Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the follow-up to the spectacular platforming-adventure Metroidvania game, Ori and the Blind Forest. Our guide will inform you of the release date, weapons, spells, abilities, and throw in some wallpapers so you can customize your desktop or phone to celebrate the upcoming game!
If you've never played a Metroidvania game before, then you might not know exactly what's going on here. The name itself comes from Metroi and Castlevania, which area games that have you explore a large map but are limited to certain areas until you unlock skills or trigger events. You can find all sorts of secret areas and parts of the map that are hidden, but some will require you to gain a skill or unlock something that will require you to go back to it later. This leads to these games having more replay-ability and a longer lifespan because you'll likely want to go back through parts you've already traversed to see if you missed anything.
Ori and the Blind Forest is one of these games, and it stood out among the rest as a tight platformer with beautiful graphics and an interesting story. If you liked the concept of a game like Hollow Knight but were scared off by the difficulty or focus on combat, then Ori is a great game for you. Will of the Wisps is the followup to that very popular game, and seeks to expand on the concepts it did well, while improving on things that were a bit lacking (combat).
What's New in Will of the Wisps?
While Ori and the Blind Forest was mostly about platforming, this sequel to the game will feature a larger emphasis on combat. Due to that, we're going to have a lot more options available to us in our arsenal. Now we have access to not only melee weapons but projectiles as well! There will also be side quests, and a lot of new areas to explore.
Multiplayer
Well, not exactly, but a new feature of Will of the Wisps will be a Spirit Trial mode. If you discover a certain area of an environment, you will be able to attempt a time trial. This starts you off at one totem, and the object is to get to the second totem as quickly as possible. Once you've completed the trial, it records the time and a "video" of your performance. You and your friends can then challenge these times against each other, or you can challenge yourself against the fastest times of people from your country or the world!
You also get rewarded for fast times, you'll gain currency that you can use to purchase spells and weapons.
Quick Look
Here's a short list of what we can expect, I will expand on it once we learn more about the game.
- Melee & Projectile Weapons
- New Desert Area
- Side Quests
- More Abilities
- Purchasable Maps
- Spirit Trials (Time Trials)
Will of the Wisps Release Date
Ori and the Will of the Wisps will be released on March 11th, 2020! It was pushed back from its original February 11th release date for undisclosed reasons.
Platforms
Ori and the Will of the Wisps will be Xbox One and Windows 10 exclusive. This means it will likely not be on Steam and only purchasable via the Microsoft Store on PC.
Weapons List
We got a brief look at some of the weapons/attacks we'll be able to have access to. How we're able to upgrade and change these is still unknown.
- Spirit Edge (Melee): Basically a sword.
- "Hammer" (Melee): We didn't get to see this one, but it was mentioned by the developer.
- Spirit Arc (Projectile): Acts as a bow and arrow of sorts.
Spells List
Not only are there weapons, but there will also be spells! We don't know a whole lot about these, but we'll be listing more of these in the future.
- Regenerate: Likely a healing spell, I didn't see it in action.
- Spike: Launch a slow but powerful projectile.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Abilities List
- Dash Roll: Use this ability to dash forward on the ground or in the air.
- Burrow: Use this ability to go into a Sand Zone and once inside you can speed boost by hitting the same button again.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Spirit Shard List
You can customize Ori by using Spirit Shards. You find these around the map and they can be upgraded with Spirit Light to increase their effectiveness. It currently appears that you can have four active at a time.
- Barrier: Take 20% less damage.
- Spirit Magnet: More distant pickups float to Ori.
- Upgrade (2/2): Automatically collect all pickups on screen.
- Compass: Displays a compass that points to your objective.
Spirit Light
It appears that Spirit Light will not only be used to upgrade your Spirit Shards, but you'll also be able to use them to purchase things from friendly NPCs.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Areas
It's really early so we don't know all of the areas we'll be able to check out, but the main that was featured in gameplay videos was Windswept Wastes. This appears to be a desert landscape that is assaulted by the sun and sand. You'll be able to use the Burrow ability to traverse through sandy areas where monsters lurk and treasure lay.
Story Quest
While we know very little about the story, one of the major storyline quests is revealed in the gameplay video. It's called The Shifting Sands, and you'll need to find the Heart of the Forest to complete it. Here's the description:
The Heart of the Forest fell to these sun-scorched sands long ago and would have perished were it not for a thoughtful tortoise. Now the Heart lies beneath the sands, protected by the tortoise's final sacrifice.
Side Quests
In these areas you will potentially find friendly NPCs. One of them is Tokk, who will be found in the Windswept Wastes. He offers you a quest to find his iron needle, if you do so he will help you. How he will help you, however, is not known!
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Gameplay Video
We were lucky enough to get to see 14 minutes of gameplay from the game at E3 2018!
Spirit Trials Announcement
Gameplay Trailer
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Wallpaper
I've thrown some wallpapers together from the 4k gameplay videos. I'll add some more in the future when we get some more artwork!
Click to Enlarge
Published: Aug 28, 2018 04:05 am