Rise of the Tomb Raider isn't the only supremely shiny hidden gem in Microsoft's midst, as if they'd stop trying to push the new dashboard so much and just take a look at what's already on the system, plenty more people would be lauding Ori & the Blind Forest as the phenomenal platformer it truly is. At the end of the day, the 2D platforming mould is timeless for a reason. Super Meat Boy proved all we need are polished controls and an instant reset to really sink our teeth in, and Ori takes that ethos, before spreading it across one of the most beautiful game worlds you've ever seen. Honestly, from the Studio Ghibli-esque character designs to the Guillermo del Toro fever-dream worlds and the occasionally Rayman-like enemies, Ori's journey to thwart the evils of her surroundings is one of the most visually enrapturing you'll ever come across. Speaking of Super Meat Boy and instant restarting though, a neat mechanic is that your special meter is your allowance to 'cash in' for a checkpoint, meaning you're forever gambling on progression, versus establishing your own custom restart point, should things go awry in the immediate future. Throw in a Metroidvania-style system of ability-based unlocks and an overall control scheme that lets you really bond with Ori's movement, and The Blind Forest is one of the best platformers of all time, let alone in 2015.
