What if we told you that there is an even more exciting version, licked and raised from the already very good metroidvania Ori and the Blind Forest? Wouldn’t that be the dream?
In fact, what we are describing to you here is rather the result of this surprise success of 2015: Ori and the Will of the Wisps!
On a getaway to San Francisco * earlier this month, Weighs on start had the opportunity to have a little tête-à-tête with the long-awaited game, as well as a meeting with Daniel Smith, main producer at Xbox Game Studios, and Gareth Coker, the composer behind the title music .
Nothing less!
The universe that conquered us … to the power of 10
At first glance, it must be admitted that the few information and videos shared since the unveiling ofOri and the Will of the Wisps in 2017 did not lie: the charm and the atmosphere of the first opus are still there, if only increased tenfold to the power of 10!
When you sit in front of the second shutter, what you notice is how much attention to detail is always at the center of the concerns of the craftsmen of developer Moon Studios.
photo-credit">Image courtesy Moon Studios
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Yes, you guessed it, the introduction of the title is once again very moving and resumes where Blind forest had left things.
The adorable Ori is back in Nibel Forest, as are Naru and Gumo, this time accompanied by the young orphan owl Ku, child of the antagonist of the first game, Kuro. The latter however disappears into the depths of the dark neighboring region … and our hero makes it a point to find his new friend.
We are only talking about an introduction here, but already the table is set.
The first minutes lift the veil on magnificent environments, neat animations and a frankly neat sound design. And at the end of the tutorial, we find ourselves submerged in a massive universe to explore.
All in all, with Will of the Wisps, the world of Ori is expanding, but does not seem to be distorted.
photo-credit">Image courtesy Moon Studios
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And that’s exactly what the creators wanted when they laid the foundation for the rest of the series.
“We realized that the first game was loved by many people. We felt that we had set the bar high. So, for the rest, the idea was to take all the things that people liked from the first, integrate them into the second game and improve them by adding additional layers, “said Daniel Smith.
New and shiny mechanics
In this sense, if the recipe forOri and the Will of the Wisps appears familiar, the title remains different on several levels from its predecessor.
In particular, the combat system of the suite has been completely revised. On the one hand for narrative reasons (those who have finished Blind forest understand), but also to give the player a chance to personalize his experience.
In doing so, Smith said that during development, one test led to another, and in the end, the developers at Moon Studios decided to include a variety of weapons in Will of the Wisps.
photo-credit">Image courtesy Moon Studios
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“Our first samples made us wonder:” What if Ori squarely used spiritual weapons and skills that required precision for aiming from a distance “? The closer you got to a deeper, less automated fight like in the first game, the more fun you had. We realized that we could bring the experience closer to that of a game of Zelda“Recalled the producer.
So during my test, I was able to use a light sword, a bow and arrow, as well as a heavier weapon.
Even at the start of the game, the emerging variety proved to be welcome, although I must say that solving certain puzzles with my bow reminded me of some sweet memories of Breath of the Wild…
photo-credit">Image courtesy Moon Studios
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In a similar way, the character improvement system has also been revised, Ori can now find and equip “spirit shards”, which will make it possible to personalize the skills of the character or to provide him new tools.
Bosses and new characters are coming to the party
Certainly, we will not complain about this possibility of better adapting the prowess of Ori to our style of play, because, at the same time, formidable bosses also appear in Will of the Wisps!
As a result, less than an hour after launching the game, I was already struggling with a huge wolf, which I was clearly not very well equipped against.
photo-credit">Image courtesy Moon Studios
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Certainly, after a third successful attempt, I was clearly convinced: these ferocious villains definitely deserve their place in the universe of Ori.
And even if we still wipe the sweat from the forehead, we can’t wait to face more! (Well, at least with equipment worthy of the name …)
“In general, we are really satisfied [avec l’intégration des boss], because these are some of the biggest and most dramatic moments of the series, when we see impressive epic bosses. Also, many of them have multiple phases. You can fight one first and suddenly it turns into a chase sequence, then another fight scene. We love the result, “said Smith.
photo-credit">Image courtesy Moon Studios
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Fortunately for our little hearts already a little too stressed, there are not only bosses who are adding to the world of Ori in Will of the Wisps. There are now several secondary characters, ready to embellish your adventure with many challenges and cute new faces (hello Moki)!
During my brief exploration of the title, I was also able to meet some of them, who offered to sell me improvements or, more particularly, to engage in secondary missions .
Yes, you read that right, even more quests … and “excuses” to frequently retrace your steps and thoroughly search the labyrinthine corners of the game.
photo-credit">Image courtesy Moon Studios
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“In the original game, we basically had four characters and people loved them, so it was like, let’s make some more! Having non-playable characters who entrust you with side quests also gives us more opportunities to tell stories, “said Gareth Coker.
“Many of the side missions have emotional depth,” said Smith.
In this connection, we even find in Ori and the Will of the Wisps a landmark called Wellspring Blade, where most of the characters meet and where you can take a brief “break” from the more hostile environments of the game and improve your equipment.
A bit like relays in Breath of the Wild, what.
Always essential, this soundtrack by Gareth Coker
In addition, in the radius of the elements that had to be back in Will of the Wisps, and who are, there is this wonderful soundtrack composed by Gareth Coker.
Once again, it accompanies each of our movements, to a point where we end up forgetting it a little, in the good sense of the term, because it so naturally sticks to the action.
And to follow the general trend, the soundtrack is also much more extensive and imposing than that of the first version.
photo-credit">Image courtesy Moon Studios
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Recorded in London in the same studio as the musicInception and Interstellar, the piecesOri and Will of the Wisps this time benefited from an orchestra of 72 musicians (Blind forest had 40) and real choirs.
The result? It’s absolutely beautiful. There are no other terms.
“This game is about three times the size of Blind forest. For us, it was an opportunity to write more music and, beyond that, my goal was to make sure that as soon as the player progressed in the game, it was represented in music ”, assured Coker, adding that the feeling of progression was also reflected in the cutscenes and skills acquired.
“I would describe Ori as a kind of ballet between all the different elements. When they all work together, we always feel as if something new is happening to us, ”imagined the composer.
A game three times bigger, what does that mean in concrete terms?
Finally, if my essay had convinced me that Will of the Wisps was certainly more massive, refined and complete than its predecessor, a question remained in my mind.
How would all of this affect the whole game and, more specifically, its duration?
Well, it looks like the sequel to Blind forest be much longer than this one!
photo-credit">Image courtesy Moon Studios
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Thus, the creators roughly estimate between 20 and 40 hours the duration ofOri and the Will of the Wisps, according to the “completionist” fiber of the individual behind the controller.
In short, it’s quite major!
“We’re talking about the size and scale of the universe, but it’s not just the environment [qui est plus grand]. It’s also the systems, the character progression, there’s just a lot more of everything, ”Smith summed up.
So in summary, we can’t wait?
Obviously we can’t wait!
In Will of the Wisps, we feel that Moon Studios has tried to keep everything we liked about the first shutter, whether in terms of platform phases or elements specific to the classics of the style metroidvania.
On the other hand, it does not stop there, while we are grafting into it a world of improvements and renewed concepts.
How not to be seduced?
Obviously, the surprise effect may not be there, but the formula is solid enough, and reinvented, that it will once again win the hearts of players.
In other more concise words, that bodes well!
Ori and the Will of the Wisps will be released on March 11 on Xbox One and PC, as well as on the Xbox Game Pass.
* Transport and accommodation costs of Weighs on start were offered by Microsoft.
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