Game Tips - Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Ori and the Will of the Wisps: Comprehensive Game Tips Guide

This guide provides a deep dive into the mechanics of Ori and the Will of the Wisps, covering everything from beginner fundamentals to advanced optimizations. Tips are grouped by category to help you tailor your playstyle and master Niwen.

Beginner Tips

#### Master the Movement Basics Early

Wall Jump & Light Burst: Practice chaining wall jumps and using Light Burst (up + attack in air) to gain extra height. This is essential for exploration and avoiding damage. Use it as soon as you unlock it.

Dash Timing: The Dash ability has a brief invincibility window (about 10 frames). Use it not only for horizontal movement but also to phase through enemy attacks and projectiles.

Grapple Paddle: Once you have the Grapple, always hold the stick toward your target while pressing the button. This ensures you latch onto the nearest point without missing.

Don't Spend on Early Upgrades Blindly: Spirit Light is used for ability upgrades, Shards, and map markers. Prioritize Movement Upgrades (Wall Jump, Dash, Double Jump) before combat upgrades. They open the map and make future farming easier.

Check Shop Prices: Mouldwood Depths shop sells a Map Marker upgrade for 500 Spirit Light—buy this first to reveal hidden secrets on your map.

Sword is for Fliers: The melee attack (B on Xbox, Circle on PlayStation, X on Switch) is slow but deals good damage. Use it primarily on enemies that hover (e.g., bats, moths) because they can't be hit by Spirit Edge. Against grounded foes, Spirit Edge (ranged) is safer and faster.

Parry Windows: Hold the melee button to parry incoming attacks. Parrying an enemy creates a brief stun and deals high knockback. Practice on the early birds in Inkwater Marsh.

Exploration Tips

The order matters: Wall Jump (Inkwater Marsh) → Dash (Kwolok's Hollow) → Burrow (Wellspring) → Double Jump (Luminous Pools) → Grapple (Baurs Reach) → Flash (Windswept Wastes). Follow this sequence to minimize backtracking.

Hidden Doorways: Many caves are hidden behind breakable walls or Spirit Light-covered barriers. Use Light Burst (explosion) or your weapon to break them. Listen for the rustling sound of secret rooms.

Map Markers: Place markers on areas with unreachable upgrades (e.g., high ledges, behind ice walls). Use the "Eye" icon for things you can't reach yet.

Completion Percentage: The map shows 100% per sub-area. Use the Spirit Light Reveal shard to see all upgrades on the map. Equip it while backtracking.

Activate All Spirit Wells: They serve as fast travel points once you find Teleporters later. Each well also restores health and energy. Use them after tough boss fights to top off.

Combat Tips

Spirit Edge (ranged): Best for crowd control. Charge it to fire three homing projectiles. Use against swarms of bats or flying enemies.

Hammer (Heavy): Slower but breaks armor on shielded enemies (e.g., the armored beetles in Mouldwood Depths). Pair with Recklessness shard for extra damage.

Bow: Some enemies drop arrows? Not really—this is Ori & Will of the Wisps, not Bow. But there is Light Burst—treat it as a spell. Actually, the correct weapons: Spirit Edge (ranged), Hammer (melee), and later Spirit Smash (ground pound). Use Spirit Smash to stun bosses.

Vulnerability: Enemies take 25% more damage from all sources. Equip this for bosses.

Recklessness: +50% damage but -80% health regeneration. Only use if you're confident in dodging. Great for speedrunning bosses.

Triple Threat: Adds a third projectile to Spirit Edge. This is a must-have for clearing rooms quickly.

Shatter (boss specific): Once you unlock it, use it to instantly destroy enemy projectiles. Bosses like the Spider Queen fire homing balls—Shatter removes them.

Mora the Spider: Stay mobile—her attacks anticipate your position. Use Grapple to swing around the arena. Attack only during her recovery (after she slams the ground). Triple Threat Spirit Edge deals massive damage.

Kwolok: He spits bubbles. Use Dash to avoid them. His weak point is his head—leap and attack with Hammer (melee) while he's stunned after a charge.

Shriek (Final Boss): Phase 1: Dodge the green lasers and attack the eyes. Phase 2: Use Grapple to reach high platforms, then Spirit Edge spam with Triple Threat. Don't stop moving.

