Ori and the Will of the Wisps, the stunning follow-up to the jaw-dropping Ori and the Blind Forest, has been delayed to March 11th, 2020. “Microsoft and Moon Studios are taking the extra time to ensure that Ori fans get the best gameplay experience possible,” Xbox explained in an announcement made back in December 2019.
The good news is that The Game Awards 2019 gameplay trailer gave us a closer look at one of the best Metroidvania games we’ve seen in a very long time—if not ever. Following in the footsteps of the original game, the TGA gameplay trailer shows us another fascinating side-scrolling platformer that we’ve all been looking forward to since its announcement back in 2017.
Today, we will be covering everything from the latest news to the most recent trailers showing off Ori and the Will of the Wisps. We will also update this article as soon as we hear more news, so make sure to check back again in the future for up-to-date information.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Story
At this very moment, Moon Studios isn’t revealing much in regards to the story of Ori and the Will of the Wisps. At present, we know that you will go on a quest to “unravel Ori’s destiny” as you travel beyond the forest of Nibel—where Ori’s journey took place in the Blind Forest.
What we do know so far is that Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a sequel to the breathtaking platformer from 2015, Ori and the Blind Forest. As with the original, you will take control of the white guardian spirit known as Ori. However, this time, you won’t be accompanied by the adorable supporting character, Sein. Instead, you’ll be accompanied by a lovable owl known as “Koo”.
Contrasting what we saw in the Blind Forest, Ori and the Will of the Wisps will allow you to journey beyond the forest of Nibel in order to “unearth Ori’s true destiny” and “uncover the truths of the lost ones”. Taking into account how moving the 2015 Metroidvania is, we expect Ori and the Will of the Wisps to feature some heart touching moments as the new duo discover the world beyond Nibel.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Gameplay
As with the 2015 game, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a Metroidvania in which you can dash, double-jump and climb your way across the charming 2D landscape. In addition, you’ll also have some new, unlockable abilities as well as a burrow skill and a grappling hook used to swing through the hand-painted levels.
We’ll discuss these new features in-detail later on. Given that you can now journey beyond the forest of Nibel, we expect the Will of the Wisps to be much more difficult compared to the original. So we’re hoping to see some challenging new difficulty levels alongside an easy difficulty for those of you who prefer laid-back games.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps 2 Release Date
In addition to all of the fun announcements revealed at The Game Awards in 2019, we learned that Moon Studios and Microsoft require extra time in order to make the game perfect. For this exact reason, Ori and the Will of the Wisps—originally planned for February 11th, 2020—have been delayed to March 11th, 2020.
Bearing in mind how extraordinary Ori and the Will of the Wisps looks, we truly don’t mind waiting an extra month to get our hands on the game.
How Much Will Ori and the Will of the Wisps Cost?
Alongside the stunning gameplay trailer that premiered at The Game Awards, Moon Studios announced that players could finally pre-order Ori and the Will of the Wisps. You can currently pre-order the standard edition of Ori and the Will of the Wisps on Amazon for a very reasonable $29.99. You’d truly be mad not to consider purchasing such an attractive game. Furthermore, you can also purchase the game on Steam and the Windows Store if you’d prefer to do so.
In addition to the standard edition, they also revealed a Collector’s Edition of Ori and the Will of the Wisps available for $49.96 which includes the following items:
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps for Xbox One (base game)
- Iconic golden feather SteelBook case
- Piano Collections Ori and the Will of the Wisps CD with the soundtrack
- Original soundtrack for Ori and the Will of the Wisps (MP3 download)
- The Art of Ori and the Will of the Wisps book
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Trailers
Ever since Ori and the Will of the Wisps was first teased at E3 2017, Xbox has been releasing some exciting new trailers, allowing us to take a deeper look at the game. We have listed all of the trailers in order of their release date down below:
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Game Awards 2019
The most recent trailer premiered at The Game Awards 2019 shows off more stunning gameplay in Ori and the Will of the Wisps. In the video, you’ll notice that the attention to detail in every single frame is absolutely outstanding. Which is exactly why we suggest watching it for yourself below.
