With Ori and the Blind Forest, Moon Studios was a real hit. The platformer, inspired by Metroid and Castlevania, played fantastic and looked like an animated picture book. Can the developers go a step further with the successor? Kuro recently had the opportunity to allude to the first few hours of the adventure. And is ecstatic.
The visual style of Ori and the Will of the Wisps is probably what catches the eye first. The game from Moon Studios looks incredibly pretty. Which shouldn't surprise anyone who played the debut. Still: I just can't get enough of the optics. Every detail in the carefully elaborated game world sparkles with charm and looks a little more lively than the predecessor, which I would not have thought possible.
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As if that wasn't enough, Ori and the Will of the Wisps just feels really good. The little guardian spirit can be maneuvered incomparably precisely and briskly through the Metroidvania-like world without having to worry about losing control.
A little more of the stuff
However, the developers have carefully revised the gameplay of the platformer. Above all, the combat system has been expanded and provided with more options. In Ori and the Blind Forest you just had to hit the attack button and the ghost flame that Ori followed like a drone at every turn did the rest. It was neither sophisticated nor particularly demanding.
With Ori and the Will of the Wisps you are able to equip different weapons – first the ghost blade with which Ori goes into hand-to-hand combat to tease the monsters. The skirmishes feel massive, the hit feedback is satisfactory. With the higher demands, your reactions will be more clearly demanded, since you now have to plan your attacks better instead of just staying at a distance. Depending on the direction in which you press the left analog stick, Ori deals accordingly. This also makes vertical attacks possible.
A little later I stumbled over an arch, with which I could then hook the particularly annoying flying mosquito-like creatures. Other weapons can also be purchased from dealers. For example, I bought a spear that could be thrown to do serious damage. Alternatively, I got another ability to regenerate lost life energy at the expense of my blue energy balls. Basically, you can freely assign these actions to three different buttons on your controller.
Discover your own playing style
In order to break up the strict progress of the abilities from the predecessor, three different perks can be activated at any time in Ori and the Will of the Wisps. These vary and include the option of sticking to walls, shooting at shorter intervals with the bow or causing more damage to flying opponents. The developers want to encourage players to try different game styles.
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Ori and the Will of the Wisps will be a powerful undertaking anyway, as the game world will be much bigger in the sequel. So that you don't feel completely lost, developer Moon Studios has revised the map. Your final steps are recorded on the map for better orientation. And to accommodate the convenience, the game now automatically saves your progress.
Not only is the game world bigger, you also have more to do. There are now optional quests and activities, such as a Super Meat Boy or Trials-inspired time trial, in which you compete against other players' spirits. With the new combat system you can also prove your skills in special battles against waves of opponents. If you pass the challenges, special rewards await you.