At E3 2018, Ori and the Will of the Wisps appeared to be giving combat more deliberate choices without making it the point of the adventure. In GamesBeat’s hands-on account of the Los Angeles demo, Ori used a selection of weapons and abilities in fights, while sand-burrowing traversal remained a highlight.
What changed in the E3 2018 demo?
GamesBeat’s Mike Minotti described the first Ori as having relatively simple combat: press a button and Ori fires a homing attack at a nearby enemy. In the Will of the Wisps demo he played at E3 in June 2018, combat instead involved choosing among assigned abilities. An ability wheel provided access to options, with abilities assigned to X, Y, and B.
Minotti reported using an energy sword and a bow, and also described a slower energy lance that dealt more damage and an explosive light projectile. One ability consumed energy to restore health. These are observations from that specific demo, not a claim that every move or control scheme remained unchanged in the finished game. GamesBeat’s E3 2018 hands-on
Combat expanded alongside traversal
The demo’s combat choices did not displace the movement that defines the series. Minotti also highlighted burrowing through sand: Ori could build speed underground and launch upward by timing the exit. That sequence put timing and momentum at the center of play, much as the weapon choices made encounters feel more considered.
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- Explore a vast, beautiful, immersive, and dangerous world filled with gripping enemy encounters, challenging puzzles and thrilling escape sequences. Unravel Ori’s true destiny in this emotionally engaging, hand crafted story driven adventure.
- New combat system. Wield dozens of new spirit weapons, spells and skills offering new dynamic combat mechanics to the world of Ori.
- Customize your style of play. Choose your tools for adventure from dozens of newly acquired attacks, spells, and skills to match your style of play.
- Encounter epic adversaries. Face large epic bosses and seek support from discoverable allies who will provide services and cast optional quests to extend the adventure.
- Available exclusively on Xbox One consoles and Windows 10. (PC hardware requirements may vary for games on Windows 10.)
Xbox’s E3 announcement pitched the broader design as offering “dozens of new spirit weapons, spells and skills,” supported by a shard system for powering Ori’s capabilities. It also called out bosses, puzzles, and escape sequences. That was promotional framing for the game’s direction, while the hands-on account gives a narrower view of what one demo let a player try. Xbox’s June 2018 announcement
Why Moon Studios broadened the combat
In a February 2020 interview with GameSpot, executive producer Daniel Smith said the team had heard feedback that combat in Ori and the Blind Forest felt “relatively basic.” He also explained that expanding the combat helped preserve story continuity after the first game’s ending. That provides a developer-stated reason for the sequel’s more involved fighting, rather than leaving the change to inference from the demo alone. GameSpot’s interview with Daniel Smith
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![Ori and the Will of the Wisps - Xbox One [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51OPvlE422L._SL160_.jpg)
- Immerse yourself in a hand-crafted narrative experience. Unravel Ori’s true destiny in this emotional and engaging story driven adventure with a stunning soundtrack. Explore vast, exotic, and strikingly beautiful environments.
- Master new skills. Guide Ori through a journey of untold danger using newly acquired spirit weapons, spells, and attacks. Utilize an all-new shard system to power-up Ori’s newfound abilities and customize your style of play.
- Face epic enemies and challenging puzzles. Encounter larger-than-life bosses and seek help from an expansive cast of new characters who will help you uncover Ori’s mysterious fate.
- Experience a new thrilling mode. Race to the top of the leaderboards in the all-new Spirit Trials mode where players dash, burrow, grapple, and leap to high scores in unique speed-run challenges throughout the game.
What the finished game confirmed
At launch on March 11, 2020, Xbox described the game as having an improved combat system built around spirit weapons, skills, and shards. It also listed Easy, Normal, and Hard difficulty choices. Those are final-release details; they should not be confused with the particular weapons and controls Minotti encountered in the 2018 preview build. Xbox’s launch announcement
Xbox had announced on June 9, 2019 that the game would launch on February 11, 2020 for Xbox One, Windows 10 PC, and Steam, with Game Pass availability on launch day. The March 2020 announcement said it was available digitally and at retail. These are historical launch details, not confirmation of current prices, stock, or subscription terms. Xbox’s release-date announcement
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![Ori and the Will of the Wisps - Collector's Edition [Xbox One]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41DNsH-YYIL._SL160_.jpg)
- Das Buch "The Art of Ori and the Will of the Wisps" (nur in Englisch)
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At launch, Moon Studios co-founder Thomas Mahler said, “We believe we’ve delivered on that promise to players and are looking forward to the response from the community.” The quote reflects the studio’s launch-era confidence, rather than an independent measure of how players received the game. Xbox Wire, March 11, 2020
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What this hands-on tells you about the sequel
If the question is whether Will of the Wisps changes combat from the original, the E3 preview points to a clear shift: instead of relying chiefly on a nearby homing attack, Ori could choose among attacks with different uses, including a slower heavy strike and a healing ability that spent energy. The evidence supports greater variety and choice, not a blanket claim that the sequel is harder or better.
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- Minecraft Dungeons Hero Edition includes the Hero Pass DLC content: a Hero Cape, two player skins, and a chicken pet. It also includes the Jungle Awakens and Creeping Winters DLC packs.
- Dungeon Creeper Battle new-and-nasty mobs in this all-new action-adventure, inspired by classic dungeon crawlers.
- Multiplayer Up to four players can team up and fight together in co-op mode.
- Power Up Unlock dozens of unique items and weapon enchantments for devastating special attacks.
- Options Personalize your character, then fight up-close and personal with melee swings, hang back with ranged attacks, or tank your way through swarms of mobs, by heavy armor
Just as important, the preview did not present combat as a replacement for platforming. Its sand-burrowing sequence suggests the intended appeal remained the interplay of movement, timing, and exploration, with combat given more room to engage the player along the way.
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