Ori and the Will of the Wisps follows in the footsteps of Ori and the Blind Forest in many ways, including the delivery of a flawless and emotional narrative. Although the sequel definitely took the franchise to the next level in terms of new gameplay mechanics, side quests, and a much larger map; the team at Moon Studios hasn't forgotten what made The Blind Forest so special - an enchanting and moving story.
At the end of Ori and the Blind Forest, things are looking pretty great for Ori and his found family. As fans might expect though, the events of Ori and the Will of the Wisps turn things on their head and create a new path of obstacles between Ori and a peaceful existence of lounging in the sun and eating fruits.
Before this article goes any further be warned that there are MAJOR SPOILERS for both Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps ahead. Players who want to play through the game with all the surprises in tact should stop reading here and revisit this article later for more details...
What is the Will of the Wisps?
Players who manage to roll credits on the game should have no doubts about the answer to this question. The voiceover narration at the end of the very clearly states that it was the will of the wisps for the light to be restored. For this to happen, a sacrifice had to be made...
What happens to Ku?
Midway through the game Ku sustains some deadly in an attempt to help Ori with a boss fight. It seems like the adorable little owl is deceased, but we know that resurrection is possible in Ori thanks to the events of the first game. From this point forward, the game becomes about Ori's quest to find the three remaining wisps and restore the light in an attempt to heal Ku's wounds.
By the end of the game, Ori manages to accomplish this task, take control of the light, and bring Ku back to life. As hinted at earlier, there is a high cost to this exchange. Ku may be reunited with Gumo and Naru, but Ori will never be the same.
What happens to Ori?
To take control of the light, Ori gives up his existing life and becomes one with the light. In doing this, Ori becomes the new spirit tree. In the following years, his spirit grows strong as his found family grows old around his trunk. It's a bittersweet ending that has some real Growing Tree vibes and is likely to trigger a lot of tears for gamers who have become invested in this little family.
Who was the narrator?
In a pretty big surprise twist, it turns out that Ori has actually been the narrator all along in many ways. The new Spirit Tree is telling the story from the future, which means it is actually Ori recounting his own adventure from before he gave up his first life and became one with the light to push back the decay and return light to the world.
Can there be more games in the series?
This is going to be a big question for many fans of the first two games. The first game left things in a much easier spot to carry on the story, but Will of the Wisps always offers a bit of hope for future adventures at the end of the road.
At the very end of the game, seemingly many years after Ori's adventure, the Spirit Tree sheds a single glowing white leaf. Fans of The Blind Forest will likely notice that this feels very familiar to how Ori's own story started. In theory, that leaf could land somewhere and become a new light spirit baby, just like Ori was, and have adventures of its own somewhere else in the massive world. The cyclical nature of life seems to be a recurring theme throughout both Ori games, so it wouldn't be surprising at all to see the new Spirit Tree start to lose its light and require a new generation of spirits and helpful animals to help restore (or replace) it.
For now, that's all still in the realm of speculation though. Hopefully news of another game arrives eventually, but for now Moon Studios has earned some time to just enjoy the success of Will of the Wisps.
Be sure to check back in the near future for more Ori and the Will of the Wisps strategy guides, news, and updates. Until then, keep fighting for the light.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is available now on PC and Xbox One.