Ori and the Will of the Wisps review – monsters and magic stir in the forest - MW

More than anything else, Ori and Will of the Wisps are a sensual party for the senses. From its haunting visuals to its crisp, ambient music, there's a lot to love about the look of this much-awaited sequel.

As with 2015's Ori and the Forest Forest master, Will of the Wisps falls into the Metroidvania corpus of omnidirectional scrolling platforms, and its impressive aesthetics are combined by an engaging storyline, characters mesmerizing and an environment completely immersed in every corner. life. This time, around Ori, the pale white guardian spirit, tasked with navigating in and out of the dense Nibel forest to a new world shrouded in darkness.

Ori starts with zero skills and must learn new abilities to unlock inaccessible areas - a requirement that involves moving back and forth through each level as you figure out exactly what You need and where to find it.

Detailed maps are useful, but at some point, you may find yourself helplessly disoriented and not sure which path to take next. Although this is part of the adventure, especially when the Nibel forest is a lovely place to stray into. Although the game is a 2D side-game, it often reminds me of the adventure in the open world Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. When Ori glides in the sky on a feather or bounces among mossy hilltops, there is a similar sentiment to the natural world and endless opportunities for exploration in it.

Building skills is also an important part of the game; Players must learn to jump at the correct time and climb at the correct angles. It may take a lot of effort before you take your step forward, but these aspects only add to your joy and sense of belonging to the world, not just because Ori looks so charming every time. he flies.

Although there are similarities with its predecessor, there are some important differences. The developer Moon Studios abandoned the sequential upgrade system used in the Blind Forest for a process in which Ori collects energy shards and luminous energies to assist him in his quest. The game also has a more traditional automatic function.

Fighting now plays a much larger role, allowing a wider range of weapons and special moves - although fighting with more common enemies may feel a bit tedious after a while. . Many players will take part in the challenge of remembering the enemy's attack pattern to take them down, but sometimes I find myself impatient to quickly overcome these frequent bouts so I can double check it out. Your ability on more formidable enemies. However, the controls are intuitive and you can incorporate techniques to develop your own fighting style.




Although the plot is sometimes melancholy, it never feels maudlin. Sweet characters highlight darker moments and have surprising depth. For example, the little owl Ku has a memorable reverse story, making them a playable and graceful character in parts of the story.

Bustling with crooked puzzles, Ori and Will of the Wisp are an irresistible challenge. There is particular attention to detail - the whole world feels alive with excitement and danger. I struggled to put the controller down as I went deeper into the game, unable and unwilling to let anything stop Ori from realizing his true destiny. A bold and ambitious sequel.

MW