Rate top gamesA buoyant joyful experience from start to finish, I had a blast navigating Ori through dozens of unique combinations of domains to a story akin to Pixar movie. The adventure I had I already know I will never forget and the genuine sense of adventure and childlike excitement I will struggle to find again in another game for a long time. In an ecosystem where games are valued for their length it is short games that deserve our attention. Games that choose to go against the grain in a restrained focus manner that you cannot help but respect.
14 hours later having explored every cranny of Niwen for fear of missing out on some platforming challenge or hand painted vista. Having played through dozens of setpieces that rival Uncharted and doing it all to a soundtrack so expertly crafted so that each tune became an individual piece representative of each area. And every deep chilling tune was offset by triumphant ballads as you overcome spectacular challenges. It is nothing short of a masterpiece, The best Xbox exclusive, And one of the greatest games ever created.
14 hours later having explored every cranny of Niwen for fear of missing out on some platforming challenge or hand painted vista. Having played through dozens of setpieces that rival Uncharted and doing it all to a soundtrack so expertly crafted so that each tune became an individual piece representative of each area. And every deep chilling tune was offset by triumphant ballads as you overcome spectacular challenges. It is nothing short of a masterpiece, The best Xbox exclusive, And one of the greatest games ever created.
«Blew my mind»
«Can’t stop playing»
I enjoyed Ori this time around about as much as the first time. It's a solid platformer and it dishes out some fun abilities at a decent pace. I wish there was more story but we can't have it all.
Date Completed: 2020-09-27
Playtime: 14h
Enjoyment: 8/10
Recommendation: Fans of platformers or the first one will enjoy it.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is faithful to the original entry. The first hour is really rough around the edges, but it gets much better as you get more of Ori's movement kit and abilities. The story is subpar and predictable, but likes to pretend it's more grandiose than it is. The visual design is amazing, with breathtaking, colorful environments and details where it counts. The soundtrack is also expertly crafted, with songs fitting the mood and environment nicely.
The gameplay is where Ori shines. It's fluid (most of the time) and fast. Your actions feel impactful. There's plenty of gameplay options facilitated through equippable "Shards" (taken straight from Hollow Knight's charms) and a variety of weapons. There's a few moments where the platforming required is too precise, but you can just come back to those bits once you've unlocked more movement abilities. Speaking of abilities, all of them feel appropriately powerful, but a few outclass the others really badly (looking at you, Launch), to the point where you'll never use the old abilities again. To be completely fair, you get Launch really late in the game, so the power fantasy is appropriate.
A few puzzles are poorly designed, but only barely. The world could have been more interconnected, but considering the game's length (it's short), it's passable. Definitely recommend to any fan of the original. It makes for a good action hack-and-slash platformer, but a poor metroidvania.
The gameplay is where Ori shines. It's fluid (most of the time) and fast. Your actions feel impactful. There's plenty of gameplay options facilitated through equippable "Shards" (taken straight from Hollow Knight's charms) and a variety of weapons. There's a few moments where the platforming required is too precise, but you can just come back to those bits once you've unlocked more movement abilities. Speaking of abilities, all of them feel appropriately powerful, but a few outclass the others really badly (looking at you, Launch), to the point where you'll never use the old abilities again. To be completely fair, you get Launch really late in the game, so the power fantasy is appropriate.
A few puzzles are poorly designed, but only barely. The world could have been more interconnected, but considering the game's length (it's short), it's passable. Definitely recommend to any fan of the original. It makes for a good action hack-and-slash platformer, but a poor metroidvania.