World of Light: Smash Ultimate's New Mode

After the last Nintendo Direct, we finally learned what the new mode was gonna be. As previously decoded, it is called Spirits.

In this mode, characters will be equipped with what the game calls “spirits”, which represent various characters from various series. There can be both primary spirits and up to three secondary spirits, each providing their corresponding buffs, ranging from simple stat boost to special effects such as poison resistance, etc. The battles in this new mode will all have a theme to it, based around the primary spirit the enemies have equipped.

At the end of the direct, we learned that the Spirits mode will have one more mode: World of Light. From what were shown, WoL will be the new story mode, completely different from the Subspace Emissary. After the cinematic trailer, we got a glimpse of the gameplay. Players will move around in a gigantic map divided into multiple sections, searching for all the other characters that were victims to the light. Instead of the platformer-type maps seen in the SSE, WoL will feature battles against the other characters that are powered up with their own spirits.

At the moment, it is not clear if WoL battles will be themed, like the ones in the Spirits mode or will be regular battles. It is not known if the mode will be the fastest way to unlock all the characters, like it was for the SSE, but given what we saw in the cinematic trailer, that should be the case. Finally, while WoL may not have cinematics to the extent of the SSE, it was confirmed in the trailer that we are going to get in-engine cinematics right before a boss battle.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is almost here, and the weeks leading to its release will be filled with speculation about its mechanics, the new modes and of course, the newcomers. Be sure to keep up with Smashboards as we will be releasing more articles about Ultimate.

 

Galeem is the GOD OF SMASH WORLD!!! Galeem is beyond highest of Angel Ranks, especially a seraphim: burning light!

 

Galeem is the GOD OF SMASH WORLD!!! Galeem is beyond highest of Angel Ranks, especially a seraphim: burning light!

While we aren't getting any significant Shin Megami Tensei content in Smash Ultimate (aside from some spirits based on Tokyo Mirage Sessions it seems), this is the closest we're getting to a climax with a YHVH fight.

I'm planning on punching Galeem in the face with Isabelle at any rate.

 

My most concerne about World Of Light is:
Will be there platforming sections as in Melee's Adventure Mode, Brawl's Subspace emissary and 3DS's Smash Run?

 

My most concerne about World Of Light is:
Will be there platforming sections as in Melee's Adventure Mode, Brawl's Subspace emissary and 3DS's Smash Run?

Probably no. I'm still excited for it, though.

 

This is the mode I'm most excited for by far. Until February I'll probably play WoL more than the main game.

But in February...
#PlantGang Rise Up

 

Also I really like WoL as an acronym

 

Found this:

These beings apparently also served as agents of purification for Isaiah as he began his prophetic ministry. One placed a hot coal against Isaiah's lips with the words, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for”

 

I was incredibly underwhelmed by the reveal for this. It gets the little things right, like the world map and the inclusion of boss battles and a skill tree, but it's missing key things like actual platforming stages and lacking a proper story and character interactions. I could do without a story, but the fact they put such a lazy idea for one in there just makes me wonder why they bothered in the first place.

I also dislike the edgy and grim tone it goes for. Spirits as a concept is actually insanely silly, and a bunch of fan comics have been having a field day with that idea. But the actual game is trying to make out it to be so serious that it's just jarring. I feel the concept of having various beloved video game characters switching bodies and what not has been wasted on a game that does not care to truly capitalise on the novelty and potential of such a concept. And that's a damn shame. Stuff like this makes me wonder if it would be best to just make a completely single-player Smash game after Ultimate. Ultimate will have people who only care about multiplayer and competitive play covered for the rest of the Switch's lifespan, but people who liked the single-player modes of Smash 64 to Brawl have been left with almost nothing substantial to indulge in. Plus, the fact that they have so many characters gathered in one game yet we get basically no meaningful interactions between them makes me feel like Nintendo should just use them for something with a bit more story or character interactions while they have the licences and the completed movesets.

 

Probably no. I'm still excited for it, though.

The platforming sections were easily the weakest parts of Subspace.

 

Looking forward to routing this while everyone else is drinking in the stages and multiplayer.

 

I wonder if this is a sequel to Subspace, as the trailer starts on a cliff that's very similar to the one at the end of Subspace. Galeem also reminds me a lot of Tabuu.

 

I wonder if this is a sequel to Subspace, as the trailer starts on a cliff that's very similar to the one at the end of Subspace. Galeem also reminds me a lot of Tabuu.

Not sure if it signals a connection, but it is a nice callback nevertheless.

 

WoL seems like the result of the Subspace Emissary, event matches, and a hint of Smash Tour, all combined into one.

My wallet now feels empty.

