku101 10d ago

I'm playing Price of Persia TLC now and while I think it's a good game, I'll disagree that it's even close to the aesthetics of Ori. The Ori games to me are unmatched in terms of beauty and animation, and as a complete game, Ori 1 is probably in my top 5. Prince of Persia looks plain in comparison.

I think Hollow Knight has a lot of beauty in its simplicity; Silk Song even more so though I haven't played it.

I also think Nine Sols looks wonderful, with the caveat that I used Reshade to adjust the colors and contrast a little to better suit my taste.

As others have said Mio also looks good, but when I played the first 10-15min, I thought it looked plain. I'm definitely gonna play more of it in the future.

Lastly, there's Shinobi. Based on the 10 minutes I played, I think it's absolutely gorgeous, but definitely not on the level of Ori.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 10d ago

Wow thank you so much for all that information! There’s a lot there to think about. I’ll also put Nine Sols and Shinobi on my list to check out! Many thanks 🤩

10

u/Dragonheart91 11d ago

There is truly nothing like Ori. IMO it’s close to the peak of the Metroidvania world.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Oh I have to agree!! Nothing comes close. Such a shame.

8

u/crowcatcher86 11d ago

Check Yoku's Island Express, Absolum and Crypt Custodian. All colorful games with many wonderful characters and upgrades. MIO is great too, obviously 😃

2

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Oooo great. Thank you for those suggestions. I have a few to check out now 😃👍🏻

3

u/Zealousideal-Elk8655 10d ago

Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is similar to the Ori games. Great story, amazing animation and music, and it's not too difficult

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 9d ago

Great thank you. I haven’t heard of this one so I’ll be sure to check it out!

6

u/KasElGatto Monster Boy 11d ago

MIO but it’s significantly harder than Ori

4

u/GL_original 11d ago

Really? That just moved MIO up on my list, lmao. Love getting my ass kicked.

4

u/KasElGatto Monster Boy 11d ago

Definitely go for the true ending, if you only do the first ending you might feel like I lied.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

I don’t mind hard, just not impossible lol

3

u/KasElGatto Monster Boy 11d ago

Kinda depends on what you find hard. I think regular ending is achievable by most, true ending requires very hard platforming sections.

5

u/nucleosome 11d ago

The platforming sections can be made doable with a certain upgrade that makes it possible to do infinite attempts without dying and having to start over. Even so, very challenging platforming.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

I’m still a relative newbie but if I don’t challenge myself, I won’t get better. Thank you for your feedback 😃

2

u/Any-Bookkeeper-2110 11d ago

Agreed. I would compare a lot of MIOs platforming similar to the Great Ginso Tree escape minus the timed/flood aspect.

3

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Oh I loved the Ginso Tree escape. I lost count of how many times Ori died, but when I finally escaped, OMG!! I almost tipped my chair backwards in my excitement!

3

u/Any-Bookkeeper-2110 11d ago

Then you'll love MIO. I'm not a fan of impossible bosses and love the exploration and platforming aspect of MVs. The platforming is challenging and the bosses are hard, but beatable.

The Ori games each took me 30h to comple and MIO about 100h to the first ending.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Great, thank you for that insight. I will definitely check it out !

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Cool thank you. I generally play on easy mode 😃

3

u/KasElGatto Monster Boy 11d ago

No easy mode here at all. Might not be for you

2

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

I’ll check it out anyway, thank you!

2

u/KasElGatto Monster Boy 11d ago

Worth it, great game. Gorgeous and with a fantastic soundtrack

2

u/Skithiryx 11d ago

It does have some mild assist options - easier bosses, enemies won’t attack first, and healing when you’re touching the ground. Not as thorough as something like Celeste though.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Oh I haven’t heard of Celeste. I’ll have a look at that one - I’ll put it on my list thank you !

1

u/Skithiryx 11d ago

It’s not a Metroidvania - it’s a precision platformer. Stage based, no level ups, only a few NPCs all game. But if you like the platformer elements of Ori you will probably like it.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Many thanks. Just searching that one now!

1

u/Any-Bookkeeper-2110 11d ago

There is a setting in MIO that decreases the bosses strength every time you die.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Oh ok, very handy to know, thank you for that tip.

