5/5 ★ – BeHaind's review of Ori and the Will of the Wisps.

The art style ranks amongst some of the most stunningly beautiful efforts of the entire medium. 2D-Plattformers have never been more gorgeous, which ties in seamlessly with a game that bursts of childlike awe and wonder. „Ori and the Will of the Wisps“ is aside from the obvious visual artistry so much more: as a metroidvania it seems hard to think of any areas in which the genre formula could be improved upon. Aside from a few instances where i felt lost and some plattforming that felt frustrating, it‘s one of the best outings in the entire genre. The combat is a two sided sword: i like it in it’s best moments, when i can juggle enemies mid-air as if Dante from Devil May Cry took control of Oris spirit. Unfortunately most of the fights tend to lean in the direction of simple hack and slash button mashing, because „Ori“ lacks a deeper set of skills or weapons. Where „Ori“ shines once again is the general atmosphere, the feeling of a cozy, yet deeply melancholic adventure with narrative elements that remind me of Pixars Shortfilm outings. The music is also even better - more nuanced and matured. Even though it’s missing any bigger jumps in terms of genre or series innovation, this is way more than just a mere update, rather a definitive edition of a game that was near perfect the first time around.