Olli Olli World Review

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Fast Facts

Have you ever wanted to skate, perform legendary tricks, and leap across chasms…. without the potential for injury? Fortunately, the third entry in the ‘Olli Olli’ series allows these dreams to become true! Find out my thoughts on Olli Olli World in this Rapid Review.

New to the Decks!

Although I’d heard of the series for quite a while, I’d never played an ‘Olli Olli’ game before. However, with the early praise from fellow reviewers for Olli Olli World, an instant appeal to the colourful world of Radlandia and a long-haul flight on the horizon, I decided to take the skateboarding wheels of Olli Olli World for a spin! 

Across the game, my goal was to achieve the mythical title of ‘Skate Wizard’ by completing a linear series of skateboarding levels which gradually introduced me to new tricks and controls throughout the four-hour campaign. I was aware of the passionate score-beating community of the series and was worried about potential difficulty issues. These fears were quickly unfounded as I began progressing through the game. As a newcomer to the series, I found the linear structure to work extremely well; slowly teaching me new controls whilst enabling a skipping function that let experienced players get straight into the action. By the end of the game, I was able to perform tricks more advanced basic Ollies, even though my primary objective continued to be survival!

Cool Trick!

Speaking of tricks, Olli Olli World is full of them! From basic ‘no comply’s to grabs and grinds, each trick was introduced to me via objective-based tutorials with a gradual and efficient approach. Each trick is bound to a specific trigger or button and I often found myself needing to press multiple inputs at once. My hand quickly became a game of ‘Twister’, stretching around to press the correct buttons at the correct time. Playing ‘Olli Olli World’ handheld on the Nintendo Switch may not have been the most comfortable experience but I still enjoyed my time!

As mentioned before, the game strikes a well-thought-out balance between being approachable for new players and not becoming tiresome for returning players to the series with the same-old information. These tutorials were skippable for those already familiar with the mechanics but were very helpful in teaching me the newfound art of shoving, flipping and kicking!

The Sights of Radlandia!

Yet, despite the abundance of tricks on offer, the game itself comes with a challenge of survival, particularly during the later levels. Playing like an endless runner, each level took me around three minutes to complete. Launching from ramps and switching between beautiful 2.5D landscapes, I had to be alert at all times! I made sure not to miss a jump or grind across each of the fifty levels across the world of Radlandia. Radlandia itself is split into five unique biomes. From the alpine forests of Cloverbrook to the deserts of Burntrock, I enjoyed the variety in world design, and I felt that the levels were enjoyable both in a visual and gameplay sense. Paths, drops and rails were well signposted with effective use of colour which meant that, even with the sheer speed of the game, I could quickly see what the next obstacle was!

Although most of my focus was simply on survival, there were occasions when I could try out new movements mid-air. Sometimes, these attempts succeeded. Other times, I failed to make the leap across a canyon and saw my player turn into a rag-doll, his cartoon body flailing into a rocky wall. Fortunately, with instant resets and generous checkpoints, I was back to the course in no time. Olli Olli World is a game that needs (and ultimately deserves) your attention.

Costume and Character

An area of Olli Olli World that surprised me the most was the sheer amount of humorous dialogue. I quickly encountered an entourage of eccentric characters who joined me during my quest for Skate Wizardry. From the over-loud ‘Gnarly Mike’ to the character simply titled ‘Dad’, I genuinely enjoyed the comedic conversations which introduced each level. Of course, like the tutorials, the dialogue is easily skippable for those who’d prefer to work solely on beating their skating score.

With plenty of additional challenges and ‘local heroes’ scores to beat, I was quickly awarded new clothes and accessories to customise my character with. I started the game with a simple blue t-shirt and black trousers combination. By the time the credits had rolled, I’d embraced the zaniness of Olli Olli World and equipped a bright blue puffer jacket and green chinos to boot! Although the lack of a traditional 1v1 multiplayer was disappointing, I did unlock an area that challenged me to beat online leader board scores. This also gave me the chance to unlock and discover the costume combinations of other players!

Conclusion

Olli Olli World is a fantastic game for both newcomers and established Olli Olli fans alike. With ample tutorials, witty dialogue and well-designed levels, I loved my first entry into the Olli Olli series! Yet, with the optional approach to tutorials and the abundance of additional challenges, existing players can work on increasing their scores as quickly as possible! Although the campaign of Olli Olli World is short, I can’t wait to return to Radlandia to beat my scores (and attempt a new trick or two!).

Rapid Reviews Rating

4 out of 5

4

You can purchase Olli Olli World for £24.99 on the Nintendo eShop