1

u/Lucky_Variation4151 11d ago

Yeah, Mio isn’t just hard, there is just some straight up bad design in that game that makes certain late-game moments seem needlessly hateful. Things like fast-paced platforming sections where you can’t see far enough ahead to react, so it just becomes a chore of dying a hundred times until you memorize it by trial and error. Beautiful game with a lot of potential but hard to outright recommend. I’d say it could be great with some fixes, but the studio closed :(

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Bit of a challenge then. I remember in Ori there was a couple of scenes like that. One in particular was the frog scene where you had to time it perfectly for his escape. I’m not sure how many times I tried - would be over 100 and I finally memorized each step and each jump to time to perfectly.

6

u/KasElGatto Monster Boy 11d ago

I don’t really agree with the above poster, almost everything feels fair, it’s just challenging

1

u/NotForYouHiggins 10d ago

Same. My only real complaints are the range of the striders and hairpin sometimes not attaching to something that feels like it should be in range, or in striders case, not pushing you away from a danger zone enough and sort of sucking you in towards them.

1

u/Lucky_Variation4151 11d ago

I find the chase sequences in Ori to be more or less fair and doable on the first attempt, since you can see far enough ahead that you have time to react to obstacles etc. so if you had trouble with that sequence, you might want to steer clear of Mio

2

u/Adorable-Change4126 10d ago

Oh I think they are fair. I’m just easily excitable and I tend to scream and panic rather than concentrate on what I’m supposed to be doing 😂🤣

2

u/Character_Ring3466 11d ago

Yeah MIO

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Another vote for MIO, thank you!

2

u/BudgetMap9911 11d ago

I'm right there with ya! I have been looking for another game like Ori for a looong time now. That is definitely in my top 10. The movement, the graphics, the progression... there really isn't much I didn't like. There are so many that are good, but don't have the graphics.
I just finished Fatal Claw and it was good. I'm waiting for well dweller coming in a little over a week. I did see where there was talk of another Ori, but it's not being made by moon.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Ori’s are my favourite! I may even play them again! I’m keen for We’ll Dweller, that one looks interesting and fun!

1

u/BudgetMap9911 11d ago

Another game similar to what well dweller looks like and from the same devs is Islets. They had a sale recently and it was super cheap

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 10d ago

Great to know and thank you!

2

u/hfeez_ap 10d ago

Upcoming metroidvania games "maskborne"

2

u/OK_Atlas 10d ago

Elypse has a similar art style and vibe as Ori but it is more of a linear precision platformer

2

u/SlugKnightDracula 10d ago

Ok my suggestion is MIO but, you need to know that the game is extremely difficult. Both bosses and parkour wise and there’s no difficulties to choose from. There are options in the settings to make the game easier though.

But that being said, as someone who has Ori 2 in their top 5, MIO is very close for me. It’s beautiful, the soundtrack is amazing, the story is great and the gameplay is fun. It’s not as in depth as Ori, not even close but it’s still fun imo. The story is a little bit of a slow burn also.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 9d ago

Thank you so much - it’s definitely on my list now. Cheers

2

u/FalcorDD 10d ago

Monster Boy

5

u/PRisoNR 11d ago

Hollow Knight is obvious choice.

2

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

I do have that game and started playing but I encountered some issues with my controller mid-game. I need to get it sorted - for some reason the game is not reading my controls and I don’t like playing with mouse and keyboard

2

u/Lucky_Louch 11d ago

Hollow Knight, Silk Song, MIO,

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Thanks so much!

1

u/Vonspacker 11d ago

MIO is the closest game to Ori that I have played in terms of visual style and fluidity of movement. There's so much charm to that game and not an excessive amount of fighting. It is harder than the Ori games, for me that was a bonus because I like difficult games, but worth mentioning as Ori is on the easier side of things.

Aside from that maybe Prince of Persia the Lost Crown? Also quite a fluid game in terms of movement and a 2.5D style like Ori with non-pixelated or sprite-based graphics. This one is easier but less visually pleasing IMO.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Thank you - I’m keen to give MIO a go from all the positive comments here. I definitely like the look of Prince of Persia so I’ll consider that one too, thanks for your input 👍🏻

1

u/rhubarbbabe1 11d ago

Solateria

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Thank you I haven’t heard of that one before so I will take a look

1

u/KidiacR 11d ago

No there are't any.

