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    OlliOlli World

    Game » consists of 13 releases. Released Feb 08, 2022

    The third entry in Roll7's skateboarding platformer.

    moonlightmoth's OlliOlli World (PC) review

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    Pretty Skate Machine

    Be it age or just a symptom of too many head injuries (I had a museum gallery’s worth as a child), but I’m horrifically bad at any game that requires some real measure of mental dexterity or great hand-eye coordination. Fighting games and real-time strategy are genres I love but am rarely any good at, lapsing into button mashing for the former and slow as molasses mouse only navigation for the latter. Even some of the more basic combos in Street Fighter evade me and might as well be space magic to my mono output thought process and ham-fisted controller abuse.

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    Or so I had thought, because after nearly 20 hours with OlliOlli World I began to wonder if it’s just a question of how you practice, or rather how a game encourages practice and actually helps develop your skills. Much like golf I’ve never had any interest in skating but in the virtual world its appeal becomes all the greater for some reason. Here it could be the character customisation, always a plus really, or it could be the ability to perform lots of cool acrobatics without the need to actually leave the house, or hell, even my bed when I have spare batteries around for the wireless.

    Whatever the reason, developer Roll7 have made a game for people like me, where even the grotesquely boulder-handed can feel like a champion skater.

    Set in the atrociously named world of Radlandia, you are inexplicably chosen to become the next Skate Wizard and embark on a countrywide tour to impress the pantheon of bizarre skater gods who ostensibly run the place.

    Despite the amount of dialogue amongst your small entourage of misfits, there’s really no story to speak of. It largely functions as an excuse to take in the sights and sounds and honestly it’s all the game needs. I could take or leave the banter between characters but the tone is light and relaxed enough to never really annoy. Frustration only really comes when it gets in the way of getting to the actual skating, which is fun, just really fun.

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    The on rails 2D design of the gameplay leans perhaps more towards the endless runner genre than something like a Tony Hawk game, but the levels and control scheme mesh perfectly into each other for the purposes of a skating game. Score is of course queen here, where every trick and manoeuvre count towards it, with bonuses for execution and multipliers for chaining uninterrupted combos. Things start off easy enough with simple tracks and minimal hazards, but as you progress the slow creep of ever expanding complexity comes through and what works so well is how it all feels natural and increments up in challenge so smoothly.

    It does this by not just giving you the tools to develop and tackle these harder tracks, but in providing the right encouragement and space to do so. New mechanics are introduced slowly and you are given ample opportunity to work on them and integrate them into your runs before new elements threaten to overwhelm. The skill floor as such is very low, but the way in which that floor is raised comes about naturally, because crucially it’s nearly always you who raises it, demanding more of yourself as you improve.

    You are also constantly teased with optional levels, side quests and challenges to tempt you to keep coming back to try again. Restarting levels and checkpoints take but a single button press, so you’re given little time to contemplate quitting. The character customisation of course comes into this as all the rewards you unlock are tied to new outfits and designs for your board. Stylistically the game may put off some people, but the variety of gear is at least on the more generous side of things.

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    As for the levels themselves they take full advantage of the many tricks you can chain together with lots of room to perform any number of different moves in a given section. There are also numerous hidden and alternative paths to take, often adding an extra measure of difficulty to challenge and reward. These are varied, smartly designed and all feel good to traverse, mixing in different elements elegantly as they get ever more elaborate. The changing biomes and themes helping to add freshness as you go along with a number of set piece moments.

    As with any game that is primarily score-based, Multiplayer makes an appearance with the usual level specific leaderboards and a league system where small groups of 10 compete in daily challenges to gain promotion to higher league levels. Yet another one of the many systems that encourage you to keep going beyond the main campaign.

    But in going back to those initial levels it was a night and day difference in terms of score and the feeling of improvement, where once the thought of a 100 trick combo was so much distant dreaming, it suddenly came true through a thrilling roller-coaster of grinds, spins, wall rides and manuals. The experience has that magic quality where it feels great instinctively, where the movement is slick and the control system responsive, making all the tricks, be they simple or complex, very satisfying to pull off.

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    It’s not a game to demand anything of you other than to have a great time. The old clichés around easy to learn, hard to master are completely apt here. It really is up to you to determine how hard or easy you want things to be yet always encourages you to try and push a little more, giving all these little teases and temptations to try again and do better. It’s addicting in the best way without ever needing your credit card details.

    On a technical level everything was smooth aside from one or two hitches across the many hours spent so far. The cel-shaded art style isn’t for everyone, but the colour and vibrancy fits the friendly and inviting atmosphere the game wants to cultivate. I would have loved for more tracks, but wanting more is preferable to wishing for the end sooner than it arrives.

    Ultimately the whole experience acts as a perfect reminder as to the simple pleasures of gaming. Competing for high scores in a colourful and highly entertaining game of speed and skill. Everyone is welcome; any skill level is catered for and offered all the right incentives to have a great time. So whether you’re trying to land that one trick or turn that one trick into seven, OlliOlli World has you covered.

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