It’s been almost five years since Moon Studios bought us the legendary platformer Ori and the Blind Forest in 2015. In those five years the Austrian studio has been hard working on its anticipated sequel and it is finally here. But does Ori’s latest adventure provide us with a more magical experience or does it fall flat on its face? Due to a series of unfortunate events, Ori finds himself in unfamiliar lands as he proceeds in search of a lost friend.
It soon becomes clear that this land is dying and the light of life is fading away. It falls upon our bright little hero, to help heal these decaying areas, from a perpetual winter frozen land, a watermelon no longer functional due to decay, hiding all manner of dangers in sand dunes.
Well, the world of Will of the Wisps is simply amazing, both the sound and the design. You will surely find yourself taking in moments of splendor during your journey. No matter how good a game looks or feels, it is nothing without great gameplay and here at Will of the Wisps is one of the best platformers I have played in recent years.
Every movement and every input feels precise and to the point. Jumping from platform to platform, climbing high cliffs and flying around feels fantastic and with the many abilities and skills you’ve picked up along the way, you’ll quickly find a combination that’s already great to traverse the game’s various locations. Makes it much faster.
Will of the Wisps offers a larger selection of abilities than the previous game, from extra air jumps to new combat moves, many of which can be upgraded with light, world currency. The skills on offer give players more choices about how to deal with traversal and combat, some more useful when combined. Experimenting with what’s on offer is a huge part of the fun and the game always feels like it offers you more than one way to solve a problem.
Combat benefits, too, from a wider selection of abilities, I quickly found a combination of offensive moves that helped me ward off all those evils. As you travel you’ll open side missions from a cast of colorful characters and power ups scattered around the world, some of which can’t be reached until you acquire a certain skill in the true Metroidvania style.
There’s even a home base, where new buildings can be built using ores located in small nooks and crannies found in each area of the map. While not a huge part of the game, it is still pleasant to see that your own land has been improved and the house can even be enhanced with special seeds that make location even easier.
It is here where most of the game’s delightful characters can be located, with new abilities/skills to be acquired, new maps to be purchased and even a record keeper for those stat fans is included. It is all felt in a world of astonishing detail, the artwork stands out as some of the best I have seen in a while and gives every space a spark of life.
The animation work is top notch and it all exudes the feeling that every little detail has been handled with utmost attention and care. This is combined with a beautiful soundtrack, which features a delightful mix of vocals and orchestral pieces that especially emphasize boss battles.
This is the kind of soundtrack that I can see myself listening to for many months to come. With all that positivity, I think it’s fair to say that one or two bugs were worth noting in my play. The first is an issue with the falling stones selection which appears to be stuck mid animation giving me the inability to proceed until it has fixed itself and is a problem.
Game completed, 100%. Moon Studios managed to do the impossible: not only did they meet the standards set by The Blind Forest, but they surpassed them in every way. The overall presentation is jaw-dropping, with a graphical style that won’t age with an earworm soundtrack that perfectly encapsulates every moment.
Ori’s arsenal of weapons and abilities flow so smoothly this time around in the already pre-established gameplay that you’ll find yourself battling and dashing so often to keep up the pace, and the worthwhile sidequests and upgrades all ensure you get going. Will’ use them all at least once.
The story is told with a cast of colorful and memorable characters to fulfill pre-established ones (though, I’m a bit saddened by Naru and Gumo getting fewer roles this time), and an ending that left me in tears.
I won’t forget it anytime soon. Despite the shortcomings in performance, I will retain my 5 star rating. I met very few people in my playthrough, but that doesn’t detract from others who have experienced them. Moon Studios has already said that they are working on fixing some of them starting this week. If
you own Game Pass or want an engaging platformer, you’ve got to play it. If you love The Blind Forest, you must play this. It is a masterclass of its genre, and very few other sports can ever hope to reach its peak.
