Which branch of the ability tree should you invest in?

Ori and the Blind Forest offers you a chance to upgrade your skills with experience points you can find throughout the game. With all the available options, it’s hard to choose which branches to follow for the best game. I’m going to break down how to build the best ability set to have the most fun in 3 steps.

3. Efficiency: Energy Efficiency

Ori and the Blind Forest Energy Efficiency

The second, purple branch of the ability tree is the least important. These are upgrades that make collecting pickups and navigating the map easier. I’d say ‘Energy Efficiency’ is the most useful of the upgrades in this branch. Energy will be your most crucial pickup through the game so you will be grateful for the boosts this upgrade adds.

‘Energy Efficiency’ will include:

• Ultra Spirit Magnet - most pickups will automatically be absorbed.
• Map Markers - most pickups will be shown on the map.
• Life Efficiency - life pickups will restore twice as much life.

How ‘Energy Efficiency’ helps you:

• No need to stop for pickups.
• Restore more life cells to prolong the time between deaths.
• Know where to find pick-ups from the map should you need them.

2. Combat: Ultra Stomp

Ori & The Blind Forest - Ilo's Stomp

While combat upgrades aren’t necessary, I think you’d benefit from at least upgrading to ‘Ultra Stomp’. ‘Stomp’ is a useful ability for dealing damage to multiple enemies around you, so it’s worth taking the time to improve that skill.

‘Ultra Stomp’ will include:

• Quick Flame - allows rapid fire 3 times.
• Spark Flame and Cinder Flame - increase the strength of attacks.
• Split Flame - allows you to attack two enemies at once.
• Ultra Bash - increases the damage of ‘Bash’.
• Ultra Light Burst - increases the damage of ‘Light Burst’ over a greater area.

How Ultra Stomp helps you:

• Increase the radius of your ‘Stomp’.
• Defeat more enemies in less time.
• Increase the strength of your other attacks.

3. Utility: Ultra Defense

Ori And The Blind Forest - Sense and Ultra Defence

Yes, you read that right. You should max out this branch of the ability tree. The utility branch offers all the most vital upgrades to make your experience with the game much easier. From restoring life to saving your Energy and ultimately taking less damage, utility upgrades are the way to make your game seamless.

What ‘Ultra Defense’ includes:

• Rekindle - reuse previously formed Soul Links.
• Regroup and Ultra Soul Link - forming Soul Links and saving the game restores life.
• Charge Flame Efficiency and Soul Link Efficiency - ‘Charge Flame’ and Soul Links cost half the usual amount of energy. 
• Triple Jump - an upgrade to Double Jump
• Air Dash and Charge Dash - ‘Dash’ in the air and ‘Dash’ becomes an attack.
• Water Breath - breathe under clean water for an unlimited amount of time.

How ‘Ultra Defense’ helps you:

• Decreases damage done by enemies.
• Saves you Energy through multiple mechanics.
• Significant upgrades to the skills ‘Dash’ and ‘Double Jump’.
• Reusing Soul Links makes saving more efficient.

Sources:

Ori and the Blind Forest Wiki

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