Ori and the Will of the Wisps

---{ Graphics }---
☑ You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS
---{ Gameplay }---
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't
---{ Audio }---
☑ Eargasm
☐ Very good
☐ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf
---{ Audience }---
☐ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☐ Grandma
---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☐ Decent
☑ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer
---{ Game Size }---
☐ Floppy Disk
☐ Old Fashioned
☑ Workable
☐ Big
☐ Will eat 10% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data
---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☐ Easy
☑ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls
---{ Grind }---
☐ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☑ Isn't necessary to progress
☐ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding
---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☐ Lovely
☑ It'll replace your life
---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☑ Average
☐ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond
---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money
---{ Bugs }---
☐ Never heard of
☑ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs
---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☐ 8
☐ 9
☑ 10
---{ Author }---
☑

Is it really a perfect Metroidvania?
I had a good time playing it. This game is one of the first-class ones in the genre but sadly far from the best. I really love the first Ori it is just a well-rounded, unique and standout game. Someone says it lacks fighting but why on the Earth there should be a complex fighting system. The Blind Forest has an obvious focus on platforming and you never doubt it. Its fighting just makes your runs alive in between major chasing challenges and does it ideally. The fighting system in the first Ori is just the very sauce that makes your dish delicious. It's not the weakest aspect but the perfect supplement. A player is never confused what that game is all about.
On the other hand, the Will of the Wisps for sure has an existential crisis. Thomas Mahler said
A lot of what we’re doing with Will of the Wisps is trying to perfect the genre, perfect Metroidvania. We looked at a lot of games that have come out since the first Ori - Hollow Knight, Axiom Verge - and studied them and researched them
I don't think they made it. They preserved the atmosphere and diversified platforming but I can't say they improved fighting system. It is clearly inspired by Hollow Knight with these Spirit Shards which makes the game very flexible. However, how am I supposed to fully experience all of these with only SIX!!! bosses even on the highest difficulty? It doesn't make any sense.
The next thing is the matter of taste - fight animation. The second Ori inherits from the first some intended animation clumsiness and inertness which are good for platforming challenges. Another quote:
“We really wanted to take it to that level where it’s like, ‘No, it’s actually an animation-based combat system.’” You input an attack and have frame vulnerability, but you can interrupt, dash in or out, and continue your mini-combo. “My idea for Ori is always that you have to feel like a super fucking cool ninja.
But you can't cancel combo-animation in the middle and even some attack animations are just too slow and can't be cancelled. I adapted but for me it feels wrong not to have full control over your character in a fight as opposite to the Hollow Knight. It gives me some Witcher II vibes.
Furthermore, the Will of the Wisps is weaker story-wise. Generally it seems like they used the template from the first game and changed variables. Gladly, they added non-linear development about halfway through but playthrough still perceived very guided.
Despite all that has been said I undoubtedly would recommend the game to everyone. The music is great as expected, the one in Inkwater Marsh (A Shine Upon Inkwater Marsh) just pulls the strings in my soul. Also it's one of the most visually beautiful game it's Ori after all. Don't mind minor shortcomings it's not the ideal one but definitely very enjoyable!
P.S. Unfortunately I have a weird and rarest bug. In my first launch of the game in steam I started to get all achievements till the last one. I tried to clear them through steam console in many ways but they didn't stop popping when I launch. I asked here and there and it seems no one knows how to deal with it. Anyway, I still completed on 100% on the highest difficulty but "perfect game" badge in my profile is not legit.
My review of the first Ori

Beautiful game just like Blind Forest, the story, visual and music are very very amazing. There are some very tedious parts and fights that want to makes me throw my controller, but maybe just like they said, gotta Git Gud.
11/10 would cry again

This game is absolutely stunning, in terms of everythingg.....
The graphics are so beautiful, every scene feels like a piece of art...
The environments are packed with detail, making the world feel alive..
The soundtrack is impressive, adding layers of emotion to the journey..
That prologue was just so good literally best intro to the game...
It’s a perfect mix of beauty and depth...
It’s clear that the devs didn’t just want to make a game, they wanted to create an experience that stays with us long after playing this game..

This game is one of the only games that left me almost speechless.

I'm not going to spoil anything, but oh my gosh that was the most emotionally powerful and beautiful ending of a game I've ever played. I was watering my eyes out for a solid 5 minutes.

The art in this game is exceptional. The environments feel so alive and colorful, and match perfectly with the gameplay. All the characters are so well designed and Ori and Ku are downright adorable. I love how even though this is a 2D Metroidvania, it feels like you are interacting with a wonderful 3D environment.

Next up, the gameplay is INCREDIBLE. I personally had way to much fun in Ori and the Will of the Wisps. The controls feel amazing and very smooth. The combat is also extremely fun to mess around with, which pales in comparison to Blind Forest's... Combat? Platforming also flows way too well. I could just get mesmerized from grappling, Bash and double jumping all over the place.

The story? Exciting, EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL and very polished. The way it ties in to the first game's story is just... *chef's kiss*. Fair warning though, as you are bound to shed a tear or two at some point.

What ties all these fantastic elements together is Gareth Coker's exceptional musical score. Every soundtrack in Ori and the Will of the Wisps is memorable, and it adds so much to the atmosphere. (Luma Pools, Baur's Peak and Ori, Embracing the Light some of my favorites)

All in all, you absolutely have to pick up this game if you can. It's more than a game, it's an experience.
10/10

This game was such an incredible experience I can't even bring myself to write a dumb meme review like usual.

The music was incredible, encompassed the game perfectly, fitted every setting it was in.
The boss fights were unique, fun, challenging, and the final boss had the most incredible track playing in it.
The gameplay and mechanics were far better than the first game, the freedom to make any build you desire to fit your game is incredible.
The world you're in is beautiful, stunning in terms of graphics and design, absolutely amazing art work, reminiscent of the likes of the Rayman games.
And of course, the story within the game is moving, emotional, and beautiful.

As a result, I have to say this game is a gem, it's the perfect platformer in my eyes, and I wish I could play it for the first time again. If you are looking for a good game, this is the one, you won't regret it.

To start this heartfelt review, I must share that I am someone who has spent countless hours immersed in the world of video games and I can without doubt say that the Ori franchise has completely stolen my heart.
There are games that impress with their mechanics or their visuals, but Ori does something truly astonishing. From the very first moment I stepped into the breathtaking world, I felt like I was in the presence of something extraordinary. The art is not just beautiful—it’s transcendent. The flow of the gameplay is seamless, and each challenge feels rewarding in ways few games manage to achieve. But what truly sets Ori apart, above everything else, is its story.
The emotional depth of these games is unlike anything I've ever encountered. Will of the Wisps took everything I loved about the first game and pushed it further, deepening the world of these creatures and their struggles. It’s not just a tale of adventure or survival.. it’s a story about hope, loss, and finding strength in the darkest of times. There were moments in the game where I was brought to tears, not because of a grand plot twist or a tragic death, but because of the quiet, tender moments that speak to something deeply human within all of us.
Playing through the Ori games has been a journey… one that I’ll surely never forget. I’m not exaggerating when I say this franchise is now firmly in my top three of all time. It’s hard to put into words just how much this game means to me. It’s more than just a game; it’s a reflection of what it means to persevere, to face adversity, and to grow. And as cheesy as it may sound, it’s made me a better person, reminding me of the importance of empathy and the beauty of persistence.
I feel so incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience this world, to be part of the journey that Moon Studios crafted with such care and love. Thank you, Moon Studios, for creating something that’s not just a game, but a masterpiece. Your work has made a profound impact on me, and for that, I will be forever grateful.