2015's "Ori and the Blind Forest" was one of the few games that made me want to get an Xbox One. I've often played more of Nintendo and Sony's first-party titles, and it always seemed like Xbox lagged behind them in terms of exclusives. That said, though, the first "Ori" title grabbed my attention early and often, and after playing it, it quickly became one of my favorite games. The game grabbed me right from the start and never let me go, and it was a phenomenal journey that, in a lot of ways, helped me to appreciate 2D platformers a bit more than I had in the past. So, when "Ori and the Will of the Wisps" was announced, I was unbelievably hyped. In a lot of ways, with the Xbox Series X/S coming soon, and a lack of strong Xbox One exclusives this year, I sort of treated this new "Ori" sequel as something of a "swan song" for the Xbox One. Yes, I'm aware that games like "Bleeding Edge," "Battletoads" and "Microsoft Flight Simulator" came after, but given that a few of those game received mixed reception (outside of "Microsoft Flight Simulator," which didn't carry much of my interest anyway), and that "Halo Infinite" was being more touted as a Series X/S game, I felt that "Ori" was the more appropriate "swan song" for the Xbox One for me. Largely because...well, the game is pretty damn fantastic!
"Ori and the Will of the Wisps" takes what made the first game great, and builds on it to create an even better experience. The visuals, as you would expect, are stunning, and the art style remains a wonder to behold. So much love went into crafting this game's design, and the end result is some of the Xbox One's best graphics, I would say. In terms of gameplay, "Ori" continues to hit the mark: the original game already had fantastic platforming, and this game continues to have that, while also making great improvements to the combat. The bevy of options and weapons Ori has at his disposal are awesome, and the depth in regards to combat is pretty amazing, too. As always, the incredible environments in the game make way for plenty of exploration, as the overall level design is so well crafted that you won't mind getting lost in the game's world. The game is regularly heart-pounding, the chase sequences are tensing, and even on the lower difficulties, the game once again provides plenty of challenge without falling into the "fake difficulty" boat. The soundtrack is light and incredible, and in terms of storytelling, "Ori" once again hits the mark with a beautiful, emotional story that, once again, nearly drove me to tears. The story features a well-rounded cast of characters and plenty of moments that are sad yet extremely powerful.
I can't really say that I have too many problems with this game. I know a number of reviews have mentioned technical problems, and while there may have been a few minor stutters before cutscenes, I didn't notice too many, and I don't think anything really impeded on my enjoyment of the game. Even when I would get a bit lost in the game's world, finding the answers proved to be very rewarding, and the overall design didn't feel flawed as a result.
I mentioned in my old review that "Ori and the Blind Forest" was one of the best 2D platformers I had ever played. I can safely say that "Ori and the Will of the Wisps" succeeds in the very difficult task of not only living up to that game, but also surpassing it. I'm not sure if Moon Studios will continue in the "Ori" universe from here, but if they don't, I can say that they have created a truly phenomenal farewell to Ori's world. Whether or not they continue on with "Ori" games, Moon Studios is a developer to keep an eye on, because they've proven with these games that they have something really special. And with the Xbox One being in its final months, whatever polarizing thoughts there might be on the console when we look back on it retrospectively, it's great to see that "Ori and the Will of the Wisps" help it to end its life on a high note. If you haven't played this yet, please...do yourself a favor. It's really an incredible game.
Final rating: 10 out of 10 "Fantastic"