Ori and the Will of the Wisps
While the first game had a particular few design choices that really stood out to me, Ori and the Will of the Wisps went a different direction with pretty much all of them. I was skeptical of these changes at first, but I think they were ultimately the right move for this game. Instead of being able to manually save anywhere with one of Ori's spells, the game relies on generous auto-saves and save stations. I was worried about trusting my fate to auto-saves, but there were far fewer instant-death traps than there were in the previous game, and I always respawned close to where I died. While the main upgrade system is unchanged from the previous game, Ori's skill tree is now absent, replaced by collectible shards that grant both passive and active skills and upgrades.
New moves and some shards are purchasable from characters that Ori meets during his journey, but other shards must be found through exploration, locked behind puzzles or platforming challenges. The shards and purchasable upgrades are technically optional, but I couldn't stop myself from collecting them all and making Ori an unexpectedly agile bruiser by the end of the game. In fact, the changes to Ori's combat might be the difference I least expected in this game.
Instead of helplessly dodging while a little spirit buddy did the fighting for him, Ori can now unlock a wide selection of attacks that make him a formidable force on his own. I tended to favor the melee moves, picking one light and one heavy, so I could save my spirit energy for healing. However, I could easily alter that loadout at any point, even in the middle of a fight, and I had a lot of fun experimenting with the different abilities, especially during boss fights. Trying out those neat moves was far from my only incentive to continue playing though.
Ori and the Blind Forest had an emotional plot about losing your family and overcoming great odds so you don't lose anything else. Ori and the Will of the Wisps still has Ori saving the world, but this time his family isn't dead, they're lost and in danger, and he's the only one that can save them. This felt a lot more personal, and it came with a tangible pressure to hurry so that I could protect Ori's sweet little family on top of everyone else. The rest of the story doesn't pull its punches though, with some seriously heartbreaking moments that show just how much the hurting world needs Ori's help. The end result was bittersweet and I expect it will stick with me long after other games fade away.
I didn't at all expect this game to affect me as much as it did, and I'm really glad that I got the chance to play it. Metroidvanias quickly became my favorite genre in gaming and I'm frequently recommending them to friends and family. If this wasn't a sequel, it would probably be the first game I suggest to newcomers, but it will still receive my highest praise when people need to add to their backlogs. I hope I'm able to find more games that succeed this much in gameplay, story, and art direction, but I'll just reminisce about Ori in the meantime.
The game is available for Steam here (as of 5/10/24): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1057090/Ori_and_the_Will_of_the_Wisps/
The game is available for Switch here (as of 5/10/24): https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps-switch/
The game is available for Switch here (as of 5/10/24): https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps-switch/
The game is available for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S here (as of 5/10/24): https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/ori-will-of-the-wisps