Resources & Economy

Efficient Farming: The best early farm is the Inkwater Marsh area with the brown creatures that drop 2-3 Spirit Light each. Lure them together and use Light Burst for multi-kills.

Late-Game Farm: In Windswept Wastes, there is a room with infinite spawning bats near a Spirit Well. Use Spirit Edge + Triple Threat to kill them rapidly. You can earn 1000 Spirit Light per minute.

Movement

Health & Energy

Shard Slots

Wellspring

Weapon Upgrades

Mouldwood Depths

Ore: Found in chests and secret caves. Use it to craft Shards at the Shardcrafter in Wellspring. Focus on crafting Vulnerability, Triple Threat, and Recklessness first.

Selling Unwanted Shards: The Shardcrafter also buys shards for Spirit Light. Don't hoard duplicates—sell them.

Builds & Shard Loadouts

Shards: Vulnerability, Triple Threat, Light Harvest (killing enemies restores health), Catalyst (energy recharge faster). This balances damage and sustain.

Weapons: Spirit Edge (primary), Hammer (for armored foes).

Shards: Recklessness, Vulnerability, Triple Threat, Shatter, Thorn (damage enemies when you get hit). Replace Thorn with Life Harvest if you need healing.

Strategy: Rely on dodging and parrying. One hit may kill you, but you kill bosses in seconds.

Shards: Spirit Light Reveal (see upgrades on map), Magnet (attract pickups from further), Sticky (greater wall jump distance), Double Jump (can't be removed, but ensure you have it). Use Avarice (more Spirit Light from enemies) when farming.

Weapons: Any—focus on movement.

Advanced Optimizations

Wall Jump Storage: In the Wellspring, before getting Grapple, you can use a precise wall jump + double jump combination to reach higher ledges early. This skips the need for Grapple in some areas but is very tight.

Gliding Skip: The Glide ability is optional for some sections. If you time a dash right after a double jump, you can cross gaps that normally require Glide.

Spirit Edge + Light Burst + Dash Cancel: Fire Spirit Edge (hold for three shots), immediately Light Burst, then Dash to cancel the light burst animation. This deals massive burst damage in one second. Perfect for boss damage phases.

Hammer Slam + Ground Pound: Use Hammer's charge attack to slam down while airborne, then immediately ground pound (down + attack) for a second hit. This stuns enemies and breaks armor.

Energy Regen: The Catalyst shard doubles energy regeneration when you stand still. Use it after a fight to refill quickly.

Save Energy for Bosses: Before heavy combat, top up energy by stomping grass (which drops small energy orbs). In many areas, breaking green mushrooms gives energy.

Note: This may be patched. In some versions, if you equip Sticky and Double Jump, you can perform a wall jump on a single pixel of wall, then immediately double jump, causing infinite air travel. Use for sequence breaking, but be aware it's unintended.

Intermediate Strategies

After Baurs Reach, head to Luminous Pools to get Flash (reveals hidden enemies and breaks a particular wall). Use Flash to access the Mouldwood Depths early for a powerful weapon upgrade.

Don't Rush to Shriek: The final boss is scaled to your upgrades. If you go too early, you'll be underpowered. Complete all side areas first (Mouldwood Depths, Windswept Wastes).

There are 10 hidden seeds that increase Ori's damage. Use a guide to find them all—they're permanent upgrades. Each seed adds +10% damage, stacking multiplicatively with shards.

Each Spirit Well can be linked to a teleporter after you obtain the Teleporter ability from Kwolok's Hollow. Activate all wells, then fast travel between them for efficient backtracking.

Final Tips

Audio Cues: The game plays a distinct chime when hidden upgrades are nearby. Invest in headphones to locate collectibles easily.

Rest at Spirit Wells: Dying in combat respawns you at the last well you visited. Always visit a well before attempting a difficult room.

Accessibility Options: If you struggle with precise platforming, turn on Assist Mode in the options. It allows you to adjust damage taken and even enable auto-recovery from pits.

By applying these tips, you'll streamline your journey through Niwen, master its combat, and uncover every secret. Good luck, Ori!