OlliOlli World is just pure fun for some players. It’s amazing how far this side-scrolling skateboarding game has come from its predecessors. With a brand new wrapper, developer Roll7 has improved every aspect of the franchise. The most noticeable change is the new visual style. The cel-shaded art is spot on, and it gives the franchise so much more personality – and that’s before it introduces any characters. In addition to looking better, 2.5D gives the stages a sense of depth that makes them feel bigger and deeper.
In addition to introducing alternate routes, the shift away from 2D makes the larger levels a lot of fun to explore. Jumping or shifting paths through a stage lets you take a detour with new obstacles to overcome and sick tricks to perform. OlliOlli games have always had optional challenges, but in World, they’re far more diverse, and really encourage you to explore everything. The game plays mostly the same as older entries. You use the left stick to set up and do flip tricks, grinds, and manuals. When you’re good, you can chain together an enormous combo from the beginning to the end of a level. But it’s still a challenging game, and it’s easy to restart if you don’t like your performance. Climbing the leaderboards per stage and chasing that perfect run is just as addictive here as it’s ever been.
OlliOlli veterans will still have to keep up with some changes and new stuff. Grab tricks are now a thing, and they’re perfect for catching big air. In various stages, ramps take you in and out of the screen, giving you more points. Landing is a big change. If you didn’t tap X just as your wheels hit the ground, you’d land sloppy, destroying your combo multiplier. OlliOlli World nerfed this. You’re no longer penalised if you don’t land perfectly and hit X as usual. It’s just one way the game is open to players of all skill levels. It’s pretty easy to get high scores, and the game’s various mechanics are slowly introduced throughout the campaign, cheering you on throughout. Fundamentally, the game is still tough at first, since you need to react quickly and precisely, so it doesn’t really solve the accessibility issue. Despite that, it’s a lot better than its predecessors.
Presentation really makes a difference. Besides the chilled out soundtrack, there are some wacky characters you will meet as you explore Radlandia. This game is packed with unusual sights that make it a fun place to play, like ghostly trees in the forest or talking ice cream by the beach. The characters aren’t all that memorable, and the dialogue between levels is hit and miss, but it’s a huge improvement.
It’s asynchronous and cross-platform, so it’s easy to play with friends. Despite the lack of real-time multiplayer, this is still good fun. In Gnarvana, you can generate levels with a few parameters, set a score, and then send the level’s code to someone. Levels are near-endless, and it works perfectly. You compete against nine other players with similar skills and have 24 hours to score the highest. If you finish among the top scores, you’ll get more customisation goodies. Wow, the game has a lot of customization. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of clothing items, boards, trucks, full body suits, animations, and more on the complex menu. Your skating avatar can also change body shape, size, and skin tone. Again, it’s a far cry from the one nondescript skater dude found in older titles.
