Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Ori and the Will of the Wisps on PC is a story-driven 2D metroidvania and action-platformer from Moon Studios, published by Xbox Game Studios. The storefront name remains unchanged on Steam and Xbox, with no verified rebrand or replacement edition. It follows Ori through the forest of Niwen in a mostly solo adventure built around exploration, precision movement, environmental puzzles, and increasingly flexible combat.

Traversal Leads Every Discovery

Will of the Wisps is best understood as a side-scrolling exploration game where movement is both the main challenge and the main reward. Ori begins with a limited set of options, then gradually gains abilities that open routes through forests, caverns, deserts, flooded passages, and vertical escape sections.

The map is designed around ability-gated exploration. A blocked passage, distant ledge, or dangerous current may become accessible after Ori learns a new movement skill. Returning to earlier regions is therefore part of the intended loop rather than simple backtracking, especially when searching for hidden collectibles, Spirit Shards, side objectives, and Spirit Light currency.

Ori's movement combines jumping, double-jumping, dashing, wall interaction, gliding, grappling, burrowing, and projectile-based traversal. Bash remains a defining tool because it can redirect Ori or nearby objects, while Launch, Burrow, and Grapple create more elaborate movement chains in later areas.

Players who enjoy the map-driven discovery and demanding platforming of handcrafted metroidvania adventures like Hollow Knight will recognize the structure, although Ori places more emphasis on speed, aerial movement, and cinematic escape sequences.

Combat With Build Flexibility

Unlike the first Ori game, the sequel gives combat a broader active toolkit. Ori can use close-range spirit weapons, ranged attacks, spells, and heavier strikes, allowing encounters to be approached with different distances and rhythms instead of relying on one basic attack.

The combat system rewards directional attacks, aerial positioning, quick evasion, and choosing the right tool for an enemy's behavior. Spirit Edge provides a fast melee option, while Spirit Arc supports ranged damage and interaction with distant targets. Spirit Smash offers heavier impact against sturdier opponents, and other abilities expand Ori's control over groups, projectiles, and defensive situations.

Boss encounters are built around pattern recognition and movement under pressure. Large enemies occupy much of the screen, forcing players to read attack timing, identify safe positions, and combine traversal abilities with damage windows. The most memorable set pieces are often escape sequences, where Ori must execute a route through collapsing terrain or environmental hazards without stopping to fight everything on the way.

Healing and resource management are integrated into the exploration loop. Ori can spend energy to recover, while upgrades and collectibles improve survivability and combat potential. This makes the game more forgiving than a strict one-hit platforming challenge, but its hardest movement sections still demand accurate timing.

Spirit Shards And Optional Challenges

Spirit Shards are the game's central customization system. These modifiers change Ori's capabilities by improving damage, defense, energy use, mobility, attack range, or other parts of the playstyle. Shard slots can be expanded, letting players create a loadout suited to exploration, combat, survivability, or speed.

The shard system is more meaningful than a simple upgrade menu because it asks players to decide which advantages matter for the current area. A mobility-focused setup can make platforming smoother, while offensive or defensive combinations are more useful when entering a boss arena or a dense enemy room.

Outside the main path, Spirit Trials turn Ori's movement system into timed race challenges. Players dash, grapple, burrow, and leap through fixed routes while competing against leaderboard times. These trials are especially valuable for players who enjoy optimization, route learning, and replaying a familiar section until every movement chain is clean.

Spirit Shrines provide timed combat trials with escalating enemy waves and rewards. They are separate from the main traversal rhythm and offer a more concentrated test of attack selection, positioning, and resource use.

Niwen, Side Quests, And Progression

The world of Niwen is more populated and quest-oriented than the earlier game's setting. Ori meets characters who offer directions, requests, upgrades, or context about the damaged land. The settlement of Wellspring Glades acts as an important hub where restoration projects and NPC interactions connect optional objectives to the wider world.

Progression comes from several sources: story abilities, Spirit Shards, Spirit Light purchases, health and energy improvements, combat skills, and exploration rewards. This layered structure means there is rarely only one meaningful reason to investigate a side path. A detour may provide a new ability, a stronger shard setup, currency, or a quest item that changes the hub.