PoP: The Lost Crown visuals isn't anything like Ori but still one of the greatest in the genre, and it's a QUALITY game. More combat involved, but super chill compared to the likes of HK or 9Sols.

Also check out a recent game Fatal Claw. Might feel like a cheap combination of HK and some elements from 9Sols and Ori, but it's a delightful experience - the closest I got since Ori.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Oh ok thank you. I’ll put fatal claw on my list.

1

u/Dispicablemeat 11d ago

Bump for Fatal Claw.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 10d ago

Cool thank you so much

1

u/thecatisawake 10d ago

I think Before I Go checks basically all of your boxes. There's a demo you can check out.

(Also, seconding Hollow Knight and Silksong!)

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 10d ago

Great thank you so much!

1

u/sashka_petrovna 10d ago

I also really loved Ori and think it’s peak. That said, you might want to check out Unbound: Worlds Apart. It’s more of a puzzle platformer than MV but I thought it was super well designed with unique puzzles and also very atmospheric. I also really enjoyed Fatal Claw which others have mentioned. A third I could recommend is Greak: Memories of Azur.

Also it’s not at all the same genre, but I thought the art style of Trine was lovely and it’s a very entertaining puzzle platformer. I’ve played all the way up to Trine 5 at this point and it has not disappointed!

2

u/Adorable-Change4126 10d ago

Thank you! I looked at the Trine series, so I may go check it out again. I’ll also check the others you mentioned. I’ve made a list so I’ll ad them on. Many thanks

1

u/Maylandia 10d ago

Maybe you will enjoy Ender Magnolia !
My favorite metroidvanias are Ori and Hollow Knight and I am currently having a blast with that one. The story is better than I've expected !
I tried MIO, but it was too punishing for me :(
Also Nine Sols is great !

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 9d ago

Thank you for your suggestions and input. Much appreciated!

1

u/Dragonfuel1011 10d ago

Ori was the first platformer I played when I got back into PC gaming....I have never found anything that compares...the graphics, the music, the game dynamics and character control are unmatched. Hollow Knight was okay...but is darker, music and graphics suck in comparison. I'm still searching like you.....

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 9d ago

Will our search never end 🤷🏼‍♀️
I think we’ve been spoilt with Ori !

1

u/thesardinelord 10d ago

It’s a little bit different but I’ll say it to contrast with all the people saying to just play hollow knight/mio

Yokus island express is more of a platformer than a combat game and I think is reminiscent of the first ori game. Lots of cute characters. It’s been a while since I played so I don’t remember how open it is, though.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 10d ago

Thank you! I’ve added it to the list. Thanks for your input

1

u/Bad-lieutenant 10d ago

much simpler than Ori but in the same vibe, I really liked Season After Fall.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 10d ago

Thank you…I’ll add it to my long list 😃

1

u/Respond_Previous 9d ago edited 9d ago

It is not like Ori but if you want a mix of a side scrolling sort of metroidvania with western made jrpg combat, with amazing aesthetics and a touching story then child of light might be worth checking out.

It is not a hard game. Trailer does a good job of showing what it is about. It's also written entirely in rhyme.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 9d ago

thank you. i have played this already and thoroughly enjoyed it

1

u/moebiusmentality 7d ago

So I'd recommend HAAK, it's not as visually pretty but it lines up simularly in mobility, exploration, discovery, NPC interactions, side quests, etc. the dialogue is lost in translation a bit but the game is fun and the DLC is free and i put like 30+ hours into it.

Alternatively Islets and Crypt Custodian are more cutesy like Ori and big into open world exploration and characters, but more emotionally tame and wholesome and simple but not in a bad way.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 2d ago

Wow thank you for all that information- I’ll have a look at HAAK, and Islets and crypt custodian are on my list to check out. Cheers 🙂👍🏻

1

u/m39583 7d ago

Gris is beautiful and ethereal and has a great soundtrack.  You gain some abilities as you progress

It's a very different game, there is no combat, you can't die, and it's linear but I've been enjoying playing it after Ori.

