Ori and the Will of the Wisps walkthrough: Opening Route

Start Here: Understand the Opening Route

A locked gate or unreachable ledge can make Ori’s opening journey feel harder than it needs to be. This Ori and the Will of the Wisps walkthrough explains the early obstacles so you can recognize what requires exploration and what requires another ability. Use this Ori and the Will of the Wisps walkthrough to follow the opening route from Swallow’s Nest into Inkwater Marsh, with guidance on keystones, combat, and useful collectibles.

The coverage here focuses on the opening stretch shown in the supplied gameplay video. It follows the player experience through early exploration, the torch sequence, the keystone request, and the acquisition of Spirit Edge. It does not extend into later regions or provide a complete collectible checklist.

The IGN walkthrough index for Ori and the Will of the Wisps identifies Swallow’s Nest and Inkwater Marsh as its opening sections and highlights the game’s optional paths, hidden collectibles, and Spirit Shards.

Follow the route without chasing every branch

In the opening player experience, the story introduces a feather, gliding, and a flight interrupted by a storm. After the separation, exploration becomes more hazardous: Ori encounters spikes, enemies, blocked passages, and gaps before gaining Spirit Edge.

A good approach is to treat an unfamiliar obstacle as something to investigate, rather than a challenge you must immediately solve. The player experience includes unsuccessful attempts to reach pickups and pass obstructions, making it useful to distinguish a visible destination from a demonstrated route.

Opening milestone	What the player experience shows
Opening introduction	A feather introduces gliding before the storm
Early marsh exploration	Branching paths, hazards, and collectibles appear
Torch sequence	The torch damages enemies and burns certain barriers
Spirit Gate quest	A traveler requests a keystone from a cave
Torch confrontation	The player observes a lunge and backs away
Spirit Edge discovery	Ori gains a close-range blade of light with combo attacks

For this opening Ori and the Will of the Wisps walkthrough, the useful question is whether your current tools match the obstacle. That distinction helps you make progress without repeatedly attempting an unsupported jump or attack.

Use the Torch and Complete the Keystone Request

The early player experience includes a stretch where Ori has no reliable way to fight the enemies encountered. The player explores, retreats from danger, and eventually picks up a torch.

Image: YouTube / MKIceAndFire

The torch changes what Ori can do in that section. In the video, it functions as a weapon and burns certain barriers. A good approach is to inspect the nearby route while carrying it, especially where a visible obstruction resembles one already burned successfully.

Do not assume every barrier responds to fire. In the recorded player experience, the player also encounters bone obstructions that the torch does not clear. A good approach is to move on when an attempted interaction produces no visible result, rather than treating every obstruction as the same puzzle.

Retrieve the cave keystone

The player meets a wandering traveler who explains that the Spirit Gate to the east needs two keystones. The traveler has one and asks Ori to retrieve another from a cave.

The sequence shown is straightforward:

1. Speak with the traveler and accept the request.
2. Explore the cave ahead, following the available platforms.
3. Use the blue moss encountered there to cling and climb.
4. Collect the cave keystone.
5. Return to the traveler to receive the additional keystone.
6. Return to the Spirit Gate and insert the stones.

These steps come from the recorded player experience. The important detail is the return visit: finding the cave stone is only part of the exchange.

Keystones are described in the video as items used to open Spirit Gates, with different gates potentially requiring different amounts. The two-stone requirement applies to this particular gate.

A good approach is to keep the traveler’s request in mind while exploring the cave. The immediate objective is a specific item and a return journey, so a tempting side passage does not need to become your next destination.

Recognize the resources you collect

The opening video introduces several pickups close together. Understanding their descriptions makes it easier to distinguish immediate recovery from longer-term upgrades.

Pickup	Description shown in the player experience
Life orb	Restores Ori’s life
Energy orb	Restores Ori’s energy
Life Cell Fragment	The displayed fragment needs one more to increase maximum life
Spirit Light	Can be exchanged with friendly creatures for items and upgrades
Keystone	Opens Spirit Gates

A good approach is to collect reachable resources while completing the cave request. If a pickup sits behind an obstacle you cannot currently cross, check its surroundings on the map before deciding whether to continue investigating.

The distinction between a life orb and a Life Cell Fragment matters here. The recorded descriptions give them different purposes: one restores life, while the other contributes toward increasing maximum life. A good approach is to read the pickup message instead of assuming that every life-related item provides the same benefit.

This part of the Ori and the Will of the Wisps walkthrough rewards careful exploration, but the demonstrated route also gives you a clear immediate objective: finish the traveler’s request and open the gate.

Face Howl and Unlock Spirit Edge

IGN’s guide index lists Howl among its boss topics. After passing the gate, the recorded player experience shows a large creature confronting Ori, with movement under pressure and torch attacks shaping the encounter.

Image: YouTube / XBOX

The player initially takes damage, then identifies a useful pattern: the creature lunges, and backing away creates space before another attack. The video shows the player using torch strikes during the confrontation until the creature withdraws.

A good approach is to watch the lunge before committing to a string of attacks. Leave yourself room to retreat, then attack when the spacing allows it. This advice follows the behavior shown in the video; it is not a claim about a guaranteed strategy for every situation.

Keep your movement deliberate

The encounter is an opportunity to practice reading an enemy instead of reacting only after contact. In the player experience, repeated damage makes the fight feel chaotic until the player starts paying attention to the lunge.