The main campaign is structured around exploration and mastery rather than a traditional mission list. Players move between major regions, solve environmental obstacles, defeat bosses, and revisit previous areas when new movement options reveal alternate routes.

Content Model And Editions

The PC game is sold as a complete standalone adventure, and it is also available through Microsoft's Game Pass ecosystem where supported. Steam lists the base game under the unchanged title Ori and the Will of the Wisps and presents the original soundtrack as separate downloadable content rather than a gameplay expansion.

There is no verified season pass, character pack, or paid story expansion required to access the main game. The complete gameplay structure is contained in the standalone release, while Ori: The Collection is a bundle that groups this game with Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition.

That makes the purchase decision straightforward. Choose the standalone sequel if you already own the first game or want to begin with its more developed combat and shard systems; choose the collection if you want both Ori campaigns together.

Who Should Play It

Will of the Wisps is a strong fit for players who prioritize precision platforming, expressive movement, environmental storytelling, and exploration with a clear sense of progression. It also suits players who want an emotional single-player adventure without online progression, party systems, or competitive multiplayer.

It may be a poor fit for anyone seeking co-op, player-versus-player modes, procedural runs, or a loot-driven RPG structure. The world is handcrafted, the campaign is authored, and replay value comes mainly from optional challenges, completion goals, collectibles, and faster movement through known routes.

The difficulty selection includes Easy, Normal, and Hard, allowing players to choose between a more accessible story-focused journey and a tougher combat and platforming experience. Difficulty does not turn the game into a roguelike; the core adventure remains a fixed world with persistent progression.

PC Features And Input Support

The Steam edition is a single-player PC release with full controller support, Steam Cloud, Steam Achievements, HDR support, Family Sharing, and Steam Remote Play features for supported devices. Xbox controllers are the officially identified controller family on the Steam listing.

On Microsoft's PC ecosystem, the game supports Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing ownership to carry between compatible Xbox console and Windows versions. Players should choose the storefront ecosystem that matches their existing library, subscription access, and preferred controller setup.

Steam lists 21 interface and subtitle languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese-Brazil, Russian, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese. Full audio is not listed across those language options, so localization is primarily delivered through menus and subtitles.

Similar Games On PC

For a darker metroidvania with heavier emphasis on combat, hostile world design, and pattern-based boss encounters, soulslike platformers such as GRIME offer a more punishing alternative to Ori's movement-first approach.

Other comparisons should be made carefully. Ori shares the broad metroidvania framework with Hollow Knight and GRIME, but its identity comes from unusually fluid traversal, frequent environmental set pieces, a brighter hand-painted presentation, and a stronger focus on momentum-based platforming.

Ori And The Will Of The Wisps FAQ

Is Ori and the Will of the Wisps still the current PC name?

Yes. Steam and Xbox currently list the game as Ori and the Will of the Wisps. No verified storefront rebrand, renamed definitive edition, or replacement PC title was found.

Is Ori and the Will of the Wisps single-player?

Yes. The PC storefront listing identifies it as a single-player game. There is no verified online co-op, local co-op, split-screen mode, or competitive multiplayer campaign.

Does the game have Spirit Trials?

Yes. Spirit Trials are timed platforming races placed throughout the world. They use Ori's movement abilities and compare completion times through leaderboards.

What are Spirit Shards used for?

Spirit Shards are equipable modifiers that customize Ori's combat, defense, mobility, energy use, and exploration capabilities. Players unlock more slots and adjust their loadout as the adventure develops.

Does the PC version support controllers?

Yes. Steam lists full controller support and specifically identifies Xbox controllers. Steam also provides Remote Play features and Steam Cloud support.

Does Ori and the Will of the Wisps include paid gameplay DLC?

The standalone game contains the complete main adventure. The current Steam DLC listing identifies the soundtrack as separate content, while Ori: The Collection is a bundle containing the sequel and Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition rather than an expansion pack.