Ori and the Will of the Wisps windswept wastes 100% Guide

Enter the Desert and Prioritize Burrow

A hidden sand tunnel can turn a straightforward desert crossing into another collectible hunt. This Ori and the Will of the Wisps windswept wastes guide helps you find Burrow, solve projectile puzzles, and collect the upgrades along your route. For Ori and the Will of the Wisps windswept wastes completion, a good approach is to separate your initial crossing from a focused cleanup pass.

You enter from Silent Woods. Warp to its easternmost Spirit Well, then head right until you reach Windswept Wastes. Continue forward, drop down, and follow the route toward the grapple plants.

For the early Gorlek Ore described in IGN’s walkthrough, grapple to a plant, dash out of its mouth, and grapple to the next one. Dash out again and continue right to the ore.

Burrow is the central movement ability for exploring the desert’s sand passages. Player experience: the supplied completion video recommends acquiring it before attempting a thorough collectible sweep and shows the ability’s location at the Spirit Tree.

Early objective	What to look for	Practical approach
Enter Windswept Wastes	The route east of Silent Woods’ easternmost Spirit Well	Use the well as your return point
Collect early Gorlek Ore	Grapple plants along the entrance route	Follow the plant-to-plant crossing
Reach Burrow	The Spirit Tree shown in the player walkthrough	Prioritize it before sand-dependent cleanup
Find Lupo	A climb reached through a hanging circular sand sack	Purchase the regional map
Activate the Spirit Trial	A pedestal above the sand route near the tree	Keep activation and completion as separate tasks

IGN’s route toward Burrow takes the northwest path after the Last Stand detour; the southwest branch is described as a dead end. You also encounter a Gorlek Miner asking for Water along this stretch.

For visual landmarks, consult IGN’s Windswept Wastes walkthrough and collectible screenshots. Its map images are useful when branching sand tunnels make written directions difficult to follow.

Solve the Last Stand and Turmoil Puzzles

Two Spirit Shards deserve dedicated detours: Last Stand and Turmoil. Their routes involve barriers, projectiles, and movement between sand structures.

In Ori and the Will of the Wisps windswept wastes, a good approach is to inspect the projectile’s destination before attempting the entire sequence. The barrier you need to break gives the puzzle a clear endpoint.

Guide the Projectile to Last Stand

After the hidden Life Cell Fragment below the bridge, return upward and head right toward the room with the blue moss wheel. Leave that room to the left, destroy the barrier, climb the sand structures, and pull the lever above.

Return to the bridge on the right. A sand structure now hangs within reach, providing access to the previously inaccessible ledge on the left. Jump back toward the sand and continue upward to the hidden projectile area.

Here, move between the sand platforms while the purple projectile travels across the room. Your goal is to let it reach the barrier without colliding with an obstruction. Breaking that barrier opens the way to Last Stand.

Reach Turmoil Through the Sand Route

Near the Keystone Gate section, follow the right-hand sand route toward the shard. IGN describes a sequence of Bashes between projectiles, followed by movement between sand platforms to reach Turmoil above.

Player experience: the completion video also shows lasers around this shard detour and describes it as demanding quick reactions. A good approach is to watch the hazard pattern before committing to consecutive movements.

Spirit Shard	Location or requirement	Effect described in the references
Last Stand	Behind the barrier in the elevated projectile puzzle	Deals 20% more damage when Ori’s life is below 15%
Turmoil	Above the projectile-and-sand platform route near the gate section	Makes enemies respawn faster
Secret Spirit Shard	Reward for taking the Eerie Gem to Twillen	Reveals secret-area locations

The Secret Spirit Shard comes from a separate quest handoff. Collecting the Eerie Gem in the desert and receiving the shard in Wellspring Glades are distinct steps.

Collect Ore, Cell Fragments, and Hidden Spirit Light

For an Ori and the Will of the Wisps windswept wastes collectible sweep, work through recognizable landmarks instead of chasing every visible icon at once. The entrance, bridge, Lupo’s route, eastern Spirit Well, and upper desert provide useful checkpoints.

Search the Entrance and Bridge

Near the entrance, look for the sand pile in a tree. IGN directs you to climb the adjacent wall and jump upward for a Life Cell Fragment.

Continue right using the grapple plant until you reach the bridge. Drop into the lower section and collect the Spirit Light in its northwest corner. Farther along, a small crack beside the sign leads downward to another Life Cell Fragment.

Once Burrow is available, return to the entrance-side sand. IGN identifies both a buried Gorlek Ore near the first Windswept Wastes Spirit Well and an Energy Cell Fragment reached by following a sand passage east of that well.

Check the Sand Paths Around Lupo

From the Spirit Tree area, use Burrow Dash through the hanging circular sand sack and climb to Lupo. After purchasing the map, inspect the surrounding sand routes.

IGN’s Energy Cell Fragment route uses another circular sand sack to reach a pole. Jump right from the pole into the northeastern sand, then follow the passage upward and left.

