Ori and the Will of the Wisps hit a home run and is a more than worthy sequel to the already fantastic Ori and the Blind Forest. This sublime experience combines the best of storytelling with delightful action-platforming to create my favorite gaming experience of 2020.

Played with PlayStation 4 controller

[+] Versatile movement in a beautiful metroidvania.
As you progress and obtain more abilities (even more than the first game), Ori gradually becomes more monkey-like in their movements, opening up the world for more exploration. The whole map essentially becomes a delightful playground with hidden nuggets/collectibles in every nook and cranny. Thanks to the responsive controls, the different mechanics can easily be combined with one another to result in fast, agile, and fluid movement - which happens to be the perfect accompaniment for the exciting escape sequences and the thrilling boss fights.

[+] Emotional and thrilling storytelling.
The incredible writing and direction, supported by the beautiful art and the divine OST makes the whole experience feel like a fairytale brought to life. I wouldn’t dare to deprive you from such a wonderful story by spoiling it here, so do yourself a favor and get the game. I will openly admit that I cried like a baby multiple times.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2169324939
[+] This sequel makes several notable improvements compared to the first game:

1. Auto-save.
   Thank God they removed the manual save system introduced in the first game.
   
   
2. New combat system!
   Ori no longer has only the auto-lock on spirit fire attack, which I personally didn’t care for. Instead you can unlock and upgrade multiple abilities (including melee and ranged attacks), which can be assigned to the X, Y, B (Square, Triangle and Circle for PlayStation) buttons at your leisure. Combat options were lacking in the original so really appreciate this customization upgrade. Personally, I couldn’t get enough of the giant hammer and Shock Smash upgrade.
   
   https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2177313275
   
3. Addition of equipables!
   Similar to the charms in Hollow Knight, Ori can now equip Spirit Shards (equippable items that provide upgrades to you or your abilities). Again, I find that the customization options allow for a more self-tailored experience. I basically had two sets of Spirit Shards that suited my playstyle: one for exploration and one for combat.
   
   https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2177313407
   
4. Improvements to the map and teleportation.
   The map immediately displays any warpstone and collectable you come across without requiring a map upgrade first (as was the case in the original). The map also makes it abundantly clear where the objective is, which areas you have and haven’t explored yet, and it even shows your latest movement in the form of a dotted line, making it incredibly difficult to get lost or disoriented. Furthermore, you can now teleport to any warpstone from any location, which greatly reduces the necessity for backtracking and helps to keep the pace of the game up.
   
   
5. Addition of side quests is always a blessing.
   Several great side quests were included in this title but there was one in particular that I really enjoyed: “hand to hand”. It is essentially a trade sequence quest where you aid the next NPC by providing them with the item the previous NPC gave you. Helping the many creatures felt like I was contributing to the livelihood of the forest.
   
   
6. Addition of a main hub.
   Important NPCs, such as vendors, relocate to the main hub in Wellspring Glades, after you meet them in the wild. Since the land is plagued by corruption and is tyrannized by the evil Shriek, NPCs will immigrate to this safe haven, inadvertently creating a diverse community. By offering resources, such as Gorlek ore and mysterious seeds, found during your journey to Grom (builder) and Tuley (gardener), you are also able to upgrade the main hub until it turns into a lively village. Investing in the community felt rewarding, and encouraged me to search for all the collectable items and help all NPCs.

[+] The game provides the necessary tools to unlock everything without relying on external help/guides.
If collecting everything is your cup of tea (it certainly is mine), then you will probably appreciate this point. There are map upgrades you can either buy or obtain which mark the location of all missing collectables, making them much easier to obtain. Furthermore, if you need to farm for more currency, Spirit Shards can be used to speed up the process; for example, by combining Consume (Enemies have 70% more Life and deal 70% more damage, but drop double currency) with Turmoil (Enemies respawn faster).

[+] Perhaps a minor detail but the game automatically pauses if your controller disconnects.
Kudos, Moon Studios.

[-] I enjoyed playing it so much that finishing it felt bitter-sweet.
As much as I loved the game, I felt sad knowing that it would be a while before another game would blow me away like this again. I’m sure most of us have at least one game that we wish we would wipe from our memories and replay again - Ori and the Will of the Wisps falls under this category. Can’t wait for the next installment!

A practically-flawless sequel and a must-have if you enjoyed Ori and the Blind Forest. Highly recommended to everyone else.