When comparing Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition vs Valdis Story: Abyssal City, the Slant community recommends Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition for most people. In the question“What are the best 2D games on Steam?” Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition is ranked 34th while Valdis Story: Abyssal City is ranked 53rd.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Amazing art and atmosphere
Pro Great soundtrack
Very nicely made music.
Pro Great Metroidvania gameplay
Pro Fantastic soundtrack
Pro Enjoyable gameplay
The controls are intuitive, the difficulty feels just right, the boss encounters are fun, there's a really nice upgrade system, and there are tons of secrets to be found. As a result, Ori and the Blind Forest is an enjoyable experience.
Pro Compelling puzzle design
Pro Available DRM-Free
It took a while, but Ori did eventually release DRM-Free via GOG.
Pro Amazing skills
Amazing upgradeable skill set.
Pro Amazing depth of combat and character build customization
There is a level of combat akin to fighting games in the amount of combat control. The game is considered an RPG because of the intense customization available for how the player builds the main character. Character growth includes finding and equipping spells, armor and weapons that can be upgraded through a blacksmith in towns, reuniting with various crew mates that each offer unique buffs or auxilliary attacks, and in depth character skill trees and attribute stats.
Pro Multiple characters with unique storylines and playstyles
Offers a level of replayability not seen in a lot of other metroidvania games. Seeing the story event from four unique perspectives gives great depth to the world.
Pro Beautiful artstyle
The game looks amazing. The world and lore build an awesome story and it all ties together to create an immersive and engaging experience.
Cons
Con Non-combat focused
The game is more about puzzle solving and exploration than combat. Unlike traditional Zelda/Metroidvania games.
Con Boring combat system
The combat system is kinda boring and repetitive. It's just about mashing buttons.
Con Really short
I managed to finish the game with nearly everything unlocked and most secrets in a little over 5 hours, on my first playthrough. It's not a game that you can sink a lot of time into.
Con Super challenging combat
This could be taken as a pro or a con. There are a few difficulty levels but even on normal the game requires players to make full use of all their character growth options and expects quick reaction. I found a secret boss that actaully grows in power based on an untracked counter throughout the entire game. By the time I challenged the boss she was ridiculously powerful but i made it a point of pride to beat her. I'll attach a video capture of my fight to the media section.
Con Challenging, almost frustrating platforming
There are puzzles, often timed, that require a precision only obtained by repeated failure and mastery of the given situation.
Con Map is bad
To really find your way around you will likely end up using a map from an external site, as the ingame map only shows your current area.