Back in December last year, Moon Studios stated that the much-anticipated Definitive Edition of their award-winning platformer, Ori and the Blind Forest, would be pushed back to Spring of this year. Three months have passed, and Winter is giving way to Spring. Despite some recent tussles with Nintendo regarding the upcoming NX console, it also seems as if Moon Studios’ labor has borne fruit, because the California-based developer has announced that the Definitive Edition will release on March 11 next week.
In an interview with Xbox Wire, executive producer Mark Coates shared that the Definitive Edition will include a gallery, where players can view trailers, concept art, and other content surrounding the game’s creation.
In addition, the Definitive Edition will also sport a brand new zone called the Black Root Burrows. This area, and its surrounding narrative, delves into the backstory of Naru, the benevolent Sasquatch-like being who takes Ori in as her own child. According to Coates, “you discover her roots, where she came from, and you learn a bit more about her as a character and why maybe she is compelled to do some of the things that she does later on in the game. It’s all interwoven with the already-existing story.” It’s not clear yet whether players who have already beaten the game will be able to access Black Root Burrows, though.
Players can also discover new abilities in the Burrows. Coates discussed two in particular, one being a new dash ability that can be executed on command, and the other being an ability called Light Burst, which functions “more or less like a grenade.” The new abilities have been tuned to work in other areas of the game; according to Coates, all of the new content has been “carefully woven into the existing experience, so it feels like an organic part of the game we fell in love with nearly a year ago.”
Finally, Coates discussed the alternate difficulty modes that will ship with the Definitive Edition. An “Easy” and a “Hard” mode will be available for players of varying skill levels. Those who are up for a challenge can also choose the “One Life” mode, which does exactly what it says on the tin.
Ultimately, the Definitive Edition is intended to appeal both to new Ori players and veterans alike, as it redefines the gameplay experience through a whole new degree of enchantment.
Ori and the Blind Forest’s Definitive Edition is set to release on March 11, 2016, for Xbox One and PC.