Ori and the Will of the Wisps Reviews

After the stunning Ori and the Blind Forest, I found it hard to imagine Moon Studios being able to one-up themselves with Will of the Wisps and yet it's another beautifully crafted chapter in a series that is held so dear and treasured. As a platforming exercise, it's slick and sublime, it has evolved in subtle ways and Ori's world has grown a little larger as a result. While Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a sequel that'll challenge your resolve and temper your spirit at times, its final act will fill your heart and have it bursting with joie de vivre.

Moon Studios returns with a sophomore effort every bit as graceful and lovely as Ori and the Blind Forest.

Its last area is perhaps a bit of a let-down, but if you’ve played Ori and the Blind Forest and found it enjoyable, you really need to play Ori and the Will of the Wisps. And if you haven’t yet played either, seriously consider picking both up. This sequel is the better of the two, but they’re both brilliant games that are particularly enjoyable on Switch thanks to its portability. Though a word of warning: if you’re an emotional person, they’ll probably make you cry. But it’s testament to just how well put together these games are that they can instil such feelings.

Ori's second adventure plays like poetry, but performance issues sometimes drag the experience down into the darkness.

Even though Metroidvania games are quite prevalent nowadays, Ori and the Blind Forest was still among the best when it came out in 2015. It had the requisite ability progression and litany of hidden collectibles, but its demanding platforming, vibrant art style, and tear-jerker of a story put it in the upper echelon of the packed genre. Because of that, ORI AND THE WILL OF THE WISPS has a high bar to leap over and even though it doesn’t clear said bar, it still lands with a decent amount of grace.

Will of the Wisps isn’t just a fantastic follow-up to an already great game, it’s a brilliant metroidvania in its own right, and arguably the year’s first major must-play release.

Almost perfect if not for the nitty-gritty. If it’s quite there but not enough to push the boundaries, it’s still an awesome game.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps improves upon its predecessor in almost every way, from its drastically improved combat system to its use of NPCs and side quests. Like Ori and the Blind Forest before it, Will of the Wisps is held back by intermittent technical hitches that can result in some frustrating moments, but it hardly keeps this incredible sequel from shining through.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is an enjoyable experience. Thematically, it satisfies that itch Ori and the Blind Forest created and improves on the prequel’s monotonous combat. While I yearn for past mechanics and design, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is still very much a game I’d recommend.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps provides an enchanting but frustrating new forest to explore.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is how you make a follow-up to an already fantastic game. Moon Studios took what they learned from Ori and the Blind Forest and expanded on and improved the formula in every way. Everything from combat, platforming, exploration, story, and world-building are fine-tuned to make an experience that shouldn’t be missed if you own an Xbox One or PC.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is another excellent entry in the series that manages to build successfully on everything that made the original such a standout experience. With satisfying platforming, a handful of amazing boss encounters, expanded combat options and a story every bit as tear-inducing as its predecessor's, this is another outstanding effort from Moon Studios – as well as being one of the most beautiful games we've ever laid eyes on and easily one of the best platformers currently available on Xbox One.

Anyone that knows me could tell you about my love for the Ori and the Blind Forest, a fantastic metroidvania title that managed to have some of the best level design and platforming in years mixed in with a surprisingly emotional story that made anyone with a heart weep right from the getgo. Could Ori and the Will of the Wisps even come close to living up to the original?

Ori and the Will of the Wisps plays it too safe, but there's fun to be had. Engaging platforming and improved combat make up for uninspired enemy design and a much too self-serious tone.

With the need to go bigger, Ori and the Will of the Wisps loses some of the simplicity and innocence of the original game, but it steps up in turn with bite and refinement. It’s the perfect companion to Ori and the Blind Forest, and is an early defining moment of the decade to come.

If you want a game that’s more of an experience than simply something to kill time, if you want something that showcases how artistic games can be, if you want an action platformer with plenty of approaches to combat, I can’t recommend enough that you pick up Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Also Ori and the Blind Forest if you haven’t played it already.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is an action platformer / Metroidvania developed by Moon Studios and published by Xbox Game Studios. It’s the sequel to the critically acclaimed Ori and the Blind Forest and follows the same familiar characters on a new adventure.

The combination of the original game's narrative charm and solid platforming mechanics with a much longer story and more intricate skill trees and bonuses come together to make a must-play game for Xbox One or PC owners. The game seems poised to be another massive hit and proves itself as one Microsoft's most exciting console exclusives (even though The Blind Forest is now available on Switch). The fact that the game is available on Game Pass at day one and also features cross save functionality with the PC version makes it even more accessible and, although the rest of March is still full of other exciting game releases, this is definitely an early addition to the must-play list.

Moon Studios' predecessor reached critical acclaim for its breathtaking graphics and level design alongside its inventive combat, and the Will of the Wisps sequel continues those accolades. Accompanied by a wonderful, bittersweet score, the narrative introduces you to adorable creatures and nightmarish monsters along the way.

