Once in a while, a game comes around that completely sets the bar for its genre. Back in 2013 I played Rayman Legends, a game that would stand the test of time as one of the best platformers and best overall titles I had ever played. I dabbled with a few others over the years but found myself constantly revisiting old faithful - which was a slight problem as it was becoming rather old. Well, it seems I won’t be having that problem anymore, because Ori and the Will of the Wisps has completely stolen my heart.



If you’ve played 2015’s Ori and the Blind Forest, you’ll be met with familiar fare here. Taking place in the land of Niwen, the game starts with Ori and their new friend/family member Ku, a purple owl. Ori and Ku embark on what is Ku’s first flight but naturally, trouble arises and the two of you are separated in a storm. The rest of the game sees you set out on an adventure to find Ku and help the inhabitants of Niwen by restoring their land from the Decay.

If you like games that make you feel something, you’d best get yourself a box of tissues.

Moon Studios very clearly knew what worked in the predecessor because it’s brought a lot of it back in spades, and then some. If you like games that make you feel something, you’d best get yourself a box of tissues. Ori manages to combine a range of emotions into one beautiful storytelling experience through its use of themes and the wonderful array of characters. Ku proves to be a perfectly-fitting addition here, and the other characters and species introduced really inject the game with life. The Moki in particular are absolutely precious, and it was a personal highlight for me to see characters reappearing in new areas of the game - a certain homely comfort, if you will.



At its core, Ori is a platforming Metroidvania, and boy does it deliver. The controls are as slick and fluid as ever, and even backtracking through areas proved delightful as I got the opportunity to flex new movement abilities and hone my platforming skills. The game certainly offers up a challenge in some of its levels as it can take laser precision to make certain jumps and sequences - though luckily, the hardest of the lot are included as optional segments for collectibles (which act as a fantastic incentive for you to test your skills!). A few abilities are brought back from the original game as well as a host of new ones, which adds huge variety and flavour to the 10+ hour journey. The level design itself is also fantastic, as each area presents new challenges and variations that consistently change the way you move and approach them. Stale this game is not, but satisfying it is.



Another big element to the gameplay is the combat. Upping its game for the sequel, combat provides more of a challenge this time round, particularly its boss battles. Whilst a little frustrating at times, the boss fights were mostly a treat with mechanics relating to that area usually in play - sort of a final test of your new skills. While I adore boss fights, the regular in-game combat wasn’t always the best. That’s not to say its actually bad at all, but more pinned to the fact that the platforming is so damn sublime that it feels as though regular mob fights get in the way. If combat frustrates you, there are 3 difficulty settings that solely affect it - but be warned as you cannot change them once you have started your game.

While I adore boss fights, the regular in-game combat wasn’t always the best.

The things that tie all the aforementioned factors together are the visuals and the music - and oh, what an absolute treat. Ori is positively visually stunning, and I often found myself just standing in awe as I discovered new areas to explore. Every area is neatly designed with distinct themes, ranging from glistening underwater pools to snowy peaks and the forests in between. Topping this off is the soundtrack, which is one of the best I have heard to date. There is a wide range of music which seems to perfectly complement every location and situation - ranging from the heart-wrenching moments to the epic boss fights, there’s not much more you could ask from the soundtrack. Unfortunately, my game did have a few small audio glitches which seemed to occur when sound effects were loud or prominent, but I imagine something as simple as that will be fixed in a day one patch.

Topping this off is the soundtrack, which is one of the best I have heard to date.

I also wanted to touch on something very small for a moment which I think may be crucial to the game’s enjoyment. As a Metroidvania, Ori involves a lot of back-and-forth between areas as you unlock new abilities and tools to be able to pass certain obstacles. However (as I found out myself), it is possible to get a bit lost with where to go next, and as such I got a little despondent thinking that I had made mistakes or simply wasn’t good enough to pass certain levels and jumps etc. Luckily I got myself back on track, but for those who are drawn into this as a platformer only, it could potentially become confusing in parts where the goal is open-ended (as is the majority of the game).



While 99% of the game is superb at getting you to figure out your path and rewarding you with tools to ease it in the future, there were one or two mechanics that I thought could have been better explained (such as combat trials unlocking additional shard slots). However, these are few and far between.

If you are a fan of Metroidvanias and platformers, go out and play Ori and the Will of the Wisps, without question. If you’re not, this is the game to take a gamble on and give it a try anyway. With the year 2020 being chock-full of AAA releases and a new gaming generation on the horizon, it's easy for smaller games like this to go unnoticed. Do yourself a favour and don’t let this slip under your radar - it could very well be one of the greatest games of the year, as it undoubtedly will be for me.



*Review submitted by Candice King
*Review code provided by Microsoft and Xbox