Sights & Sounds
- Like its prequel, this game is gorgeous. I found myself occasionally stopping to take in the backgrounds
- The characters still feel a little too small in proportion to the rest of the screen. This can be a boon on sequences that require careful planning, but I still felt like Ori was a bit tiny in some parts
- The music is amazing; the full score is comprised of well-performed orchestral pieces
- All the voice acting being done in a fantasy language makes it a little difficult to judge, but it seems mysterious and bassy enough
Story & Vibes
- The story is as mysterious and symbolic as ever. You'll have to explore, collect items, and complete missions to get a better feel for the game world
- It's worth it to dig in a little bit. It makes the ending that much more poignant if you know what's going on
- In all, if you played the first game and made an effort to remember the bigger plot points, the story here is pretty good and provides great closure to the series
- The vibes oscillate between cute, mysterious, and scary
Playability & Replayability
- Like the first game, this is a masterclass in metroidvania puzzle platforming. It's hard and you'll die a lot, but it never feels cheap or impossible. If we're going to continue comparing it to the first game, I'd say Will of the Wisps is a bit less challenging than Blind Forest
- This is a subjective opinion (aren't they all?), but I found myself enjoying the level design a bit more in this game. Areas like the little grove with all your friends and the watermill were really interesting. It's not that they were bad in Blind Forest. On the contrary, the level design and map were excellent there too. I just found myself having an easier time making a connection between my unlocked abilities and the places they allow me to access this time around
- There's way fewer chase and stealth sequences in this sequel. I was happy for the reduction while I was going through the story, but I wound up actually wishing there had been a few more of each as I was watching the credits roll
- The bosses were also pretty good, but won't pose much trouble if you've gotten the hang of beating bosses in more combat-intensive metroidvanias like Blasphemous, Grime, or Salt & Sanctuary
- I'll probably play both games in the series again one day. They're too good to not revisit sometime again
Overall Impressions & Performance
- No performance issues or bugs to report
- I found myself liking Will of the Wisps just a little more than Blind Forest. If it comes down to any specific thing, I'd say it's the design involved in the watermill area. It's the best environment in either game in my opinion, and I had a blast exploring it
Final Verdict
- 9/10. The Ori series gets a fitting and beautiful ending. Seriously, if you like Metroidvanias with challenging platforming, this series is can't-miss. Sure, it's not as complete a package as something like Hollow Knight, but I wouldn't rank Will of the Wisps far behind it
- Like its prequel, this game is gorgeous. I found myself occasionally stopping to take in the backgrounds
- The characters still feel a little too small in proportion to the rest of the screen. This can be a boon on sequences that require careful planning, but I still felt like Ori was a bit tiny in some parts
- The music is amazing; the full score is comprised of well-performed orchestral pieces
- All the voice acting being done in a fantasy language makes it a little difficult to judge, but it seems mysterious and bassy enough
Story & Vibes
- The story is as mysterious and symbolic as ever. You'll have to explore, collect items, and complete missions to get a better feel for the game world
- It's worth it to dig in a little bit. It makes the ending that much more poignant if you know what's going on
- In all, if you played the first game and made an effort to remember the bigger plot points, the story here is pretty good and provides great closure to the series
- The vibes oscillate between cute, mysterious, and scary
Playability & Replayability
- Like the first game, this is a masterclass in metroidvania puzzle platforming. It's hard and you'll die a lot, but it never feels cheap or impossible. If we're going to continue comparing it to the first game, I'd say Will of the Wisps is a bit less challenging than Blind Forest
- This is a subjective opinion (aren't they all?), but I found myself enjoying the level design a bit more in this game. Areas like the little grove with all your friends and the watermill were really interesting. It's not that they were bad in Blind Forest. On the contrary, the level design and map were excellent there too. I just found myself having an easier time making a connection between my unlocked abilities and the places they allow me to access this time around
- There's way fewer chase and stealth sequences in this sequel. I was happy for the reduction while I was going through the story, but I wound up actually wishing there had been a few more of each as I was watching the credits roll
- The bosses were also pretty good, but won't pose much trouble if you've gotten the hang of beating bosses in more combat-intensive metroidvanias like Blasphemous, Grime, or Salt & Sanctuary
- I'll probably play both games in the series again one day. They're too good to not revisit sometime again
Overall Impressions & Performance
- No performance issues or bugs to report
- I found myself liking Will of the Wisps just a little more than Blind Forest. If it comes down to any specific thing, I'd say it's the design involved in the watermill area. It's the best environment in either game in my opinion, and I had a blast exploring it
Final Verdict
- 9/10. The Ori series gets a fitting and beautiful ending. Seriously, if you like Metroidvanias with challenging platforming, this series is can't-miss. Sure, it's not as complete a package as something like Hollow Knight, but I wouldn't rank Will of the Wisps far behind it