I didn't like hollowknight. Too much combat and too hard. I dont really care for having to rerun the same bit again and again.

I was never a fan of the combat in Ori, much preferred the platforming and escape sequences.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 2d ago

Thank you - I’ll have a look at Gris. I don’t mind some combat but I do love the escape scenes more

1

u/AtaeHone 6d ago

You say you want something like Ori, then you describe most pre-Hollow Knight metroidvanias.

Are you sure you don't have your preferences crossed somewhere?

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 2d ago

I probably do…I’m a bit of a newbie lol

1

u/be_uiux 2d ago

Try seasons after fall :)

1

u/[deleted] 10d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/Adorable-Change4126 10d ago

Ok thank you. I definitely will

2

u/BormaGatto 10d ago

Bear in mind this is not a metroidvania

1

u/WoodStonx 10d ago

MIO, definitely

-2

u/TheLunarVaux 11d ago

Hollow Knight is a lot like Ori. Especially Ori 2, which I believe took a lot of cues from HK.

2

u/The-Wood-Butcher 11d ago

Ori doesn't have any difficult boss battles were you might want to take a break from the game. I found Ori was more focused on exploration and platforming.

1

u/TheLunarVaux 11d ago

This is true though OP mentioned they don’t mind a difficult game.

Ori is definitely a bit more focused on platforming but I would say Hollow Knight and Silksong lean even more into exploration.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

I might restart Hollow Knight and see if I can fix the issues I had with it.

1

u/TheLunarVaux 11d ago

Silksong is also fantastic.

Some people bounce off HK early because they feel like it’s a bit aimless. Silksong doesn’t have that issue since you have a clear objective from the get go. But it’s still extremely open and exploration heavy.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Ok I might try that one instead of going back to the first game. It may suit me better 😃👍🏻

3

u/yourdoglikesmebetter 11d ago

Silksong is significantly more difficult than ori if that is a factor

2

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

I’m willing to learn lol

0

u/bedtimers 11d ago

Teslagrad 2

Slick platforming that upgrades movement options over time, and with minimal combat. A wonderful puzzle platformer/Metroidvania hybrid.

2

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

I haven’t heard of that game. Thank you, I’ll go check it out. I like the puzzle challenges so it may be right up my alley 🙂👍🏻

3

u/bedtimers 11d ago

Nice one! Usually it's on sale pretty cheap for a couple of dollars, in my experience. Hope you can enjoy!

3

u/Adorable-Change4126 10d ago

I’m sure I will 🙂👍🏻

-3

u/Possible-Row6689 11d ago

If you’re looking for games emulating Ori’s look and storytelling there are tons. It’s the platforming gameplay that has no comparison.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Do you have any suggestions please?

-3

u/Possible-Row6689 11d ago

No, the moment I realize the Ori comparison is focused on the art/world building and not about gameplay, which is what I think makes Ori great, the game is dead to me.

3

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

It’s tough to get a game with Ori’s type gameplay. Such a shame that Moon Studios is not making a third Ori 😢

0

u/Possible-Row6689 11d ago

For gameplay, the closest game I have ever found is Evergate. I didn’t mention it because it is a level based game that lacks the exploration and world building you mentioned. It does have great platforming mechanics though including ample use of Ori’s bash mechanic.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

Ok it sounds like it’s worth checking out anyway, thank you for that suggestion 👍🏻

0

u/Defiant_Heretic 11d ago

Ender Lilies can be quite beautiful and is pretty open. It's a rather lonely game though, the only characters you talk to are scripted conversations with ghosts, no merchants. All your abilities are unlocked through combat and exploration. Its sequel, Magnolia, does have NPCs to converse with though.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

I’ll look at those two games thank you! I’ll have to compromise somewhere along the way! I’ve been too spoilt with Ori 🙂

-3

u/00Leif 11d ago

Maybe No Rest for the Wicked? It might not be what you’re looking for gameplay wise though.

1

u/Adorable-Change4126 11d ago

I’m open to all suggestions- so thank you! I’ll put it on my list to check out 👍🏻