Welcome back, my fellow creatives!

I was going to share the soundtrack to a fun cult classic, but my daughter Blondie asked about writing a post instead. Why not share the best of both worlds? Here’s Blondie with some highlights from her new favorite score!

~*~

Ori is one game franchise that I have really come to love over the past couple of years. Its beautiful art and amazing gameplay are two of the big reasons why I’ve enjoyed this series, but those aren’t the main reasons I’m talking about Ori today. The real point I want to talk about is how the soundtracks to both of these games are absolutely stunning!!!!!! Gareth Coker, the composer, really nailed it with the cozy environmental ambience and with the tense chase or bossfight tracks. They’re so immersive and I listen to them all the time when I need to do homework or I’m drawing something. My favorite of the two is from the second game, Ori and the Will of the Wisps. All the tracks flow really well into each other and it just makes my brain happy 😺. I would totally recommend both whole albums but my mom wants me to keep this blog at a reasonable length. So here are my personal top five tracks that I have chosen to bestow upon you all from Ori and the Will of the Wisps!!! (Heads up: there will of course be spoilers so if you want to play the game completely blind, be warned!)

1. Luma Pools

This track is just *chef’s kiss* awesome. The area where this music is played is an absolutely gorgeous part of the game because it’s a water area, and the water in Ori always looks beautiful as heck!! The soothing vibes from the score reinforce the idea of the Luma Pools being a paradise in the land of Niwen (aside from all the enemies that want to kill you, but y’know if you look past that it’s a really nice place!) and paired with the colorful visuals you really get a sense of relaxation and awe. The one thing wrong with this song for me is that after you defeat the boss at the end the music shifts from that point onward to a different song, called Resolution in Paradise. I don’t have a problem with the track itself, it’s quite nice actually and fits with what just happened storywise, but I just like Luma Pools better in my humble opinion.

2. In Wonderment of Winter

Oh man oh man this one!!!!! This plays right in my absolute FAVORITE area of the game, Baur’s Reach. The art for this part in the map is mesmerizing and I could stare at it for hours. This song perfectly matches the wintery atmosphere as you explore around in the snow and it just makes my day every time I hear it. Although it is one of the smaller areas in the overall game, it still brings me a lot of joy in my playthroughs when I first enter through that orange leafy tree trunk into a winter wonderland, and those chimes come in. (I remember reading in a YouTube comment when I was listening to the album that someone said they sounded like “enter shop door dingdong things”, and I couldn’t agree more) An honorable mention that is also music in this area is A Snowy Skirmish. Short but a great listen!

3. Mora the Spider

Prepare yourself for a rapid change from nice background music to an intense battle theme!!! This song plays while you’re fighting, you guessed it, Mora the Spider in the darkness of the Mouldwood Depths. It starts out strong with intimidating strings and percussion as you’re battling the first phase of this giant spider. As the fight continues, however, the song shifts in tone from uneasy and tough to hopeful sounding when Ori’s theme weaves its way through as the music swells in anticipation. It gives me goosebumps almost every time! It certainly helped me power through the first time I fought Mora after I died so many times. This is always a fun listen for me and I would totally suggest this one if you need a good epic theme as you’re writing.

4. Ku’s First Flight

This song makes me feel things, I will admit. The majestic feel to it paired with the breathtaking cutscene it plays over just hits different. It kinda makes you feel the highs of something like Test Drive from the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack. The other three tracks before it, We Named Her Ku, A Yearning for the Sky, and A Keepsake from the Past all build up to this moment and the result is magnificent, with the awesome orchestral and vocals. The ending may catch you off guard since it sounds quite menacing, but that’s because Ori and Ku in the cutscene (Ku’s the adorable little owl) get caught in a storm in that moment and they get separated!!! Nooooo!!! (They find each other again, don’t worry) But I give this piece 10000/10, a must listen for everyone!!!

5. The Ancient Wellspring

I remember when it was the first time I was playing this game. I was on a quest to help get the old giant watermill back up and running again to clear the water of poison. So naturally I made my way over to where they said it would be, and when I first arrived, I was awestruck at the huge detailed watermill in front of me. Paired with hearing the music kick in for the first time, it was a truly special experience. This song really does feel like you’ve stumbled upon some ancient long-forgotten relic, and I will always have a soft spot for it.

Anyways, that’s all from me for now! I hope some new music will help with writing inspiration! (This soundtrack inspired a whole storyline for me) I’ve recently exposed my mother to the wonders of Ori music and so I will also share it with you guys! Hope you have a great day!!

~*~

Thanks for sharing, Kiddo! I’ve been enjoying the Ori soundtrack, too. We’ll have to see if we can get a hold of the piano sheet music for you to learn. 🙂

Coming up, I’ve got the first podcast for 2026, more interviews, more adventures in Story Empire, and some thoughts about trends and technology tools.

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!