The time trials are so creative, in fact, that they make the final level feel a little underwhelming by comparison. I can't wait to see what other players do with these things. Even in a pre-release environment, climbing the time trial leaderboards through trial-and-error speedruns was exhilarating, and I was able to apply platforming techniques I picked up in these trials to levels in the main game. The time trials, in particular, were some of my favorite segments, and I wish there were more of them. Side quests challenge you to collect certain items and bring them to various NPCs, and time trials let you race the ghosts of other players like you would in an actual racing game. This kind of improv platforming is baked into the game through side quests and time trials. And that's just one example of the countless ways you can string together abilities in order to forge your own path. But I do know that because I moved that lantern before launching off it, I was able to clear a tiny challenge I'd set for myself, which was hugely satisfying. I could've easily gotten them if I'd had the triple-jump already. I have no idea if this is actually how you're supposed to reach those Light Orbs. Launching off lanterns resets your air-dash, so I should still be able to reach the wall if I really stretch my double-jump. What if I dashed through the lantern to swing it to the left, and then launched off it? That might give me the added height I need to reach the wall near the Light Orbs, and I can just wall jump up to them from there. This caused it to sway ever so slightly, and that was my light bulb moment. I eventually gave up, assuming I was missing a crucial ability, and decided to move on.īut on my way out, I air-dashed through the lantern I'd been launching off while trying to reach those Light Orbs. No matter what I tried, it was just out of reach. The trouble is, I couldn't reach this particular cache. You use Light Orbs to purchase and upgrade abilities, and I was really close to getting one I wanted. I found a cache of Light Orbs stuck to the ceiling of one area. The moment that sticks out to me came a few hours into the game, shortly after I unlocked the ability to launch off objects. And I can't stress enough that this isn't game-breaking this is brilliant. I was able to access several items and areas well before I was seemingly supposed to by combining abilities in unorthodox ways. Ori and the Will of the Wisps reminds me of Super Mario Odyssey in that its movement system is so flexible that it encourages you to experiment with (read: try to break) the game's rules. Ori's aerial maneuverability is extraordinary, and it only gets better with the introduction of later abilities, which I won't spoil. You can glide through the air and ride vents upward, dash through the air and along the ground, and dive in and out of water with wonderful flourish. Ori can launch off enemies, projectiles, and hanging lanterns, and even grapple to enemies or designated anchors. You can scale vines, cling to walls, and climb on certain surfaces (like Spider-Man, funnily enough). You've got your jump, double-jump, and triple-jump. Ori's arsenal of abilities has been greatly expanded in Will of the Wisps. I had to actively force myself to stop and appreciate the game's thickly detailed, beautifully layered environments simply because moving through them is such a treat. Like the web-swinging in Marvel's Spider-Man or the axe-throwing in God of War, every one of Ori's movements is so fluidly animated and so satisfyingly weighted that the sheer kinetic thrill of it all leaves you hungry for more. What I didn't expect was for it to be the best-feeling 2D game I've ever played, bar none. Of course, I expected Ori and the Will of the Wisps to be a bittersweet story.
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