Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Moon Studios released Ori and the Will of the Wisps in March 2020 as a follow-up to 2015’s Ori and the Blind Forest, and the sequel arrived to widespread critical and player acclaim. Published by Xbox Game Studios, it continues the story of Ori, a small spirit creature navigating a dangerous and visually stunning world. The game expands on everything the original established, with new combat mechanics, deeper exploration, and a story that hit players harder than many expected.

Community reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with players frequently describing it as one of the best metroidvanias ever made. The most common thread in fan discussions is the emotional impact of the story, particularly its ending. Conversations about the game almost always circle back to how it made people feel, which is unusual for a genre typically defined by its mechanical systems.

Criticisms tend to focus on specific design choices rather than fundamental problems. Technical issues at launch were largely resolved through patches, and what remains is a game that most players consider a significant step up from an already beloved original.

The Multiplayer Design That Drives Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Movement is where Ori and the Will of the Wisps establishes its identity. The platforming feels fluid and precise, with a growing set of traversal abilities that build on each other throughout the game. Players frequently cite the movement system as reason enough to avoid fast travel entirely, preferring to navigate the world manually because the act of moving through it is so satisfying. Jumping, dashing, grappling, and gliding all chain together in ways that make traversal feel expressive rather than mechanical.

Combat received the biggest overhaul from the original. Where Ori and the Blind Forest relied on a relatively simple auto-targeting system, the sequel introduces equippable weapons and spells that give players real choice in how they approach fights. Melee attacks, ranged options, and support abilities can be mixed and matched through the spirit shard system, which lets you customize Ori’s build to match your playstyle. Boss fights, entirely absent from the first game, are a major addition here, and several of them rank among the most memorable encounters in the genre.

The visual presentation is extraordinary. Environments are layered and detailed in ways that give every area its own atmosphere. Lighting, particle effects, and background animation create a world that feels alive even in its quietest moments. The soundtrack matches this quality, with orchestral compositions that shift dynamically to reflect what’s happening on screen. The music and visuals work together to create an emotional resonance that elevates the entire experience beyond what the gameplay alone achieves.

Story and tone carry real weight here. The game opens with a separation that sets the emotional stakes immediately, and the narrative builds toward a conclusion that players widely describe as bittersweet and affecting. For a game with no dialogue in the traditional sense, the storytelling through animation, music, and environmental design communicates more than many games manage with hours of cutscenes.

The Writing Issues Struggle in Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Escape sequences are the most divisive element. These scripted chase sections require precise movement through crumbling environments at high speed, and they occur multiple times throughout the game. Some players find them thrilling and consider them highlights. Others find them frustrating, particularly when a small mistake near the end of a long sequence sends you back to the beginning. The frequency of these sections is a common point of criticism.

Certain abilities feel most useful in the specific area where you acquire them, a design pattern familiar from other metroidvanias. Once you leave that zone, some of the tools you’ve picked up rarely see use again, which makes the ability set feel broader than it is deep. The world’s structure can feel compartmentalized as a result, with each region designed around its signature mechanic rather than encouraging creative use of your full toolkit.

Some players note that the game follows a formula similar to its predecessor closely enough that major story beats and set pieces can feel predictable if you’ve played the first game. The emotional payoff still lands for most people, but the structural similarities mean the sequel doesn’t surprise in the same way the original did.

Launch-window technical issues, including frame rate drops and visual glitches, were significant enough to draw criticism. These were addressed through post-release patches, and the current version runs well for the large majority of players. Older community discussions reference these problems frequently, but they shouldn’t factor into a purchase decision today.

Finding Its Own Voice

Ori and the Blind Forest earned its reputation through platforming and atmosphere. The sequel keeps both and adds combat, boss fights, and a customizable ability system that give it substantially more depth. That expansion is where Will of the Wisps separates itself from its predecessor and from the crowded metroidvania genre more broadly. The combat isn’t just serviceable. It’s a genuine draw, with enough variety and responsiveness to stand alongside the platforming as a reason to keep playing.

What makes this work is that the added complexity doesn’t compromise the original’s strengths. The platforming is still precise and fluid. The world is still gorgeous. The story still hits emotional notes that most action games don’t attempt. Will of the Wisps just gives you more reasons to stay in that world and more ways to engage with it.

Should You Play Ori and the Will of the Wisps?

Anyone who enjoys precision platformers or metroidvanias should play this. Fans of the original Ori game will find a sequel that improves on nearly every system. Players who value atmosphere, visual design, and emotional storytelling in their games will find one of the best examples of all three working together. The spirit shard system and varied combat options give action-focused players something to optimize as well.

Skip it if you found the first game’s tone too sentimental, because the sequel leans further into that emotional register. If escape sequences with instant-fail states are a consistent frustration for you, this game has several of them. Players looking for deep combat complexity on par with dedicated action games should know that while the combat is much improved, it’s still secondary to the platforming and exploration.

The Verdict on Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a sequel that improves on its predecessor in nearly every meaningful way. The combat has real depth now, the movement is among the best the genre has ever produced, and the visual and musical presentation operates at a level most games can only aspire to. Some escape sequences frustrate more than they thrill, and certain abilities feel underused outside their introductory areas, but these are small complaints against a game that consistently reaches for something beautiful and lands it. Moon Studios built a platformer that resonates on an emotional level while still delivering satisfying action and exploration. That combination is rarer than it should be.