Ori and the Will of the
Wisps Review

Ori and the Will of the Wisps (2020) is an action platform game that places you in control of a diminutive elfish spirit called Ori. As in the previous game, you run, jump and solve platforming challenges to progress through the world. As you do, new powers are unlocked that allow you to access areas originally impossible to get to.

You play Ori directly after the events of the first game, in the mysterious forest of Niwen. When you discover an unhatched egg from Kuro, the gigantic bird who perished when you saved the forest. You take the hatchling under your wing, and when you discover a new darkness threatening to once again destroy the balance of nature, you set out on a mission together to stop it.

Play involves running, jumping, and dashing to avoid deadly pitfalls and obstacles, gaining new powers that allow you to backtrack to previously unreachable areas. You fight enemies with your abilities and can even throw their own attacks back at them. Unlike the first game, Ori and the Will of the Wisps saves your progress automatically, and also lets you choose what upgrades you get and in what order, giving you more freedom in how you play.

The result is a game that combines exploration and magical adventure with demanding combat and exacting movement. Persevering through the toughest challenges and the sense of discovery and satisfaction when you find a secret area or piece together how to use your abilities to progress is hugely rewarding. While you don't need to play Ori and the Blind Forest for this game to make sense, playing it first does deepen the connection to the characters and the world.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Ori and the Will of the Wisps 3 years ago. It was re-examined by Ben Kendall and updated 4 months ago.