Ori and the Will of the Wisps

English Version (french below) : A very different game compared to the first one. It feels a lot less like a children tale and more like an adventure metroidvania game. It keeps and improves on the beatufiul art direction, effects and music, but it also completely revamped the combat system, now a lot more similar to Hollow Knight. It also added lots of different weapons and a new base to be expanded over the course of the game. The few bosses are also really really good and it also keeps some of the platforming and escape sections (which are still very cool). I will say, it is kind of short though, and it's kind of a shame. It has few bosses and I think that's the shame considering the quality they were able to give to each of them. Honestly, I don't have a lot more to add, it's satisfying to play, looks and sounds really nice, has a basic but nice story... Yeah, that's just a great game all around. Version Française : C'est très différent par rapport au premier jeu. Il ressemble beaucoup moins à un conte pour enfant et ressemble plus à un metroidvania d'aventure. Ils ont gardé et amélioré la DA, les effets et la musique qui avaient fait la renommée de la série, tout en changeant totalement le système de combat, qui est beaucoup plus similaire à Hollow Knight. Ils ont aussi ajouté plein d'armes et de capacités et une nouvelle base à améliorer pendant le jeu. Les quelques boss sont vraiment impressionnants et il y a toujours des sections de plateformes et de fuite (qui sont toujours très cool). Je dirais quand même que le jeu est un peu court, et c'est un peu dommage. Il y a peu de boss et vu la qualité qu'ils ont mis dans chacun d'entre eux, je n'aurais pas dit non à un peu plus. Sinon, je n'ai pas grand chose à ajouter, c'est cool à jouer, c'est beau, les musiques sont biens, l'histoire est simple mais bien... Super jeu de manière générale

[h2]Nota Geral | Overall Rating[/h2] ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [b]Ori and the Will of the Wisps é a evolução perfeita do que Blind Forest já tinha começado, pegando cada elemento do primeiro jogo e expandindo com mais confiança e ambição. A Moon Studios criou um metroidvania que equilibra plataforma precisa, combate muito mais robusto e uma história emocional que consegue tocar profundamente sem depender de diálogo excessivo. É raro encontrar uma sequência que supera o original em praticamente todos os aspectos, mas Will of the Wisps consegue isso com folga.[/b] [i]Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the perfect evolution of what Blind Forest had already started, taking every element from the first game and expanding it with more confidence and ambition. Moon Studios created a metroidvania that balances precise platforming, much more robust combat, and an emotional story that manages to touch deeply without relying on excessive dialogue. It's rare to find a sequel that surpasses the original in practically every aspect, but Will of the Wisps pulls that off with room to spare.[/i] [h2]Jogabilidade | Gameplay[/h2] ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [b]A jogabilidade dá um salto enorme em relação ao primeiro jogo, principalmente no combate, que agora tem armas variadas como espada, arco e martelo, cada uma com seu próprio ritmo e uso tático. As novas habilidades de movimento, como o Bash aprimorado e o novo dash aéreo, criam sequências de plataforma que exigem precisão cirúrgica, mas que são extremamente satisfatórias quando você domina o timing. As lutas contra chefes também evoluíram muito, com padrões de ataque que testam de verdade tudo que você aprendeu ao longo da jornada.[/b] [i]The gameplay takes a huge leap forward compared to the first game, especially in combat, which now features varied weapons like a sword, bow, and hammer, each with its own rhythm and tactical use. The new movement abilities, like the improved Bash and the new air dash, create platforming sequences that demand surgical precision, but are extremely satisfying once you nail the timing. The boss fights have also evolved a lot, with attack patterns that genuinely test everything you've learned throughout the journey.[/i] [h2]Duração | Duration[/h2] ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [b]A duração é excelente, com um mapa consideravelmente maior que o de Blind Forest, cheio de áreas secretas, upgrades opcionais e side quests que dão camadas extras à exploração sem nunca parecer enchimento. O ritmo de descoberta de novas habilidades é muito bem distribuído, sempre abrindo novos caminhos no mapa e recompensando quem decide voltar a áreas antigas com o equipamento certo.[/b] [i]The length is excellent, with a considerably larger map than Blind Forest's, full of secret areas, optional upgrades, and side quests that add extra layers to exploration without ever feeling like padding. The pacing of new ability discoveries is very well distributed, always opening up new paths on the map and rewarding those who decide to return to old areas with the right equipment.[/i] [h2]Enredo | Story[/h2] ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [b]O enredo continua a jornada emocional de Ori, agora explorando temas de paternidade, perda e sacrifício de um jeito que consegue emocionar profundamente sem depender de uma única linha de diálogo falado. A relação entre Ori e Ku no início do jogo já estabelece um vínculo emocional forte o suficiente pra carregar toda a narrativa que vem depois, e o clímax final entrega um peso emocional que poucos jogos indies conseguem alcançar com tanta eficácia.[/b] [i]The plot continues Ori's emotional journey, now exploring themes of parenthood, loss, and sacrifice in a way that manages to move you deeply without relying on a single line of spoken dialogue. The relationship between Ori and Ku at the start of the game already establishes an emotional bond strong enough to carry the entire narrative that follows, and the final climax delivers an emotional weight that few indie games manage to achieve so effectively.[/i] [h2]Visual[/h2] ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [b]Visualmente, o jogo é de tirar o fôlego. Cada bioma tem uma identidade artística própria e vibrante, desde as florestas luminosas até os pântanos sombrios, e os efeitos de partículas e iluminação criam cenas de uma beleza quase pictórica em praticamente todo canto do mapa. É um dos jogos mais bonitos já feitos no estilo 2D, e a direção de arte sozinha já justificaria a experiência.[/b] [i]Visually, the game is breathtaking. Each biome has its own vibrant artistic identity, from the luminous forests to the somber swamps, and the particle and lighting effects create scenes of almost painterly beauty in practically every corner of the map. It's one of the most beautiful games ever made in the 2D style, and the art direction alone would already justify the experience.[/i] [h2]Áudio | Audio[/h2] ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [b]A trilha sonora orquestral de Gareth Coker é simplesmente magistral, elevando cada momento emocional da história e cada sequência de ação a um novo patamar. É uma das melhores composições já feitas pra um jogo indie, e a forma como a música se adapta dinamicamente aos eventos na tela mostra um nível de cuidado raro. Os efeitos sonoros também são impecáveis, dando peso real a cada golpe e cada movimento de Ori pela floresta.[/b] [i]Gareth Coker's orchestral soundtrack is simply masterful, elevating every emotional moment in the story and every action sequence to a new level. It's one of the best scores ever made for an indie game, and the way the music dynamically adapts to events on screen shows a rare level of care. The sound effects are also flawless, giving real weight to every strike and every movement Ori makes through the forest.[/i]

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a 2D sidescroller ; a platform game emphasizing exploration, collecting items and upgrades, and backtracking to previously inaccessible areas. The game is playable with keyboard and mouse but a controller is fully supported. The player controls the titular Ori, a white guardian spirit. As Ori, players must jump, climb, glide, and swim between various platforms to solve intricate puzzles. As play continues new abilities and upgrades allowing players to unlock previously inaccessible areas of the map. Some inspiration from the classic Rayman and Metroid can be drawn but there are a lot of scroller games out there now. This game is also available on the Xbox One. This game won the Xbox game of the year. I played this on my Dell Precision 3480 with Intel Xe Arc graphics and RTX A500 graphics.