Developer: Moon Studios
Publisher: Microsoft
Released: March 11, 2020
Completed: March 14,2020
Rated: E for Everyone
I try my best not to hand out fives too frequently. One of my biggest pet peeves with gaming journalism is how many sites gives perfect scores to undeserving games. I understand that it's all subjective and a reviewer's bias will factor into the number, but you can pick just about any 75% on MetaCritic game and find at least one outlet who gave it a perfect score, and that seems excessively generous. There's nothing wrong with admitting a game you love has flaws.
It may come across as hypocritical, then, that I am awarding Ori and the Will of the Wisps, the long-awaited follow-up to Moon Studios' sublime Ori and the Blind Forest, a perfect score. In my defense, I legitimately can't think of anything to complain about. Also, this is my blog and I don't have to explain myself to you, so there!
My love for Ori's first outing is well known to anyone who will listen. It's one of my favorite games of the entire generation, so the sequel had some big shoes to fill. I was confident it would be an incredible sequel, but I never expected it to surpass the original game. After a five year wait, Moon Studios delivered a perfect follow-up filled with all the elements that made the first game so memorable, and even squeezed in some improvements.
First off, there's Ku, the little playable owl with an injured wing. Owls have prominent roles in the Ori series, and with good reason - they are awesome. In my living room I have no less than seven decorations featuring them. To say I think Ku is adorable is an understatement. Unable to fly due to her injury, her friends make her an attachment that will allow her to soar the skies. This being a video game, naturally something goes wrong and disaster strikes poor Ku and Ori, leaving them separated, and thus, Ori begins his quest to find his friend.
What follows is some of the greatest Metroidvania gameplay you could ask for through breathtaking locales, both vivid and dark. Ori's world is all hand-made, allegedly with no reused assets, and it shows in every carefully placed detail. Areas all have a distinct look, some filled with foreboding and others so bright you may find yourself squinting.
Like the original, Will of the Wisps is non-linear to a point. Ori can explore most areas, but certain parts will only be accessible after acquiring special skills and abilities. There's tons of hidden nooks, crannies, and grottoes which hold valuable life and spirit (the game's version of magic) meter upgrades. There's even a small town that acts as a hub with optional quests you can undertake.
The meat of the gameplay is the running, jumping, climbing, and dodging, of course. Traversal is fluid and immensely satisfying. Wisps is not an easy game, but you never feel as though you're completely stuck. With a little perseverance and practice, you'll find yourself stringing moves together during the game's thrilling scripted escape sequences. You get better just through playing the game naturally, and you always feel like you have complete control. If you fall into a pit, it's your fault, which lessens the sting of death and encourages you to try again.
Like the best Metroidvanias, progression in Ori is often tied to traversal puzzles. This is a game that will test your lateral thinking skills along with your gaming reflexes. Figuring out how to get from point A to points B, C, and beyond is part of the fun. It's a game where I would encourage you not to use a walkthrough and deprive yourself the satisfaction of those moments where the solution clicks.
The boss battles are worthy of praise as well. Each boss is a puzzle unto itself, relying on pattern recognition and careful timing instead of brute force combat. They're the culmination of the skills you've been accumulating up to that point in the game, testing your wits and reflexes and they're rewarding as hell.
The stellar gameplay is all presented with some of the most awe-inspiring visuals imaginable. Ori's world is equally lush and vibrant, densely dark, dangerous, and surprisingly immersive for a 2.5D platformer. Scouring every corner never felt like a chore because the world is so captivating I wanted to see every inch of it.
Complimenting the incredible visuals is another remarkable soundtrack, courtesy of returning composer Gareth Coker. There's more than an hour of music, much of it as unique as the areas themselves. Truthfully, Coker's music is so intrinsically linked to these games, I can't imagine how I'd feel if another composer stepped in in the future.
Perhaps Ori's greatest strength is the pure, raw emotion of its storytelling. Despite the characters being fictional creatures, speaking a fictional language in what little dialogue there is, their expressive animations coupled with the musical score tugs at your heartstrings better than just about any other game I can think of. Seeing Ku injured filled me with sadness and fear, and most shockingly, there's a late-game flashback involving the primary antagonist - a desiccated owl named Shriek - that is positively heartbreaking. After hours of fearing the sight and sound of the beast, you suddenly feel pangs of sympathy upon realizing the poor creature was denied one of the most basic needs of any living thing - love. It's a testament to the creators that they're able to stir up such powerful emotions for the game's villain.
Honestly and truly, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is nothing short of a masterpiece. An emotional and fun mix of platforming, puzzles, and combat within an unforgettable world brought to life through its amazing visuals and audio, it absolutely surpassed my highest expectations.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps was completed on an Xbox One X with no cheats.
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