Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a platform-adventure Metroidvania video game developed by Moon Studios and published by Xbox Game Studios for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One, and by Iam8bit for Nintendo Switch. Announced during E3 2017, the title is a direct sequel to 2015’s Ori and the Blind Forest, and was released on March 11, 2020 for Xbox One and Microsoft Windows. A Nintendo Switch version was released on September 17, 2020. The game received an optimisation for the Xbox Series X/S on November 10, 2020. The game is a 4K UHD, Xbox One X Enhanced, and Xbox Play Anywhere title.
The game was developed by Moon Studios, a collective organization without a set location. The game’s visuals were given an overhaul from the two-dimensional artwork in Blind Forest, to the three-dimensional models played in multilayered backgrounds in Will of the Wisps. The game maintains narrative continuity with Blind Forest and introduces new melee combat.
Upon release, the game received universal acclaim for the Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X versions, and favourable reviews for the Microsoft Windows version, with players and critics praising the game’s visuals, combat, elements of exploration, environments, chase sequences, and soundtrack. However, criticism was aimed at technical issues such as frame rate issues and visual bugs, which were largely resolved with a day-one patch.
