Ori and the Will of the Wisps – Review in Progress

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a delight.  The controls are tight, the environments are beautiful, and there’s no shortage of places to explore.

The pre-launch of the game has been a bit rocky, with Microsoft sending details of a day one patch and recommending that the game be played on the Xbox One X or Windows 10, but given that it’s a first-party game, I have little doubt that the small slowdown issues and title screen wait time will be ironed out at launch.

I’m currently about a third of the way through the game (our full review will be available this weekend) thanks to having some family in town, but it gave me some unique perspective as my non-gaming parents sat down and were actually interested in watching me play for a bit.

“Is that music coming from the game?” from my Mom.

“It looks like a Disney movie!” from my Dad.

“This looks way too complicated for me,” from them both.

The music and art design do evoke a feeling of Disney, perhaps with more attention to detail in the case of the visuals.  The world of this Ori game is incredibly rich, and despite being a 2D platformer, there’s real depth to the environments, which feel alive even with no friends or enemies on the screen.

Part of what makes the world feel so good is that the camera sits a good distance from Ori, allowing you to see in advance what your next move or set of moves might be.  The zoomed-out view allows for better anticipation of environmental hazards, leading to a fluid platforming experience that gives the player a sense of accomplishment as they double jump, dash, grapple and slash through an area in a fluid motion.  Speedrun sections against developer ghosts and then other players’ ghosts are a particularly great chance to stretch your legs with long runs of unencumbered movement.

That being said, there are times when a closer view would be preferred.  Combat, in particular, can become hectic as the flashes of light from Ori’s slashes can make it hard to tell where you stop and an enemy begins.

Combat is a bit more developed this time around, with a variety of upgradeable abilities that can be assigned to one of three buttons (the A button is always reserved for jumping).  This leads to more of a customized experience where you can focus on close-quarters fighting, ranged attacks, or healing.

Variety comes through in the platforming as well, and veterans of the first game will be familiar with many of the moves, including the versatile ability to pause time and redirect Ori off a projectile or enemy.  For the most part, there are multiple ways to get places, and skilled players will be able to reach caches of upgrade currency or health containers before the intended path is available.

While I’m still progressing through the game, I’ve run into the occasional design issue.  For instance, I felt punished for clearing the enemies in one underwater section after realizing I’d need one of the enemy’s projectiles to break a wall and allow me to move forward.  With no way to respawn the enemy or leave the area, I was forced to let Ori drown to get a fresh batch of baddies.

Situations like that are the exception to the rule though, as for the most part, Ori gives you everything you need to succeed and then some.  If you were a fan of the first game, I feel comfortable wholeheartedly recommending the sequel.  Even if you haven’t played the first game, but have a Game Pass subscription, The Will of the Wisps is worth your time in an increasingly crowded lineup of games.

We look forward to following up with a full review this weekend.