Ori & the Will of the Wisps is the second title from developer Moon Studios and a sequel to their breakout emotionally-driven Metroidvania title Ori & the Blind Forest. The first game was praised for its beautiful animation, emotional storytelling, and addictive gameplay.
It's sequel shares many of its strengths and also comes equipped with a fair amount of difficulty for both returning players and those new to the series. Let's go over 10 pro tips you need to know if you're planning on playing Ori & the Will of the Wisps.
10 Know Your Weaknesses
They say that the hardest part of overcoming addiction is first admitting you have a problem. With video games, the first step in getting better at a game is admitting to yourself you have some gaming-related weaknesses. Alright, that's a rough analogy, but you know what we mean.
Like in most aspects of life, some things come more naturally to some than others. In Ori & the Will of the Wisps, there is likely going to be a system or mechanic that just doesn't click with you. Figure out what it is and then decide if you want to practice on improving it or attempt to find a clever workaround via your problem-solving skills.
9 Take A Breath
Meditation is a healthy way to ease your mind and relax, but, in reality, it's a hard process to nail, let alone master. The principle of taking a moment to breathe and sit in a state of calm in one that can be applied outside of meditation, and, with Ori & the Will of the Wisps, should be practiced as often as needed.
Every gamer knows the feeling of getting beat by an enemy or boss over and over again and feeling defeated and worthless. If you simply pause the game and take a second to breathe and relax, it could yield fantastic results.
8 Don't Be Afraid To Run
The world looks down on those who run from unwinnable circumstances and labels them as cowards. The difference between wars and Ori & the Will of the Wisps, however, is that the only life that's on the line is Ori's by way of the player's control.
This means that, if you find yourself in a hairy situation and you're able to escape, do it. Your pride should take the back-burner in favor of your fight or flight response. Live to fight another day and avoid having to respawn and/or view yet another loading screen.
7 Practice Makes Perfect
Very few people are naturally amazing at something. Humans have this weird thing where they focus on the ultra-rare one-percent of cases of things and ignore that a majority of professionals and top-tier talent worked thousands of hours to get where they're at.
With Ori & the Will of the Wisps, you don't need to commit thousands of hours, but it would benefit you to practice refining your movement and combat skills. If there's an enemy that's giving you a tough time, find a spawn point for them and take the time to learn how to fight it.
6 Do Side Missions
Despite the limitations inherent in a 2D platforming Metroidvania, Ori & the Will of the Wisps provides the player with a rich world full of interesting characters, side missions, and quests that have enough of a hook to be worth chasing down. These side missions provide context for the world around Ori as well as serving a secondary purpose of building out the game's hub area. The game also features one large fetch quest mission that's worth seeing through due to the reward provided to Ori at the end of it.
5 Learn Enemy Attacks
Pattern recognition is the process of analyzing something or someone and being able to detect the set patterns. It's a tool used often in FromSoftware titles, and most often in their boss fights. Once you understand your opponent's movements, you can then begin to perceive their strengths and weaknesses.
Ori & the Will of the Wisps works very much in the same way, as taking the time to learn how the insects and creatures move when they're in combat can give you a leg up. You'll know when and where to dodge, as well as attack.
4 Experiment With Powers
The Ori sequel is a game that takes it to another level when it comes to giving the player options. Between the runs and the equip-able abilities, the game provides a level of customization meant to be experimented with.
Some abilities are going to click with certain types of players based on their combat preferences, so don't worry about testing them out. Part of getting good at something is building a certain level of comfort, as, from that comfort, you can build a true sense of confidence that can translate directly into the game.
3 Do The Challenge Rooms
Unlike the first game, Ori & the Will of the Wisps provides the player with combat challenge arenas that test the player's skill against a variety of enemies. They escalate in difficulty but provide a stage for players to hone their craft and get better at the combat system in the game.
There is a reward for those who can defeat the room, as they're given an additional slot to equip another rune. The challenge rooms are also replayable, so, if you come back to the game after a slight break, they're a great way to get back in the groove of the game.
2 Understand Movement
Ori & the Will of the Wisps is a game built on movement, and your entire experience will likely be colored based on how quickly the movement of the game clicks with you. Players come in all sets of strengths and skill-sets, so it may come naturally to some, while others need to take the time to mess around and get a hang on the particular physics that are at their disposal. A neat practice routine you can do is a type of air juggling where you try and see how long you can keep Ori in the air before touching the ground.
1 Explore
You have to remember that, at its core, Ori & the Will of the Wisps is a game about exploration and discovery. The game has a way of naturally rewarding players who take the time to explore the world around them. Some rewards are more tangible, like finding upgrades and power-ups for Ori that make it more competent in combat, while others are more about information gathering and combat practice that provides the player with the best set of tools to be successful. Do yourself a favor and explore and let the flow of the world overtake you.