Ori and the Will of the Wisp is a sequel to The Blind Forest. I played the first game years ago. I don't remember much but it definitely hit me emotionally and became an instant favorite of mine. This sequel also hits all the emotional beats. 

The soundtrack is beautiful. It borrows a lot of the iconic songs from its predecessor while adding some new ones. The sequel keeps the same art style but updates the graphics. It looks beautiful and vivid. The world feels very lively and you can tell every area was well thought out! 

In Will of the Wisp, you get more abilities and new game mechanics. Combat is even more important than before. 

The platforming is still great. It's so smooth and satisfying. Nothing feels better than having a game respond to your movements correctly every single time. 

The story itself is probably the most controversial part of the game. No spoilers! There are a lot more story beats in this game and it leaves you with a lot to think about. I'm still trying to decide how I feel about it. I do give props to the developers for taking risks and trying a new direction with the narrative. I still enjoy the first game's story more, but this one has more messages to unpack and reflect on. 

I think there were a couple missed opportunities in this game. One being  Ku not being a playable character or a partner. Ori and Ku only work together for about five minutes of the game. Combining Ori's abilities with Ku's would have added so much to the game, and also added more of a narrative to Ku's character.

Overall, both games are fantastic. The Blind Forest instantly transports you to this new world with this lovable protagonist. It nails the atmosphere and has you cheering Ori on the whole time. Will of the Wisp has a slightly darker tone while still taking you on this epic journey with even better combat and abilities. Both games are fantastic and worth playing! Steam Deck Compatilibity:This game is verified and works beautifully on the steam deck!

Cassette Beats is a monster collecting game where you wash up on a mysterious island with a town full of people who can't escape. You must try to find your way home while making friends, solving mysteries, and fighting the threats that plague the town. 

This game is sooo good. It's obviously inspired by Pokemon, but it adds so much more to the formula that it (imo) surpasses any modern Pokemon game. The battling system is more unique; there is a lot more free will to do what you want in this world, and instead of collecting monsters, you use cassettes to copy their DNA and turn into the monster yourself! You also gain human partners that you can build relationships with. They  join you throughout the game. Each partner adds new dialogue and unique perspectives. There is a neat fuse mechanic that lets you fuse you and your partners monster to make one unique, stronger monster during battle. 

There are a ton of unique side missions you can do that add a lot to the story. The tone of this game is a bit creepier, especially with some enemies you encounter, but it still manages to keep that usual optimistic and charming tone.

The thing I'm most impressed by is how much detail and love they put into this game. At first, I didn't expect much, but the more I played, the more details popped up. The soundtrack is great and the monsters were really thought out. They all look great and have unique descriptions and lore for each one. Most have an evolution and you can collect data on each one.

The details on the monsters, the enemies, the partners, the new abilities, and their strengths/weaknesses are all taken into consideration with much care. 

Overall, I highly recommend this game! Maybe I hyped it up to much, but it was an honest surprise. There is a lot packed into this game. I could have played for hours and hours more, but I had to move onto other games. 

Side note: Just keep in mind that the moving speed is very slow at the beginning and it drove me crazy. You will get a couple of abilities that make your movement speed very fast, so stay strong until then. 

Steam Deck Compatibility: This game is verified and ran great on the steam deck. I recommend this one on the deck if you have one.