This guide is still under development…

Ori and the Will of the Wisp (or Ori 2) is a marvel to look at in action. And it’s a joy to control and play according to our resident 2D Metroidvania guy Mr Toffee. However, the kid’s gloves come off after the two-hour mark once you get your Bash skill.

Fortunately, we have some tips and tricks to sort you out on your spirit-faring journey. We assume you’re playing on Normal because that’s the best way to experience the game. Can’t make the entire journey a walk in the park now, can we?

Sort Out Your Difficulty Level First

You cannot switch the game’s difficulty halfway, just so you know. But keep in mind: difficulty affects the damage you take from enemies and hazards. Normal difficulty is still the way to go if this is your first time playing the game; heck, even if you’ve played Ori and the Blind Forest, we still recommend Normal mode.

Here’s one way to gauge whether you can tone it down or crank it up: play through an hour of the game. If you die a lot before you reach Kwolok’s Hollow, maybe you should tone it down. If you feel incredibly confident and don’t mind dying a lot in the later parts, start a new game on Hard. Whichever mode you pick, you’ll have fun with the game’s traversal and platforming.

You Can Skip The Prologue Chapter

Speaking of skipping, you can shave off a good 15-minutes and get to the game if you’re not a story guy or gal. Just pause the game at the very start of the game and select “Skip Prologue”.

Explore Every Bit Of The Inkwater Marsh

This is the starting point where you get all your basic skills, from your attacks to your traversal methods like the double jump and the bash. The latter lets you reflect projectiles and also get a boost in the air via the Left Bumper.

There’s a pretty good chance you might miss some key upgrades and skills if you blaze through this section. Case in point: the life regeneration active skill that can be handy if you’re fighting tough bosses. Take your time here and in the next area just before you hit the Grove and make sure to get the bare essentials.

Get The Spirit Smash For Your First Skill Purchase

While it’s tempting to buy other moves from the fightmaster Opher at half-price the first time, you should be a tad practical here. So go get the Spirit Smash because not only does it deal mega damage and pushes enemies back, it also smashes breakable floors that open up new areas and secrets.

Spend Time Building Up The Grove

Once you reach the grove in about close to 2 hours, you can start using those Ores and Seeds you found. And when you get newer abilities like the Burrow and Grapple, make an effort to find more Ores to give to the blacksmith. He will help open up new areas and even a new shrine to buff Ori permanently.

Get The Hang Of Your “Grappling Hook” & Burrow Dash Distances

Remember: there’s a set distance for both the grapple and the burrow dash whenever you approach the respective hook point and sand/sand block. Get the feel for the distance for each as you playtest each ability in the area you got it from. This distance judgment will be useful when you are in a chase sequence.

NEXT: Gorlek Ore locations, Hand to Hand sidequest, escape & boss vids