A good approach is to check your available life and collect accessible recovery pickups before approaching. During the encounter, consider where Ori will land after moving away, especially around the hazards already shown along the opening route.

The player also spends time near the edge of the fighting area. Treat that as one recorded player experience, rather than proof that standing in a corner always works.

The useful observation is the relationship between movement and attacks. The player identifies the lunge, backs away, and continues striking with the torch. A good approach is to practice that spacing instead of copying a particular position without watching the creature.

Learn what Spirit Edge actually provides

Following the encounter, the video shows Ori reaching an ability tree and absorbing its light. The resulting unlock is Spirit Edge, described as a close-range blade of light that supports combo attacks.

That description establishes its combat role. It does not, by itself, establish how every obstruction responds to the ability.

A good approach is to read the ability description and practice its close-range attacks where you have room to observe an enemy. Because the tutorial describes combos, it is also useful to watch what happens across consecutive attacks rather than judging the ability from a single strike.

The main lesson in this section of the Ori and the Will of the Wisps walkthrough is to use the demonstrated combat information without assuming an unverified solution for every blocked passage.

Understand Early Movement and Hidden Collectibles

The opening player experience introduces movement challenges before Ori acquires Spirit Edge. Gaps, spikes, platforms, and blue moss each demand attention to the route rather than combat alone.

Image: Nintendo

The feather tutorial introduces gliding while airborne and riding wind currents. Later, the cave tutorial identifies blue moss as a surface Ori can cling to and climb. These are distinct interactions, so a good approach is to read each prompt as it appears.

Feature	Supported detail	Where the reference shows it
Feather	Introduces airborne gliding and riding wind currents	Opening story sequence
Blue moss	Allows clinging and climbing	Cave exploration during the keystone request
Spirit Edge	Provides close-range blade attacks and combos	Ability-tree tutorial
Spirit Shards	Appear among the game’s hidden discoveries	IGN’s walkthrough introduction

Separate a visible pickup from an accessible route

IGN describes optional pathways and easily missed collectibles. The player experience illustrates that distinction when the player notices items without immediately finding a way to reach them.

A good approach is to inspect the nearby terrain before repeatedly jumping toward a pickup. Look for an accessible platform or the blue moss interaction already demonstrated in the cave. If neither explains the route, continue with the confirmed objective.

That advice does not require assuming a particular future ability. A visible item gives you a reason to investigate, but its position alone does not prove which movement tool you need.

Read descriptions before drawing conclusions

The resource messages provide more reliable information than the player’s guesses about unfamiliar objects. For example, the keystone description explicitly connects the item to Spirit Gates, while the Spirit Light description identifies exchanges with friendly creatures.

A good approach is to distinguish three things while exploring:

• What the tutorial explicitly explains.
• What the player successfully demonstrates.
• What remains a guess about an obstacle or pickup.

At this point in the Ori and the Will of the Wisps walkthrough, that distinction helps you pursue confirmed objectives while keeping unanswered exploration questions open.

Review Your Route Before Continuing

The opening references establish a useful sequence: explore the marsh, obtain the torch, complete the traveler’s request, pass the gate, handle the confrontation, and acquire Spirit Edge.

They also show why exploration can become confusing. Several objects and passages appear before the player understands them, and the commentary includes uncertainty about which direction to take.

A good approach is to review what each discovery actually tells you before choosing another branch.

Discovery or obstacle	Confirmed information
Traveler’s Spirit Gate	Requires two keystones in the recorded request
Cave keystone	Must be brought back to the traveler to complete the exchange
Blue moss	Supports clinging and climbing
Burnable barrier	The torch clears certain barriers shown in the video
Bone obstruction	The player’s torch attempt does not clear it
Spirit Edge tree	Provides the close-range combat ability

Keep the immediate objective clear

The cave request supplies a concrete example of a route with both an outward journey and a return. A good approach is to check whether you have completed the exchange before searching elsewhere for another stone.

Likewise, the torch sequence demonstrates specific successful interactions. A good approach is to use those observations as a starting point while leaving unfamiliar barriers unresolved until you have evidence of their solution.

Optional exploration and progress do not need to compete at every junction. Because IGN identifies optional pathways and hidden collectibles, a good approach is to investigate reachable discoveries without treating every visible pickup as necessary for the current request.

This Ori and the Will of the Wisps walkthrough closes with the supported opening objectives and Spirit Edge’s documented combat function. As you continue, use the map, tutorial descriptions, and successful interactions to guide your next decision.

FAQ

How far does this Ori and the Will of the Wisps walkthrough cover?

It covers the opening material supported by the supplied references: Swallow’s Nest, early Inkwater Marsh exploration, the traveler’s keystone request, the torch confrontation, and Spirit Edge. It does not cover the entire game.

How do you open the traveler’s Spirit Gate?

In the recorded player experience, that gate requires two keystones. Retrieve one from the cave, return to the traveler for the other, then insert the stones at the gate.

What does Spirit Edge do?

The ability tutorial in the player experience describes Spirit Edge as a close-range blade of light with combo attacks. A good approach is to learn its attack behavior before drawing conclusions about unfamiliar barriers.

Should you collect every hidden item immediately?

IGN identifies optional paths and easily missed collectibles, while the player experience shows pickups whose routes are not immediately clear. A good approach is to collect what you can reach and continue the keystone request when an item’s route remains unresolved.