OlliOlli World Review

OlliOlli World is a bold adventure in skateboarding with a daring art direction and excellent gameplay set against a charming world, my review.

OlliOlli World is latest instalment from skater veterans Roll7 known for the PlayStation Vita exclusive OlliOlli. The original game was met with critical acclaim leading to an eventual sequel in OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood in 2015. Fast forward to 2022 and Roll7 has found a way to take their addictive, yet challenging formula and improve upon it, creating the best game in the franchise yet. OlliOlli World brings together all of the series acclaimed mechanics, with features that will appeal to veteran and rookie skaters alike. OlliOlli World has reinvented the series once again with stunning artistic design, excellent gameplay mechanics and a new 2.5D game engine. Let's roll into Radlandia and discover all there is to shred.

OlliOlli World details

Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC

Developer: Roll7

Publisher: Private Division

Genre: Platformer, Sports, Arcade, Indie

Modes: Single player

ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+

An eclectic adventure

OlliOlli World is packed with charm and its all about about finding your "flow." There's not necessarily a locked-in story, but rather a group of skaters that encourage you to improve your skills. Your adventure takes you on a fun journey where you vie for combo point supremacy in different levels. Every stage is a new challenge that requires precision to perfect.

Infuse your personality into a customizable skater

Players can pick from male or female skaters with different skills and abilities. The amount of diversity in the skaters is pretty amazing for a side-scrolling platformer. The characters have unique personalities and their own tricks to take on in Radlandia. You'll also be able to unlock even more gear as you progress through the game. The visual design is what makes these simple characters so interesting and appealing.

"The amount of diversity in the skaters is pretty amazing for a side-scrolling platformer."

Graphics and art direction

OlliOlli World has a unique presentation and a style all its own that pulls you in from start to finish. The art direction borrows from the cartoon series Adventure Time, but the simplified look is gorgeous. The world is playful and fun with characters that drop "dad jokes" unapologetically. Each level is brimming with its own personality, pastel colour palette and quirky details. The design gives everything tons of life making each level feel special and fresh, while at the same time paying homage to classic side-scrolling games.

"The world is playful and fun with characters that drop 'dad jokes' unapologetically.

Nintendo Switch Screenshot Gallery

The 2.5D game engine creates a fresh look for Roll7 games, adding even more visual depth to each stage. At the same time OlliOlli World still brings the vibrant lighting effects and punchy hues you've come to love from previous entries in the series. The new engine allows players to glide across levels performing mind-blowing tricks that feel smooth as silk, with no issues with frame drops or slowdown. The new game engine also offers players deeper skill-based gameplay that will keep you coming back for

more.

A deep level of mastery

As much as I love Ollie's simple trick-based gameplay, it can feel frustrating when you fail a level because of a single mistake. The tricks are easy to pick up at first but the combos are difficult to master. OlliOlli World adds even more layers onto the core mechanics and focuses on maintaining combos for huge points and trick chains.

"The tricks are easy to pick up at first but the combos are difficult to master."

Each level has its own unique gimmick or twist, adding variety which helps keep things fresh. When you nail each sequence perfectly, you get a sense of satisfaction seeing your moves come together in perfect sync — laying down layer after layer of tricks.

Gameplay isn't a grind

OlliOlli veterans should feel right at home with controls and challenge ceiling. Every single aspect of gameplay feels precise and rewarding allowing you to push the limits of your abilities. At the same time, it is a more accessible experience for casual gamers.

"Every single aspect of gameplay feels precise and rewarding allowing you to push the limits of your abilities."

Whether you're grinding on rails or doing a kick-flip across billboards, OlliOlli World delivers its own brand of skateboarding that will keep you coming back for more. No matter what challenge is thrown at you, the controls remain precise making every single trick possible without any sacrifice.

The OlliOlli World soundtrack is a vibe

The music reflects the artistic design of OlliOlli World, offering a unique soundscape to complement all locales and bright pastel colours. The soundtrack is full of independent artists from around the world like Fardust, Adam Swim, and Midflite. The music is soothing and relaxing, helping to take the edge off more intense levels. The audio is a great addition to OlliOlli World that only adds to the overall experience.

"The audio is a great addition to OlliOlli World that only adds to the overall experience."

You can check out of a sampling of the soundtrack on Spotify here. This playlist offers a fraction of the 32 songs found in the game, but it gives you an idea of the unique audio. Roll7 made sure to deliver an eclectic audio experience that captures all the different moods throughout the levels. Outside of an awesome soundtrack, OlliOlli World also includes some fantastic sound effects for tricks complete with crashes and grinds.

Final Thoughts on OlliOlli World

If you are looking for a fresh take on the skateboarding genre, OlliOlli World delivers in spades. The 2.5D game engine breathes new life into the series while giving Roll7 room to create one-of-a-kind visuals and gameplay mechanics that feel smooth and responsive to your every move. As you play, the soundtrack will keeping you tapping your feet as you grind away. Roll7 has done it again with an amazing new entry that offers heart-pounding action and fun side-scrolling skate vibes.

If you haven't heard about OlliOlli yet, it's time to roll into Radlandia! No matter if you are new to the series, or have been olliing since day one, the addictive gameplay along with stunning visuals and tight controls makes this game a must play.

OlliOlli World PROS

+Colourful visual design

+Fun cast of quirky characters

+Easy to learn control scheme

+Excellent soundtrack

OlliOlli World CONS

-Some levels are a little too complex

-Abrupt conclusion to the game

Gameplay: 10/10

Graphics: 9/10

Sound: 9/10

Replayability: 8/10

Overall Rating: 36/40 (90%)

A copy of this game was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.