Ori and the Will of the Wisps Review, Gameplay Videos and Speedrun Tips

Ori and the Will of the Wisps from developer Moon Studios has some gaudy expectations to meet.  

Its predecessor, Ori and the Blind Forest, was extremely well received (89 Metacritic) and is billed as an unforgettable platforming experience accessible to casual fans right on through to top-tier speedrunners. 

Moon Studios has expanded on what made the first game great and jumped off at the deep end with more robust features in narrative, customization and gameplay experience. 

And don't forget the jaw-dropping visuals and complementary soundtrack.  

Graphics and Gameplay

Will of the Wisps should flash a reminder to blink on the screen as it's irresistible to the eye. 

Picturesque painted backgrounds depict gorgeous scenery, from cozy little windmills to swampy backdrops and beyond. 

Calling the visual design genius wouldn't be too hyperbolic. Plenty of future emulations will persist in the industry, though most figure to fall well short of the mark. The various stunning color pallets give each locale a distinct feel, and the vibrancy of the often contrasting elements really pop regardless of screen. Screens can get clogged with all the action, but it's never too difficult to track the player's character or discern what's happening. 

This game is masterful, with the joyous moments elevating the on-screen scene and the darker moments foreboding, creating sweat-on-palms material. The soundtrack is bound to fall on best-of-year lists, as the score only escalates the tension of a jump sequence requiring the utmost precision. 

Ori jumps, double jumps, dashes, slides on walls and manipulates projectiles to change course mid-air—to name a few of the abilities—while avoiding baddies, environmental traps and moving obstacles, often at high speeds. 

And that's just a brief summary. 

It's thrilling fun in action reminiscent of not only the first game, but memorable, challenging titles from past years such as Super Meat Boy. There's a Metroidvania feel to progression through the map, and being equipped with new abilities and backtracking to unlock goodies and find new areas is not only addictive but central to the gameplay loop. 

Ori isn't defenseless either. Before long, Ori has a sword-style melee attack, a bow and a sentry turret of sorts, which makes things more complicated (in a fun way) as players must juggle the usage of each because using non-melee abilities comes at a cost. 

Refreshingly, the game doesn't hold a player's hand. There's no tutorial or extensive explanations, which isn't to say the game has a distaste for its players and feels punishing. But where other titles would have a potentially eye-rolling tutorial, Ori smartly escalates the difficulty around new abilities, training players in them while they probably don't realize it because they're enjoying the experience. 

Combat against certain enemies can frustrate at times, especially when they're zooming at Ori while you attempt jumps around environmental hazards. But it's a simple matter of understanding the type of enemy and working around the mechanics. Little fights, especially early in the game, can have the feel of boss fights. 

This doesn't much dial in on the platforming itself. Moon Studios nailed this in the first game in a way most can't. It's a special experience and a very "ah ha!" moment to put the proper skills together with timing in order to unearth a secret or merely progress the game as a whole. 

The best gameplay lets the player work their own way toward a goal, eventually climbing the mountain of a big challenge. Will of the Wisps captures that feeling again in a rewarding loop, even if some of the challenges in the moment can feel wildly difficult. 

Story and More

Cliche or not, Will of the Wisps pulls at the heartstrings as soon as the tale begins. 

Ori and companions are invested in helping raise their friend Ku, who buckles down in the face of adversity but is eventually uplifted through the support of others. Things go awry to drive the narrative, but it weaves a charming tale of being better together while sprinkling in some unforgettable moments. 

Part of the charm here is not only the original crew from the game's opening, but some of the supporting characters unrolled as the story progresses. Traveling friends seemingly set out on their own journey and amusing side characters all inhabit the whimsical offering and round it out nicely. 

The game starts to peel back like an onion in the way it smoothly guides players to new abilities (or at  merchants throughout the world) and currencies capable of improving various elements like health and upgrading abilities already owned. This also applies to passive bonuses. 

Again, juggling which abilities to have active at a given time is a minigame in itself. There are multiple ways to tackle many challenges, which adds power to the idea a game already littered with strong replayability has even more facets to it. 

This makes for a complex, customizable experience. There isn't some linear skill tree where players have to invest in things they don't want in order to get the good stuff. Players can work their way through and even go so far as to swap out abilities on the fly in action. 

Side quests are also a thing, and not unwelcome. Sometimes it just boils down to finding an item behind an area that is a challenging run, but it's both better than nothing and often worth a player's time. 

And while some might scoff at how a platformer of this ilk could be a big, lengthy game, but Will of the Wisps is massive. No spoilers, but this isn't a "blow through in one night" sort of game. Any concerns here are eliminated as quickly as a player's attempt at the game's hardest difficulty. 

Those who love a challenge will be happy to find out there is a brutally hard mode waiting for a challenger to step up. But those who want to fall back and enjoy the game's presentation and story can do just that via an easy mode. It's a good thing and not hurting anyone for being an option. 

Of the negatives—and they're minor—the autosave feature can leave players hanging in tough spots at times and performance takes a dip in intensive situations. But call them minor complaints, not to mention issues that can probably be ironed out over time, plus a patch has already been released. 

Speedrunning Tips

Ori and the Blind Forest came out of nowhere and had a very healthy speedrunning community. So much so that some masters nearly refined the entire game's run into about 20 minutes. 

There's no reason to believe Will of the Wisps won't be the same, if not better. 

Thanks to the customizable nature of the abilities and passives, Will of the Wisps should foster a big community early and not let go—it's tailor-made for speedruns and for streaming intrigue as runners try out different builds atop the amazing skill required to make even the most basic runs work.

As for tips, some of the expected items will pop up. It's not mandatory to run through each side quest. The rewards could help, but the name of the game is speed. Slowing down to partake in fighting each enemy encountered isn't ideal either. 

From a build standpoint, this will probably vary wildly, especially at the start. But pouring resources into health is a must. And doubling down on the ability that lets Ori turn magic energy into health refills could be the thing that swings a good run into a great run. 

Since combat isn't totally avoidable, one of the strong things to do is gobble up the purchasable ability to spawn a turret that shoots enemies. These can thin crowds or stun enemies, enabling the player to focus solely on the movement. 

Runs will end up on unpredictable routes once the game releases and discoveries are made, but anything that funnels a player's attention into the traversal and skill-based timing to keep things moving will feature prominently in the best runs. 

Conclusion

Will of the Wisps is going to get a lot of praise as a "Triple-A platformer," which is totally fair. The massive world, gripping narrative, layers of secrets in each area, customizable gameplay and side quests form a cohesive, must-experience package.

It's an accomplishment in a gaming sense. The artful journey is accessible to players of all levels and has plenty of staying power on these facets alone. The fact it's an improvement in nearly every way on a beloved game merely makes things all the more impressive. 

While it's a March release, Will of the Wisps won't be an oddball Game of the Year contender once 2020 has thrown everything it has at gamers.