I got a chance to play a few hours of Ori and the Will of the Wisps over the past couple days, and think it is absolutely amazing. While it definitely rehashes some of the same scenarios and story beats from the first game, the gameplay is actually significantly more complex and rewarding. I think I’m benefiting from my experience with the first game, which I played through twice, but I have found the sequel to be a little more forgiving in its difficulty.

In general, it is wonderful to have some fun video games to retreat to in this very stressful pandemic time. I do recognize that I need to turn away from gaming a little bit more than I have been, and move back to more productive activities in my “free time.” Games like Ori make that just a little bit harder.