 

platforming stages

quick little note

making platforming in a game as expansive and diverse as smash is nearly impossible. melee managed, but only had 3 platforming segments, one of which was just flat ground with some platforms and an occasional hazard. brawl attempted to mitigate this by homogenizing the physics of every character, which made every character feel clumsier (especially those with multiple jumps), and even then, the platforming wasn't exactly exciting even when you weren't stopping every 20 seconds to clear the screen of enemies.

i can't blame them for shirking platforming - although smash's mechanics seem like they would make a great environment for it, the sheer number of factors in play would chew through development time like nothing else. i personally would have preferred a standalone metroidvania mode comparable to the great maze, but i'm curious to see what world of light is like.

 

I'm looking forward to a good story.

I feel like they've learned a lot with Brawl and SSB4 as far as storybuilding goes in Smash.

Here's to WoL being really badass.

 

Can't wait to see more about Galeem. I love his design, its evil light theme and him being such a gruesome threat to everyone.

 

My most concerne about World Of Light is:
Will be there platforming sections as in Melee's Adventure Mode, Brawl's Subspace emissary and 3DS's Smash Run?

The overworld is like Smash Tour. So we might not see any platforming sections. There might still be a chance though.

 

I like how the main villain is associated with the light element, instead of dark. Just goes to show that light doesn't necessarily mean good, nor does dark mean bad.

As for the maps, I actually thought of something similar for a story mode, after playing Smash 3DS. Glad to see Sakurai thought of it as well.

 

you mean world of lit

 

I'm glad cutscenes are back. Not having an adventure mode but instead a board game in ssb4 sucked.

 

Uh... so... it was confirmed that the game will don't have more cutscenes?

 

quick little note

making platforming in a game as expansive and diverse as smash is nearly impossible. melee managed, but only had 3 platforming segments, one of which was just flat ground with some platforms and an occasional hazard. brawl attempted to mitigate this by homogenizing the physics of every character, which made every character feel clumsier (especially those with multiple jumps), and even then, the platforming wasn't exactly exciting even when you weren't stopping every 20 seconds to clear the screen of enemies.

i can't blame them for shirking platforming - although smash's mechanics seem like they would make a great environment for it, the sheer number of factors in play would chew through development time like nothing else. i personally would have preferred a standalone metroidvania mode comparable to the great maze, but i'm curious to see what world of light is like.

This.
Even with all the minor tweaks, you couldn't play as , , , , , , , and until you got near the end of the game because of either story reasons or because they'd make stages stupid easy or stupid hard (Sonic and Ganondorf, in particular). Even then, , , and ended up being secret characters who probably couldn't be put into the main story because of development time (and because Jigglypuff straight-up sucks for Subspace). Personally, I preferred to either watch the cutscenes in the movie gallery or play through the Boss rush because those were the best parts of Subspace and had more replay value than the mode itself. Not very memorable stages or enemies, a confusing Sticker system, and the Great Maze (need I say more?)... Despite how cool and ambitious Subspace Emissary was, one should not forget its many flaws and problems.

Sure, Sprits doesn't have platforming, and sure, we might not get as many cutscenes as before, but I'd rather have a mode with replay value and fun than a mode I'll only look at once. I'd also rather Nintendo put their time and energy into the next Kirby or Zelda game rather than spend 2 more years trying to design 30 platforming stages for 75 characters + DLC.

 

Subspace was never meant to be a platformer; it's a beat-em-up with light platforming elements. I'd love to see an adventure mode with stages and enemies from various games like those in Melee.

 

I shall make sure Galleem is defeated using only

 

All I really wanted was an actual story mode where all the characters interacted with each other.

This does not appear to be it.

 

I hope it can be playable with . Personally I think that only ought to have survived. He should have dodged the first few lasers using his Robo Burner which I will assume got fast like it was in SSBB again and then he should have had reflected another beam back at Galleem with his superior reflector which obviously is much stronger than the ones of carbon based weaklings like Palutena, Mewtwo, and Zelda. After that he would have just blasted of using Robo Burner and Bair into the world of light.

 

I shall make sure Galleem is defeated using only

I belive that you unlock the characters in order of appearance in the series. Sorry, you might have to wait to use Pit.

 

I'mma shove a missile up its ass

 

I belive that you unlock the characters in order of appearance in the series. Sorry, you might have to wait to use Pit.

Well looking at the gameplay of WoL, that doesn’t seem to be the case due to certain paths having different characters from different series and different Smash games (so getting Pit early is still a possibility)

 

In my opinion, I think the bosses will be the highlights of WOL

 

Found this:

These beings apparently also served as agents of purification for Isaiah as he began his prophetic ministry. One placed a hot coal against Isaiah's lips with the words, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for”

Very much inspired by:

Isa 6:6-7 - Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.