Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a sequel that builds on the original in many ways and addresses almost all of its predecessor's faults. Its world is far more expansive, with far more things to do and collect. Small things like the Speed Trials and the Shrines help break up the monotony and are good ways to encourage the player to explore more and look for these challenges. The amount of collectibles has also increased compared to the Blind Forest, which only had health, mana, and ability upgrades.
One of Will of the Wisps' biggest improvements is in its structure. The first game had the taste of a real metroidvania, but never really delved deep enough to be considered so in a meaningful way. In contrast, the amount of freedom and non-linearity Will of the Wisps provides is a breath of fresh air. Although it still may not be as open as its fellow modern metroidvanias such as Hollow Knight, it still gives the player a good reason to backtrack and explore each area as much as possible. On top of this, allowing the player to visit each of the game's main quests in any order (think Divine Beasts from BOTW), is a great improvement on the Blind Forest, which felt foolish not to allow players to do the same.
Will of the Wisps also greatly improves on the combat. Although it is still not great, it is far less boring compared to the Blind Forest. The game provides multiple different weapons for the player to choose from, and although there isn't much reason to use them all, it's still a nice option. The newly added "Shard" system is also a decent way of adding some variety in movement and combat, although it feels almost exactly like a watered-down version of Hollow Knight's "charm" system than something original to Ori. Enemies continue to remain an issue, with most simply being minor inconveniences rather than something the player genuinely needs the feel to fight. This is especially unfortunate, as it makes the shiny new combat system feel largely redundant. Although the bosses were a nice touch, almost all of them turn into chase sequences by halfway through, and none of them particularly stand out, other than of course, the game's main antagonist.
One of Ori's greatest strengths has always been its compelling story, and fortunately, that continues to be the case in its sequel. Although the plot, once again, is nothing mind-blowing, it tells a very simple story in an effective, emotionally moving manner. The end of the game in particular shocked me and left me with both sadness and hope for the game's characters and world.
However, Ori's story would be nothing without its beautiful presentation. Gareth Coker once again returns as the game's composer and continues to prove himself as the star of this franchise. Each area, scene, and fight are launched into a whole new level thanks to his beautiful score, and the beautiful lands designed by Moon Studios would feel like empty shells without it. Speaking of these beautifully designed lands, they also continue to impress. Ori and the Blind Forest had stunning areas, but nearly every area in Will of the Wisps leaves the player in awe, admiring the breathtaking environments. Although the game may have faults in other aspects, presentation is definitely not one of them, and for all intents and purposes, is basically flawless.
The game suffers through some mild performance issues, with some pop-in and stuttering occurring throughout. However, none of this is major and didn't impact my experience with the game in any meaningful way.
One of the game's biggest issues is a lack of originality. The plot and mechanics of the game, while great, feel like exact replicas of those from the first. Not only that but a few areas and mechanics such as the aforementioned "Shards" system feel almost stolen from Hollow Knight. The structure of the game is nearly identical to that of the first, and while fitting for the end and beginning, feels largely lazy for the rest of the game.
All in all, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a beautiful game, designed with passion and love for both its previously established fans and the newcomers it invites to the franchise. The game is still not perfect, with a lack of originality and a still subpar combat system to blame. However, as a sequel, it serves its purpose beautifully and leaves the player satisfied (and perhaps slightly teary-eyed!) by the end.
8/10
One of Will of the Wisps' biggest improvements is in its structure. The first game had the taste of a real metroidvania, but never really delved deep enough to be considered so in a meaningful way. In contrast, the amount of freedom and non-linearity Will of the Wisps provides is a breath of fresh air. Although it still may not be as open as its fellow modern metroidvanias such as Hollow Knight, it still gives the player a good reason to backtrack and explore each area as much as possible. On top of this, allowing the player to visit each of the game's main quests in any order (think Divine Beasts from BOTW), is a great improvement on the Blind Forest, which felt foolish not to allow players to do the same.
Will of the Wisps also greatly improves on the combat. Although it is still not great, it is far less boring compared to the Blind Forest. The game provides multiple different weapons for the player to choose from, and although there isn't much reason to use them all, it's still a nice option. The newly added "Shard" system is also a decent way of adding some variety in movement and combat, although it feels almost exactly like a watered-down version of Hollow Knight's "charm" system than something original to Ori. Enemies continue to remain an issue, with most simply being minor inconveniences rather than something the player genuinely needs the feel to fight. This is especially unfortunate, as it makes the shiny new combat system feel largely redundant. Although the bosses were a nice touch, almost all of them turn into chase sequences by halfway through, and none of them particularly stand out, other than of course, the game's main antagonist.
One of Ori's greatest strengths has always been its compelling story, and fortunately, that continues to be the case in its sequel. Although the plot, once again, is nothing mind-blowing, it tells a very simple story in an effective, emotionally moving manner. The end of the game in particular shocked me and left me with both sadness and hope for the game's characters and world.
However, Ori's story would be nothing without its beautiful presentation. Gareth Coker once again returns as the game's composer and continues to prove himself as the star of this franchise. Each area, scene, and fight are launched into a whole new level thanks to his beautiful score, and the beautiful lands designed by Moon Studios would feel like empty shells without it. Speaking of these beautifully designed lands, they also continue to impress. Ori and the Blind Forest had stunning areas, but nearly every area in Will of the Wisps leaves the player in awe, admiring the breathtaking environments. Although the game may have faults in other aspects, presentation is definitely not one of them, and for all intents and purposes, is basically flawless.
The game suffers through some mild performance issues, with some pop-in and stuttering occurring throughout. However, none of this is major and didn't impact my experience with the game in any meaningful way.
One of the game's biggest issues is a lack of originality. The plot and mechanics of the game, while great, feel like exact replicas of those from the first. Not only that but a few areas and mechanics such as the aforementioned "Shards" system feel almost stolen from Hollow Knight. The structure of the game is nearly identical to that of the first, and while fitting for the end and beginning, feels largely lazy for the rest of the game.
All in all, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a beautiful game, designed with passion and love for both its previously established fans and the newcomers it invites to the franchise. The game is still not perfect, with a lack of originality and a still subpar combat system to blame. However, as a sequel, it serves its purpose beautifully and leaves the player satisfied (and perhaps slightly teary-eyed!) by the end.
8/10