Ori

Ori is one of the most beautiful and emotionally resonant franchises in modern gaming, a pair of metroidvania platformers developed by Moon Studios and published by Xbox Game Studios. Renowned for their breathtaking hand-painted visuals, their sweeping orchestral scores, and their genuinely moving stories told largely without words, the Ori games proved that a platformer could be as artful and affecting as any prestige drama. Across two acclaimed entries, the series follows a small guardian spirit named Ori through gorgeous, perilous worlds, combining precision platforming with heartfelt storytelling in a way few games have ever matched.

The Ori Games in Order

The series is made up of two mainline games. It began with Ori and the Blind Forest in 2015, later re-released as a Definitive Edition in 2016 with additional content. The sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, followed in 2020. Both games are available on Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch, and are included with Game Pass, making them easy for newcomers to discover. While Moon Studios has since moved on to other projects, these two titles together tell a complete and satisfying story.

Ori and the Blind Forest

Ori and the Blind Forest introduced the world to Ori, a small white guardian spirit, and Naru, the gentle creature who raises Ori as the forest of Nibel begins to wither and die. The game opens with one of the most emotionally devastating sequences in gaming, instantly establishing the stakes and the heart that would define the series. From there, players guide Ori through a dangerous, dying world, aided by a spirit light called Sein, working to restore the forest while pursued by the fearsome owl Kuro. Its tight, demanding platforming, including tense, white-knuckle escape sequences, earned widespread praise, and the game recouped its development costs in just a week, an early sign of how special it was.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

The 2020 sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, expanded on the original in nearly every way. The story follows Ori and Ku, the young owlet daughter of Kuro, as they are separated and drawn into the new land of Niwen. Will of the Wisps deepened the experience with a larger, more interconnected world, a richer combat system with weapons and abilities, and even more stunning art and animation. It was met with universal acclaim, widely regarded as one of the finest metroidvanias ever made, and its eventual release on Nintendo Switch brought the beloved sequel to an even wider audience. Its conclusion brought Ori’s journey to a deeply emotional and fitting end.

The Art and Music of Ori

What truly sets the Ori games apart is their presentation. Moon Studios crafted both titles with luminous, hand-painted environments that look like living storybook illustrations, full of glowing detail and atmosphere. Just as essential is the music, composed by Gareth Coker, whose fully orchestrated scores swell and ache in perfect harmony with the action on screen. Together, the visuals and music carry the entire emotional weight of the story, allowing the games to make players laugh, gasp, and cry without a single line of spoken dialogue. It is this artistry, paired with rock-solid platforming, that elevated Ori from a great game into a genuine work of art.

Moon Studios and a Possible Ori 3

After completing Ori’s two-game arc, Moon Studios turned its attention to a very different project, the dark fantasy action RPG No Rest for the Wicked, trading whimsical platforming for gritty, challenging combat. The studio has been open that it considers Ori’s story complete, with the pair of games forming a finished whole. Still, the door has not been fully closed. Creative director Thomas Mahler has revealed he has ideas for a third Ori game and even a title in mind, though the studio remains focused elsewhere for now. With Microsoft owning the Ori intellectual property and Mahler expressing interest in working with them again, a return to the series someday is possible, even if fans should be prepared for a long wait.

Ori endures because it dared to wear its heart on its sleeve. In an industry full of spectacle, Moon Studios built two relatively small games that hit harder emotionally than nearly anything around them, backed by visuals and music that still take the breath away. Whether or not Ori ever returns for a third adventure, the two games already standing remain a high-water mark for beauty and feeling in the medium.