It’s hard to describe that specific feeling when a platformer just clicks. You know the one. You’re soaring through the air, dashing between thorns, and resetting your jump off a projectile without even thinking about the buttons you're pressing. It’s muscle memory. Ori and the Will of the Wisps gameplay is basically the gold standard for that "flow state." Even years after its release, most modern Metroidvanias are still trying to play catch-up to what Moon Studios pulled off here.
I remember the first time I loaded it up. Honestly, I expected it to be just a prettier version of Blind Forest. I was wrong. The movement is faster, the combat is actually meaty this time, and the world is massive. It’s less about survival and more about expression.
The Core of the Loop: Movement as Art
If you strip away the glowing forest and the heartbreaking soundtrack, you’re left with the tightest movement engine in the genre. Everything feels snappy. In the first game, you were kind of floaty. In Will of the Wisps, Ori has weight. When you land a jump, there’s a subtle thud. When you use the Bash ability—which remains the single greatest mechanic in 2D gaming history—the way the world pauses for a split second gives you this incredible sense of power.
You aren't just walking from point A to point B. You’re chaining dashes, double jumps, and grapples. By the time you reach Luma Pools, you’re basically a white blur on the screen. It’s chaotic but controlled.
Why the Shard System Changed Everything
Moon Studios clearly looked at Hollow Knight when they were designing the progression for this sequel. Gone is the linear skill tree from the first game. Instead, we got Spirit Shards. It’s a much better system. You find these shards hidden in the world, and they let you customize how Ori plays.
Want to be a glass cannon? Equip the shard that makes you deal more damage but take more. Hate climbing? Use the one that lets you stick to walls automatically. It allows for actual builds. I personally always run the Triple Jump and Ultra Bash as soon as I find them because mobility is king in this game. You can swap them on the fly, too, which is a lifesaver during some of the more brutal boss encounters.
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Combat Isn't an Afterthought Anymore
Let’s be real: the combat in Blind Forest was kind of "meh." You just mashed a button and a little spark hit enemies for you. It was passive. Ori and the Will of the Wisps gameplay flips that on its head by giving you a literal sword made of light. The Spirit Edge is your primary tool, and it feels fantastic. It has combos. It has directional attacks.
But it’s the variety that sticks with you. You get a bow for range, a massive hammer for breaking shields, and even a fireball. You’ve got three active slots to map these to, which means you can create your own playstyle. Some players love staying at a distance with the bow, but I’ve always found the hammer (Spirit Smash) to be way more satisfying. There’s something about the screen shake when you crush a shield-bearing enemy that never gets old.
Bosses That Actually Test You
The scale of the bosses in this game is ridiculous. Remember Mora the Spider? That fight is a masterclass in arena design. It starts as a standard brawl, then shifts into a high-speed chase through the dark, and finishes with a frantic fight where you’re constantly trying to stay in the light.
It’s not just about dodging. You have to use your entire toolkit. You’re bashing off projectiles, grappling to hanging lanterns, and switching between your sword and bow. It’s stressful. My hands were literally sweating during the Kwolok fight. But it’s fair. When you die—and you will die—it’s usually because you mistimed a dash, not because the game cheated.
A World That Reacts to You
The level design in Will of the Wisps is dense. Niwen is huge compared to Nibel from the first game. Every region has a gimmick that actually changes how you move. In Mouldwood Depths, you have to stay near light sources or the darkness literally kills you. In the Baur’s Reach snow area, you’re using heat vents to glide.
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It never feels repetitive. Just when you think you’ve mastered the movement, the game throws a new wrinkle at you.
The Escape Sequences Return
People have a love-hate relationship with the escape sequences. There are no checkpoints during these. You mess up once, you start over. The Sandworm escape in the Windswept Wastes is probably the most heart-pounding moment in the whole game. You’re burrowing through sand, dashing through falling rocks, and the music is swelling. It’s pure adrenaline.
Some critics argued these are too trial-and-error. I get that. It can be frustrating to die at the very end of a three-minute sequence. But the payoff when you finally nail the perfect run? Nothing else in the genre matches it.
Technical Brilliance and the 120 FPS Factor
If you’re playing this on a modern console or a high-end PC, the 120 FPS support is a literal game-changer. Since the gameplay is so dependent on frame-perfect inputs, that extra smoothness makes a massive difference. The animations are hand-drawn but layered onto 3D models, giving it this strange, beautiful depth.
It’s one of the few games where the visuals aren't just window dressing. The lighting effects actually telegraph enemy attacks. The way the grass sways as you dash past it tells you exactly how fast you're moving. It’s a cohesive package where the art and the engine are working in perfect sync.
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The Difficulty Curve
It's worth noting that this game is harder than the first. The addition of combat encounters and more complex platforming means the skill floor is higher. However, the checkpoint system is way more forgiving. You no longer have to manually create "Soul Links" to save your progress. The game auto-saves constantly. This was a controversial change for some purists, but honestly, it keeps the pace up. It lets you focus on the action instead of worrying about when you last saved.
Common Misconceptions About Ori’s Mechanics
A lot of people think Will of the Wisps is just a "combat-focused" Metroidvania. That's a bit of a simplification. While the combat is significantly expanded, the game is still a platformer at its heart. If you can’t master the movement, you won’t beat the bosses. You can’t just "tank" hits.
Another thing people get wrong is the "Metroidvania" label itself. While it has the backtracking and ability gates you'd expect, it's much more linear than something like Hollow Knight. You generally have a clear objective. It’s less about getting lost in a map and more about the joy of moving through it.
How to Optimize Your Playthrough
If you’re diving in for the first time or doing a replay, focus on these specific steps to get the most out of the mechanics:
- Prioritize the "Triple Jump" Shard: You can buy this relatively early in Wellspring Glades. It fundamentally changes the platforming and makes some of the harder secrets much easier to reach.
- Master the "Burrow" Mechanic: Once you get the ability to dive into sand and snow, spend some time practicing the transition between burrowing and leaping. It’s the trickiest movement mechanic to master but the most rewarding.
- Talk to Everyone: The NPCs in the Glades give you side quests that often lead to Spirit Ore. Use this ore to upgrade the town. It’s not just flavor text; it unlocks new areas and shortcuts that make navigation way faster.
- Don't Ignore the Spirit Trials: These are optional racing challenges against other players' ghosts. They might seem intimidating, but they are the best way to learn the fastest routes through an area. Plus, they give you a ton of Spirit Light (currency).
- Bind "Regroup" to a Comfortable Button: You can heal yourself using energy. In the heat of a boss fight, you need to be able to hit this without looking.
The real beauty of the gameplay here is that it rewards creativity. There isn't just one way to clear a room. You can dash over enemies, bash off them, or pull yourself toward them with the grapple. It’s a playground.
The biggest takeaway after dozens of hours is that Moon Studios understood that movement should be a reward in itself. You don't play Ori just to see the ending; you play it because pushing the analog stick feels good. That’s a rare achievement in game design.
If you're looking for your next challenge, try a "No Shard" run or attempt the Hard difficulty mode. The way the enemy AI changes and the increased environmental damage forces you to interact with the mechanics on a much deeper level. You'll realize just how much thought went into every single ledge and projectile placement.