Following last week’s announcement of an all-new “Indie World” event from Nintendo, the live-streamed presentation has now concluded and one of the biggest reveals was an Ori and the Blind Forest Switch release date. Specifically, players on Nintendo Switch will get their hands on the beautiful platformer’s “Definitive Edition,” which proceeded the original version of the game and boasts two entirely new areas over the initial release build, introduced in order to expand on the game’s lore.
This surprise announcement is the latest in a growing line of collaborations between Switch manufacturer Nintendo and Microsoft. The Xbox company has already brought a number of games from their expanding list of first-party studios to the Switch, and Moon Studios’ Ori is now the latest. Featuring “Metroidvania” design philosophies, the emotionally charged adventure is definitely a great fit for Nintendo Switch, so there’s no doubt it’ll be right at home come launch on September 27. However, it remains to be seen whether its upcoming sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, will also make it to the platform.
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Independent games have been a huge boon for Nintendo’s hybrid console since its March 2017 launch, and that doesn’t look set to change soon. Also on display were around 20 other indie titles headed for the platform, including the critically acclaimed likes of Hotline Miami and its sequel Wrong Number, bundled in the form of the Hotline Miami Collection, and Superhot — both of which are available to download from today. Alongside those ports were announcements for a number of additional new titles headed to the platform, like Risk of Rain 2, Eastward, and comedic shoot-’em-up Freedom Finger, all of which served to open the show.
As Gamescom 2019 kicks off today, Nintendo has once again sought to make waves by timing their own announcements to coincide with a largescale industry event, without needing to expose themselves to the expense and greater risk of information leaks that would accompany physical attendance.
