Ori and the Will of the Wisps is hard — REALLY hard

As a massive fan of Ori and the Blind Forest, I walked into the launch event for the sequel with what could be described as an inappropriate amount of excitement. The puzzles, the animation, the excitement pulling me to the edge of my seat — I was ready to feel like I did the first time I played the original as I sat down with Ori and the Will of the Wisps.

I've seen all the trailers, I just finished a replay of the Definitive Edition on my Xbox One X, and I was ready to enjoy this game.

Just kidding, I wasn't remotely ready. And you probably aren't either. Here's why.

A whole new Ori

For as much as it looks and feels like the original, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is very different from its predecessor. For starters, it's bigger. Much bigger. The first area alone is massive, and I wasn't able to get through all of it after an hour of gameplay. We know of at least five other areas of similar size, each with its own unique challenges. As much as I loved Ori and the Blind Forest, it wasn't exactly a long game. I'm nowhere near done with Will of the Wisps and this already feels much more substantial.

It's not just level size. The areas you wander through now have merchants for upgrades. You can purchase new attacks, maps to expand your view of the area, and a few other things that are all separate from the skill tree you have to unlock (similar to the original). Completionists are going to have a field day with everything players need to do in order to feel like the game is finished, but even if that's not your thing, there's going to be plenty to do here. The achievements list tells us that much.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is definitely challenging

The biggest challenge you're going to encounter here is the combat. The game wastes no time throwing you into a boss fight to help teach you to never drop you guard, and it only gets more entertaining from there. The game doesn't hold your hand or explain combat basics to you. Like its predecessor, you are thrown into a situation and need to play your way out. That means, for some, the combat will be incredibly difficult, but for others it will feel natural and worth the challenge.

It'll be a little while before you see a full review of Ori and Will of the Wispshere at Windows Central, but I can tell you for sure if you're a fan of the last game you will love this one, too. However, if you're expecting the game to feel easy just because you're used to the previous game, you're going to find yourself counting how many times you die using numbers you won't be proud to share with others.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps will be part of Xbox Game Pass and available on its own for $30 if you don't want to subscribe to that service.