Hollow Knight vs Ori and the Blind Forest

Hollow Knight is the bigger, harder game; Ori is the more beautiful, more guided one. Hollow Knight gives you no map until you buy one and expects you to get lost. Ori is a linear-ish metroidvania with superb movement and a story that is doing the emotional work.

What They Have in Common

Hand-drawn 2D worlds, ability-gated exploration, and movement that gets noticeably better as you unlock things.

Pick Hollow Knight if you want to be left alone.

Enormous, unexplained, and full of things you will only find because you were curious. The combat is real and the optional bosses are brutal. It is extraordinary value.

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Pick Ori if you want it beautiful and paced.

The best-animated 2D game there is, and Will of the Wisps sharpens the combat considerably. It always knows where it wants you to go next.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Should I play Hollow Knight or Ori and the Blind Forest first?

Hollow Knight is the bigger, harder game; Ori is the more beautiful, more guided one. Hollow Knight gives you no map until you buy one and expects you to get lost. Ori is a linear-ish metroidvania with superb movement and a story that is doing the emotional work.

Is Hollow Knight better than Ori and the Blind Forest?

Better is the wrong question for these two — they are close enough that the answer depends on what you want from the next twenty hours. Pick Hollow Knight if you want to be left alone. Pick Ori if you want it beautiful and paced.

Are these comparisons based on review scores?

No. There are no scores anywhere on this page. This is a written opinion about what each game is for, so you can judge whether it matches what you are after.

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