Welcome to Radlandia, the setting of the third game in the OlliOlli series, OlliOlli World. It’s been six years since the release of OlliOlli 2, and while last year’s Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 definitely filled in that skateboard game sized hole in my heart, there isn’t quite anything like OlliOlli so I was eager to see what developer Roll7 had to offer when they revealed OlliOlli World.
I was lucky enough to be invited to a recent OlliOlli World press event where we got to get our hands on a decent chunk of the game and let me tell you, it felt really good to get back into the groove of things. The first immediate change you’ll notice is the radical pivot from the 2D aesthetic the first two games had into a 3D pastel colored world. Not only does the game look gorgeous, (and it might just be in my head) but I feel like it’s easier to play now that it’s in 3D. I felt like I had a better visual of when my board would connect with a rail to time a perfect grind more consistently. My only complaint is that the game features the occasional cutscene (you play as a skater joining a crew) and there’s some pre-level banter occasionally. The issue here is that those models animate at an intentionally lower, stylized frame rate (think Enter the Spider-Verse) but it’s a jarring style when everything around them, and the gameplay itself, moves at a smooth fps. It’s obviously not a big deal since you’re here for the moment-to-moment skateboarding gameplay, but it’s a minor nitpick in a package I think could be flawless overall.
If you’re new to the series, OlliOlli is a 2D (now with 3D elements) skateboarding game where you’ll jump and grind your way from point A to point B in a straightforward path with obstacles to trick off of. It played quick and demanded concentration, as you had to keep your speed up to not only make tricky jumps but also to keep combos going to get those highscores. OlliOlli World continues with this simple formula, but spices things up by adding branching paths to the game’s levels. As you skate through a level you’ll have the opportunity to pivot to another path that’ll take you down a different path and you only have a moment to decide whether to take a path or not. Doing so might take you down a path with that last objective collectible you were looking for, or even reveal new characters who will hand you side quests to complete across the game’s various levels spread out across various worlds.
OlliOlli’s simple formula of the character always moving in a direction and you using the analog sticks for tricks instead of focusing on movement is still present, and the feeling of nailing a perfect grind as sparks fly is still just as satisfying. New to the series however are the inclusion of ramps and grab tricks (something that was sorely missing from the first two games) along with wallrides that just adds a ton of variety to what you get to do in a level. Another change some people might be happy with or upset about is the addition of checkpoints in levels, so gone are the days of having a really good run ruined and having to completely reset the entire brutal level. This all culminates in a game that feels more accepting to newer players, while also adding more complexity to veterans who are coming looking for something new to sink their teeth into.
Roll7’s six year break from OlliOlli was long, but clearly needed as OlliOlli World looks to be a fresh evolution of the formula they started with the first game and I’m eager to see how the final product stacks up.
