Ori and the Will of the Wisps guide: How to escape Shriek in the Silent Woods

Video: The Shriek escape sequence. Also on YouTube.

The first time you explore the Silent Woods and meet Shriek in Ori and the Will of the Wisps, they give chase and have to be evaded in a brief platforming sequence. I got stuck on this for longer than I'd like to admit, not because it's hard, but because I assumed I wasn't going fast enough when the problem was that I was going too fast.

There are a few places where you have to stop and hide from Shriek, and if you miss one, you'll be insta-killed. What it took me a while to realize is that one of those places is the red cloth. I had assumed it was just a bit of environmental detail, but nope: You have to hide behind it before continuing. Once you know that, it becomes easy.

Here's the full sequence:

Run to the egg-shaped formation and grapple into it. Hang on until Shriek looks away.
Use Kuro's feather to float upward, and then shimmy up the pole on the right and hide behind the red fabric.
When Shriek turns away, leap toward the left and grapple onto the green moss on the rock hanging in the middle of the cavern. Climb up the moss a little and wait.
Shriek will headbutt the rock. Don't panic and wait for them to look away.
Jump to the left, up the side of the sand, and then back to the right. Keep running to the right as fast as you can and you'll be safe.

You can see the full chase in the video embedded above (also on YouTube).

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.