In the world of gaming, speedrunning has emerged as a fascinating subculture, where skilled players compete to complete games as quickly as possible. Among the many games that have captured the attention of speedrunners, Ori and the Blind Forest stands out for its beautiful visuals, challenging gameplay, and intricate level design. And when it comes to Ori speedrunning, one name shines brighter than the rest: Ikewolf.
The Story of Ori and the Blind Forest
Developed by Moon Studios, Ori and the Blind Forest is a platform-adventure game that follows the journey of Ori, a guardian spirit tasked with restoring the forest of Nibel after a devastating storm. The game is known for its stunning hand-painted artwork, emotional storytelling, and tight, responsive gameplay.
Players must guide Ori through a series of interconnected areas, unlocking new abilities and overcoming obstacles along the way. The game‘s mechanics are built around a combination of precise platforming, combat, and puzzle-solving, with a focus on exploration and environmental interaction.
The Definitive Edition: New Challenges for Speedrunners
In 2016, Moon Studios released Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition, an enhanced version of the game that added new areas, abilities, and features. For speedrunners, the definitive edition presented both new opportunities and challenges.
The addition of new areas, such as the Black Root Burrows and the Lost Grove, meant that runners had to adapt their routes and strategies to account for the expanded game world. New abilities, like the dash and the light burst, also opened up new possibilities for sequence breaking and optimization.
However, the definitive edition also introduced new obstacles, such as the increased difficulty of certain segments and the need to collect additional items to progress. As a result, speedrunners had to re-evaluate their existing routes and develop new strategies to tackle the updated game.
The Art of Ori Speedrunning
Speedrunning Ori and the Blind Forest requires a deep understanding of the game‘s mechanics, level design, and enemy placement. Runners employ a variety of techniques to optimize their movement and minimize the time spent in each area.
Some of the key techniques used in Ori speedrunning include:
- Bash: By bashing off enemies and projectiles, runners can gain extra height and distance, allowing them to skip entire sections of the game.
- Charge Flame: Charging the flame ability allows runners to burn through certain obstacles and enemies more quickly.
- Glide: Gliding allows runners to cover large distances quickly and avoid fall damage.
- Wall Jumps: By chaining together wall jumps, runners can scale vertical surfaces and reach high ledges without the need for additional abilities.
In addition to these techniques, speedrunners also make use of various glitches and exploits to bypass sections of the game entirely. These include out-of-bounds (OOB) tricks, which allow runners to access areas that are normally inaccessible, and sequence breaks, which involve completing events or acquiring abilities out of the intended order.
Ikewolf: The Undisputed Champion
Among the many talented speedrunners who have tackled Ori and the Blind Forest, Ikewolf stands out as the undisputed champion. With world records in all four major categories, Ikewolf has demonstrated an unparalleled mastery of the game and its mechanics.
Ikewolf‘s speedrunning journey began in 2015, when he first started running the game casually. Over time, he began to optimize his routes and develop new strategies, eventually rising to the top of the leaderboards.
One of the most impressive aspects of Ikewolf‘s runs is his consistency and execution. In his world record Any% run, for example, he completed the game in just 22 minutes and 34 seconds, a full minute faster than the previous record. Throughout the run, he maintained an incredibly high level of play, nailing difficult jumps and sequences with ease.
But Ikewolf‘s dominance extends beyond just the Any% category. He also holds the world records for 100% completion, All Skills No OOB, and All Cells runs, showcasing his versatility and skill across different playstyles and objectives.
| Category | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Any% | 22m 34s | March 12, 2016 |
| 100% | 1h 08m 47s | April 23, 2016 |
| All Skills No OOB | 31m 33s | April 3, 2016 |
| All Cells | 47m 44s | April 17, 2016 |
Ikewolf‘s world record times in Ori and the Blind Forest (Source: Speedrun.com)
So what sets Ikewolf apart from other top runners? According to the man himself, it‘s a combination of dedication, practice, and attention to detail.
In an interview with the Ori speedrunning community, Ikewolf shared some insights into his approach:
"I spend a lot of time analyzing my runs and looking for ways to optimize them. Even small improvements can add up over the course of a run, so I‘m always looking for ways to save frames or do things more efficiently."
"I also try to stay on top of new discoveries and strategies that other runners are developing. The Ori community is really collaborative, and we‘re always sharing ideas and pushing each other to improve."
The Technical Side of Speedrunning
From a digital technology perspective, speedrunning is a fascinating example of how players can push games to their limits and exploit their underlying systems.
At its core, speedrunning is all about optimization – finding the fastest possible route through a game while minimizing the time spent on non-essential actions. This often involves a deep understanding of the game‘s mechanics, as well as the ability to execute complex sequences of inputs with frame-perfect precision.
One of the key technical aspects of speedrunning is the use of glitches and exploits. These are unintended behaviors or oversights in the game‘s code that allow players to bypass normal limitations or access areas that are normally inaccessible.
In Ori and the Blind Forest, for example, runners make use of a glitch known as "keystone skip", which allows them to access the game‘s final area without collecting all of the required keystones. By performing a precise series of jumps and dashes, runners can clip through a wall and bypass a significant portion of the game.
Another important technical consideration in speedrunning is the manipulation of hitboxes and collision detection. By positioning Ori in specific ways and timing jumps and attacks precisely, runners can avoid taking damage from enemies and obstacles that would normally be unavoidable.
At the highest levels of play, speedrunning becomes a game of inches, with runners competing to shave off fractions of a second wherever possible. This requires not only mastery of the game‘s mechanics but also a deep understanding of how the game‘s engine works under the hood.
Collaboration and Competition: The Ori Speedrunning Community
While Ikewolf may be the most prominent figure in the Ori speedrunning scene, he is far from the only talented runner out there. The Ori community is known for its collaborativeness and competitiveness, with runners constantly pushing each other to new heights.
One of the key ways that the community drives progress is through the sharing of strategies and routes. Runners frequently post their runs on forums and social media, along with detailed breakdowns of their techniques and decision-making processes.
This open exchange of ideas has led to the development of increasingly optimized routes and strategies over time. For example, the current Any% route is the result of countless hours of experimentation and refinement by runners from around the world.
The Ori community is also known for its friendliness and inclusivity. Despite the high level of competition at the top, runners are generally supportive and welcoming of newcomers, offering advice and encouragement to those looking to improve their times.
This sense of camaraderie was on full display during the Ori and the Blind Forest All Skills Tournament, a community-organized event that brought together some of the game‘s top runners for a series of head-to-head races. The tournament showcased not only the incredible skill of the participants but also the spirit of friendly competition that defines the Ori speedrunning scene.
Conclusion
Ikewolf‘s dominance in Ori and the Blind Forest speedrunning is a testament to the incredible skill, dedication, and passion of the game‘s community. Through countless hours of practice, experimentation, and collaboration, runners like Ikewolf have pushed the game to its limits and redefined what is possible.
But speedrunning is about more than just competition and world records. It‘s a celebration of the creativity, ingenuity, and sheer love of gaming that drives players to explore every nook and cranny of their favorite titles.
Whether you‘re a seasoned runner looking to shave seconds off your personal best or a newcomer just starting to dabble in the art of speedrunning, the Ori community is a welcoming and inspiring place to be. So grab a controller, fire up the game, and see how fast you can go – who knows, you might just be the next Ikewolf in the making.