The bad news is that this was also the reveal trailer for the new release date, March 11th, 2020. Nevertheless, we are just as excited to play the Ori and the Will of the Wisps as we were back when it was first revealed back in 2017.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps E3 2019
Last year at E3 2019, the initial release date was revealed for Ori and the Will of the Wisps. In the E3 2019 gameplay trailer, Xbox showcased some of the brand-new, ruthless monsters that Ori will encounter in the Will of the Wisps. The company also showed off how absolutely breath-taking Ori and the Will of the Wisps is going to be as a result of the vibrant colors, smooth animation, and the remarkable soundtrack. You can take a look at the mind-blowing trailer for yourself below:
Ori and the Will of the Wisps E3 2018
The E3 2018 gameplay trailer for Ori and the Will of the Wisps has to be one of the most tear-jerking videos we’ve seen for the game. I’m not crying, you are! At least, I was until around 50 seconds into the video when the adorable moment is interrupted by a spine-chilling wolf. Once the wolf stops snarling, we get to see Ori fight in the astonishing levels found in Ori and the Will of the Wisps. You can watch the video in-full down below:
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Spirit Trials: What Are They?
In a trailer revealed at Gamescom 2018, Moon Game Studios announced the new Spirit Trial mode. If you haven’t watched the trailer, Spirit Trials are essentially time trials that can be found throughout the world of Ori.
These allow players to race against their friends or internet strangers from around the world—a fun new multiplayer mode that we simply can’t wait for.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Teaser Trailer
Our first look at Ori and the Will of the Wisps came after a teaser trailer was displayed at E3 2017. During the trailer, we follow a feather blowing in the wind as it travels throughout the animated forest.
The feather finally leads to a lonely owl who appears to be frightened by the storm. I won’t spoil the trailer any further, so you’ll have to go and watch it for yourself. One thing I will advise you to do, however, is to grab some tissues as you will most definitely shed a tear (or two).
Ori and the Will of the Wisps: News and Features
As Ori and the Will of the Wisps will release in less than two months, we have more news surrounding the game now than ever before. This is exactly why we have compiled some of the most important news regarding this upcoming platform-adventure Metroidvania game.
Here’s everything we know so far:
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Movement Abilities
In this upcoming game, Ori will be much faster thanks to the return of double jumps and dashes, as well as the addition of a burrow skill and a grappling hook. By using the hook, you will be able to swing through all of the picturesque levels with ease. But by using the new burrow skill, you will be able to dig through the sand, reaching never-before-accessible areas in the world of Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Additionally, this skill doubles as an attack that enables you to damage enemies from below the surface.
You Can Upgrade Your Abilities
As you progress through Ori and the Will of the Wisps, you will be able to upgrade all of your movement and combat abilities. This will certainly provide you with an advantage when fighting against all of the new enemies inside and beyond the forest of Nibel. As a result, we expect Ori and the Will of the Wisps to be an extremely entertaining Metroidvania.
Can You Customize Your Character in Ori and the Will of the Wisps?
As well as the ability to upgrade your abilities, you will also get to customize the way Ori behaves using upgradeable Spirit Shards. These shards can be found throughout the world of Ori and the Will of the Wisps and can be upgraded with Spirit Light. At this very moment, we know that you will have four shard slots that can be swapped out at any moment. This replaces the Ability Tree as seen in Ori and the Blind Forest.
Conclusion
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is an upcoming Metroidvania that appears to have it all: a stunning art style, fluid animations, a deeply emotional story, and an atmospheric soundtrack. Sadly, we will have to wait an extra month until we can finally get our hands on the game. Nevertheless, we here at Game Gavel believe that Ori and the Will of the Wisps will be worth the wait. What do you think? Feel free to let us know your opinion in the comments section below!
While you wait for Ori and the Will of the Wisps to be released, you may be interested in reading our guide to the 7 best Xbox One exclusives. We’ve even included Ori and the Blind Forest so that you know exactly how we feel about the original game. If you have already played the Blind Forest, why not replay it right before the new game is released?