The spectrum of light and color used across the game world is immense. Particle effects add density and realism to materials with splashes and sparks that produce light and sand that pours realistically through cracks in the Windswept Wastes. This is especially noticeable in dark places, where you are the dominant light source. Ori emits a blue light, which is absorbed and reflected by his immediate environment. This permits lighting changes on a smaller scale. Studio Head Thomas Mahler mentioned in an interview that every single asset in the game has seven light masks. As you progress, the designers are able to transform areas, making the game itself feel larger and more dynamic without the need for entirely new spaces. Lighting and effectsĭynamic lighting aids weather effects and time of day. Later, when you pass through again it is calm and illuminated with warm light. When you start in the first area it’s stormy, with trees and bushes thrashing in the wind. The increased level of animation in the environment is also used for weather effects. One of the best animation details I noticed was the spikes in an underground spider lair, which are actually living insects that flutter their wings if you get too close! Sick! The only thing that feels 2-dimensional is the gameplay. Double, the number of environment layers helps them extend far into the background. The forest is more tangible thanks to this incredible motion design. Bushes shake as you walk by, trees sway as they drop leaves and occlude the sun behind them, branches and leaves flex under your weight, and waterfalls part around you with a splash. By choosing to make the entire mid-ground 3D, Moon Studios not only adds more passive animation but also makes almost every single object interactive. Ori and the Blind forest used parallax animations on layered environments to convey depth, with enough movement in foliage to be convincing. My favorite addition is a massive frog Kwolok, a gentle giant who resides over a verdant marsh and protects the meerkat-like Moki. The forest of Niwen feels more alive and the resulting experience less solitary. Some provide side-quests, remark at your accomplishments, or even point you in the right direction. Unlike the previous game, Will of the Wisps is brimming with secondary characters that bring the forest to life. Like the villain from the first game, Shriek is a nuanced character with justifications for its behavior and outlook. The primary antagonist, Shriek, is a winged abomination that hates life. What starts as a simple quest to return home becomes an epic adventure to find Ku and restore a dying land. Ori and his newly adopted sibling Ku find themselves stranded in a new forest (Niwen) that is slowly dying after the loss of its spirit tree. While it isn’t necessary to play the first game, you will appreciate the many references and relationships even more if you do. Will of the Wisp's narrative is a direct continuation from Blind Forest. Ori's family welcomes a new member, the owlet Ku
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