Genre fans and devotees of the first game should put Ori and the Will of the Wisps on their must-play lists. It looks like a million bucks in motion (when the performance holds together) and the narrative is sure to please franchise followers. The standout musical score and a major expansion of the game world and its mechanics are all a welcome addition to the experience. We are living in the golden age of metroidvanias and Will of the Wisps will deserve to stand with the best of the bunch should its technical shortcomings be resolved. 8/10 sugar glider/rat/rabbit/cats

There are times when you feel obliged to find faults no matter how minor, but in the ten-plus hours spent with Moon Studios' latest, there are none. It's a feat few studios can rightfully claim to accomplish in recent times but such a claim is more than merited for a game that nails all departments. From visuals, tone, storytelling and soundtrack, to level design and the glue that holds it all together in gameplay, Ori and the Will of the Wisps' brilliant synergy across all fields is matched only by the humble attitude Moon Studios clearly present. Their refusal to let the short-term spectacles outweigh the long-term experience and of their trust in player willingness to succeed no matter the hurdle. Where one may fear the ambitious scale of its world or the emphatic soundtrack is compensation for something. Its steady incline of difficulty, bound to cap off eventually; early, leap-of-faith platforming sure to lose its pull or appeal in the latter half. All these concerns quickly dissipate in what is a game that continues again and again to increase in its stakes. To find new ways to impress, to shake things up in ways that will test even the most veteran of Metroidvania and precision-platformer players. An incredible unison of sub-genres and seemingly conflicted elements alike, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is an absolute triumph of game design through-and-through.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is everything any Blind Forest fan would have wanted, or possibly hoped for from a sequel. Moon have created a game that has every right to be in the ‘AAA’ conversation with its 3D counterparts, with a level of care and polish normally reserved for much larger studios and far bigger budgets.Ultimately, it can’t be said enough how incredible Ori and the Will of the Wisps is. Blind Forest was already my personal favourite metroidvania of all time and Will of the Wisps has managed to raise the bar even further.

More great, challenging platforming and gorgeous 2D artwork, this time with bigger bosses.

Compared to Gears 5 or Sea of Thieves, Ori and the Will of the Wisps may seem one of Microsoft’s more modest offerings.

A haunting journey through a woodland with a real sense of place, but its breadth of mechanics silts up the pacing.

It's hard not to fall in love with Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Even the title screen and its beautiful vista and haunting opening music, Ori will entice you in. But behind the aesthetics and the heartbreaking/warming narrative, there’s something unexpected for those that haven’t played its predecessor; there’s also an incredible platforming game as well.

With Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Moon Studios have realized the full potential of their debut title, and entered the upper echelons of Metroidvania history.

It's awesome that exactly 5 years after Ori and the Blind Forest debuted, we finally have a sequel so let's go on another magical journey.

Fans of the first game, as well as platformer and metroidvania fans in general need to give Ori and the Will of the Wisps their time. While it's hard to recommend playing with its sub-par technical performance, this is a special platformer and one adventure I won't forget for a long time.

Do you see it? Can you hear it on the wind? Out there in the distance, just beyond the forest of Nibel, floats an owlette on the breeze, a spirit rested on her back. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is here, and the sequel to the meteoric indie hit is every bit as powerful, emotional, and entrancing as you would expect it to be. Moon Studios had a mighty challenge on their hands to create an experience that could rival its predecessor, yet sitting in development for five years has given the game enough time to hatch into a truly spectacular journey.

Moon Studios doesn't necessarily break new ground with Ori and the Will of the Wisps and that's OK.  The additions that have been made improve on the experience, eventhough it's hard to be as impressed as we were the first time around.

Ori and the Blind Forest was an outstanding game. Its creators were probably aware of this and knew that in order for the sequel to match the original, several changes had to be made. Did it work?

Ori and the Will of the Wisps strikes the perfect balance between life and death, filling your heart with joy one second and then crushing it the next. Developer Moon Studios tugs at the player’s emotions whenever possible, both through a beautifully penned story that sees Ori racing to rescue a friend, and also nail-biting gameplay that demands precision and patience every step of the way. Will of the Wisps is more carefully designed than Ori and the Blind Forest, dazzling with the basics and upping the tension frequently through explosive setpiece moments.

A worthy follow-up to the beloved classic that hits and exceeds most of the same high notes while delivering a heartfelt and emotional new chapter in Ori's journey.

Backed by an amazing art style, a great soundtrack and a selection of heartwarming characters to take you through the story, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is pure platforming perfection.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is another triumph return for the series — a beautiful game with only the smallest blemishes to its luster.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a game of passion, made from the heart. Featuring charming characters, a vibrant world filled with mystery and intrigue, and genre-leading platforming action, you will struggle to find a single experience that encompasses the artistic values of video games like Ori and the Will of the Wisps.

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Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a masterpiece in every single way. A thought provoking storyline, unbelievable music and plenty of customization. This is Ori bigger and better in every single way and a strong contender for game of the generation.

In Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Moon Studios has taken an excellent foundation and made even more out of it. Its many new elements expand on and add to the first game’s fun without bogging it down or becoming overcomplicated. And that’s really the best praise you can give a sequel - it stays true to the spirit of the original, doubles down on what made it great, and gives you more stake in the world and options to navigate it. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is an excellent heartfelt follow-up that pushes the series to new heights.