4.5/5 ★ – sirreldar's review of Ori and the Will of the Wisps.

(Review covers both Blind Forest and Will of the Wisps) I had originally played Ori 1 several months ago and really enjoyed it. Ori 2 has been on my list ever since, and one thing I have continually heard is “two is just better”. Despite the high praise, and despite my anticipation to play it, Ori 2 waited patiently on my ever growing “to-play-someday” list. When the time finally came, I had forgotten most of Ori 1, and so opted to replay 1 before finally checking out 2. I’ll start by saying both games were really great. They are both filled with stunning visuals, emotional music, interesting story, and fun mechanics. Both games were well paced, both in terms of story progression and mechanical progression. Both executed the metroidvania formula exceptionally, by teasing mobility/accessibility unlocks, interconnecting vast biomes across the map, and stashing secrets around the world in fun and interesting ways. Generally speaking, both games did what they aimed to quite well, and were both pleasures to play. All of that being said, I do have one minor criticism of Ori 1. Most noticeable is the lack-luster combat. Combat in Ori 1 was “barely there”. That’s not to say there were not many enemies, just that it severely lacked mechanical depth. At its core, combat in Ori 1 was truly just button mashing. There are some skills to make your attack stronger or faster, but there is absolutely no strategy. It really is nothing more than “be near enemies and mash the attack button”. There is no weapon variety, no move sets, no real timing, and no skills or mechanics to master. Nothing ever fundamentally changes with the combat; the combat in the first 10 minutes of the game is essentially identical to the combat in the last 10 minutes of the game. There is no strategy or tactics or planning or mastery. Really… it’s just “mash attack, and maybe later after some upgrades, you can mash attack slightly less”. Thankfully, all other aspects of the game were so well done that this does not feel like a major detriment, especially since combat itself is not a huge focus in the game. The platforming stayed interesting enough, and the exploration and mobility stayed rewarding enough that the combat, while mechanically shallow, didn’t feel particularly annoying or significantly detracting. I will parrot what I have been told a dozen times: Ori 2 took everything good from Ori 1 and just made it better. Ori 2 SERIOUSLY fleshed out nearly everything that it brought from Ori 1. Combat received a ton of love, adding a multitude of upgradable weapons, skills, and charms (much akin to the charm system of Hollow Knight). Ori 2 even introduced phased boss fights which highlight the new-found combat complexity. Besides the additional mechanical combat depth, Ori 2 really made the world feel more alive and significantly more “interactable”. Secrets are now more than just XP boosts, and now hide NPCs, lore, unique charms, or side quests. Oh yeah… there are side quests now! Ori 2 introduces a whole cast of NPCs to meet and interact with, many of whom offer side quests or activities. Overall, Ori 2 just has a lot more to do… more people to talk to, more activities to do, more things to discover, and more lore to uncover. Coupled with the added combat complexity, Ori 2 has all the charm and allure of Ori 1, but just better. I would very highly recommend both games to everyone, especially those that enjoy metroidvanias. Ori 1, while shallow in some areas (especially combat), is still very rewarding in its own right, and contains the first half of the story, so should most definitely NOT be skipped. Both games feel much further on the casual end of the spectrum compared to most metroidvanias, so should be accessible for most players. The beautiful visuals, music, and story are enough to recommend these games, and the fun exploration, platforming mechanics, and combat mechanics (in Ori 2) easily push both games into “very highly” recommended. Take Ori 1 with a small grain of salt. If you find the combat uninteresting and underwhelming, you are not alone. Appreciate it for its many other virtues, and look forward to the seriously improved combat and fully fleshed out gameplay of Ori 2.