Nearby branches contain Life Cell Fragments. The walkthrough directs you right through the sand, left at the next available branch, and toward another fragment southwest of that area.

Landmark	Collectible or objective	Access detail
Entrance-side sand	Cleanup Gorlek Ore	Burrow into the sand near the first regional Spirit Well
Tree with a sand pile	Life Cell Fragment	Climb the adjacent wall and jump upward
Crack beside the sign	Life Cell Fragment	Drop through and follow the passage down
Sand near Lupo’s route	Energy Cell Fragment	Enter northeastern sand from the pole and follow it up and left
Wall near the eastern Spirit Well route	Gorlek Ore	Attack the wall blocking access
Upper desert detour	Mysterious Seed	Use the pursuing enemy and hanging sand sack to reach it
Western branch before the ruins objective	Gorlek Ore	Detour west before continuing toward the objective

Spirit Light also rewards close inspection. IGN places a large container in the sand to the right of the Spirit Tree.

Player experience: the completion video shows additional containers in concealed pockets, including one reached by climbing a pole and jumping into an apparently closed-off area. A good approach is to check ledges and sand patches that sit just outside the main travel line.

Open the Keystone Gate and Reach Windtorn Ruins

The onward route through Ori and the Will of the Wisps windswept wastes combines Keystone collection with explosive-projectile puzzles.

IGN’s written directions identify two Keystones for the gate. For one, drop through the wooden platform on the left, collect the Keystone, and Burrow Dash through the circular sand sack to return above the platform.

For the other, follow the northern sand route to a hanging circular sand sack. Burrow Dash out to the left to reach the Keystone. Return to the gate using the sand sack on its approach.

Beyond the gate, defeat the enemy and enter the sand. A plant in the lower-right area releases a pursuing explosive enemy. Lure it toward the purple barrier and let it detonate beside the obstruction.

Farther inside, another barrier requires a more deliberate setup: lure the pursuing enemy north, exit the sand, and Bash it into the upper-right barrier while it is airborne. Pull the lever behind that barrier.

A separate lower-left barrier protects a Life Cell Fragment. Guide a projectile into it to open the passage.

Player experience: the completion video shows pursuing projectiles being intercepted by other enemies before reaching their intended targets. If that happens, a good approach is to clear the obstruction before attempting another lure.

Before approaching Windtorn Ruins, take the upper desert detours:

• Use the lantern crossing to navigate the spike section.
• Find the small sand patch and lure the pursuing enemy outward.
• Bash off that enemy to reach the hanging sand sack and the Mysterious Seed.
• Check the western branch for Gorlek Ore before returning to the objective.

IGN states that four wisps open the door to Windtorn Ruins. Reaching the doorway and satisfying that story requirement are separate parts of advancing.

Finish the Spirit Trial and Audit Your Map

Your Ori and the Will of the Wisps windswept wastes cleanup should include the Spirit Trial, unexplored map pockets, and the Eerie Gem quest.

Near the Spirit Tree, IGN describes a Burrow route leading upward to the Spirit Trial pedestal. The trial awards Spirit Light.

Player experience: the completion video treats finishing the trial as necessary for its 100% route. The player activates the pedestal, returns toward the entrance, and completes the race from its starting point. Activating the pedestal alone does not finish the trial.

The same video checks black, unexplored patches after the race, including a missed sand passage and the area around a hidden Spirit Well. A good approach is to inspect the map after each cleanup circuit.

Cleanup check	What to verify
Buried entrance items	Revisit sand routes after acquiring Burrow
Spirit Trial	Complete the race after activating its pedestal
Unexplored map patches	Enter overlooked tunnels and side pockets
Breakable walls	Check the ore passage near the eastern well route
Eerie Gem	Search the sand beside the shovel
Quest reward	Take the gem to Twillen in Wellspring Glades

Complete Diamond in the Rough

Tokk gives you Diamond in the Rough near the eastern Spirit Well route. The Eerie Gem is back near the beginning of Windswept Wastes, buried in the sand beside a shovel.

Burrow into that spot, retrieve the gem, and bring it to Twillen in Wellspring Glades. The reward is the Secret Spirit Shard, which reveals secret-area locations.

For Ori and the Will of the Wisps windswept wastes completion, the supplied references support collecting the gem during desert cleanup and handling the reward afterward. They do not establish that the handoff itself is required for the regional percentage.

FAQ

How do I reach Ori and the Will of the Wisps windswept wastes?

Warp to Silent Woods’ easternmost Spirit Well and travel right. IGN’s route then continues through grapple plants into the desert.

Do I need Burrow to collect everything?

Burrow is needed for the sand passages containing several collectibles. Player experience: the completion video recommends getting it before attempting the full regional sweep.

Where do I take the Eerie Gem?

Bring it to Twillen in Wellspring Glades. Completing the handoff rewards the Secret Spirit Shard, which reveals secret-area locations.

What should I check if my map is below 100%?

Player experience: the completion video checks Spirit Trial completion, missed collectibles, and black unexplored map patches. Revisit entrance-side sand, concealed passages, and breakable walls before repeating the main route.