OlliOlli World Preview, Exciting Skateboarding Adventure!

Entered in the category of a franchise that is quite niche in the market, OlliOlli is a skateboard game franchise that offers a unique gaming experience. Instead of just a skateboarding game that focuses on style execution in a wide arena like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, players will actually be brought into the challenge of a platformer game with a 2D perspective. So in addition to focusing on completing levels filled with traps and obstacles to pass, players must also execute stylish skateboarding tricks to achieve high scores. After a hiatus for several years, the Roll7 developer has finally returned to bring a surprise through a new series entitled OlliOlli World.

We happened to have the opportunity to try out the demo version of the game a few weeks ago and have to admit that the experience offered is indeed special. For those who are really curious about the quality of the game, here we have summarized the full preview!

Level Structure

Even though we haven’t played the two series before, we can see some drastic changes especially in terms of aesthetics. It looks like you will be given access to 5 main areas in the final version, but only 2 were available for the demo version we played namely Sunshine Valley and Cloverbrook. They also limit the number of stages available for each area to focus more on the tutorial, with one or two stages that really feel like challenging levels without any limitations. We were also given access to one bonus level per area from NPCs encountered at a specific level. This bonus level basically provides a special challenge that must be completed in a limited time, or in other words it is a Time Trial.

Fortunately, you are not alone in your adventure, because there are 4 side characters who act as guides, namely Dad, Gnarly Mike, Suze, and Chiffon. At first we thought they’d just get in the way of the game by continuing to provide lengthy dialogue at the start of each level, but in no time we fell in love with them for their totally laid back and unique traits to each other. This is definitely much better than giving tutorials in the form of text boxes or dialogs that appear on the screen.

Visual Style Change

Even though they are not familiar with the series, it is not difficult to see the difference between OlliOlli World compared to the previous series. It’s because this time they’re taking an art style approach that’s more like a cartoon, and if I’m being honest we quite like it. Just looking at the trailer won’t give you the same impression, because this game looks much more pleasing to the eye when you can play it live. Radlandia which is the main setting is a world that is so lively and unique to explore, where even though each area has an identical level design, you can still see the activities that are so lively in the surrounding scenery.

Each of the main areas in the game also has its own uniqueness, especially with the way they design the levels to better blend in with the surrounding environment. For example, Cloverbrook is a forest area that is home to various species of creatures such as giant bees, blue frogs, and even living giant trees. You can always see these creatures roaming the area around you, but they can also be directly involved with the levels you pass such as how giant beehives are used for wallrides, or how blue frogs can get in the way of you completing challenges.

Played Game

As you might have guessed, OlliOlli World is a platforming game with a linear level design. What makes this game unique is the skateboard mechanics that require you to perform various tricks to complete levels and get the best score. Here are some actions you can take:

push – Actions to maintain the character’s speed momentum.
Tricks – Actions that allow you to execute various skateboard tricks.
Grinding – Skating by grinding with the body of the skateboard on the handrail or other grinding object.
Changing Lanes – Change the route of the area you want to travel.
Wallrides – Skating on the wall.

You really have to get used to all of the above actions, as these are necessary to complete the levels in a much easier and stylish way. For example, performing a trick essentially acts as a jumping action, while grinding can give you both consistent speed and momentum. Regarding the difficulty level, this game is actually quite easy as long as you understand the function and how each action works.

We mention it because while playing we kept making the same mistakes when trying to get past certain seemingly impossible obstacles, before finally realizing that the grinding action we were doing had to be maintained as long as it wasn’t ready to be released instead of having to jump manually. The point is that letting the momentum gained from grinding is the most essential lock, so don’t be afraid if you almost fall at the end of the grinding path.

Maintaining momentum and speed is everything, otherwise you could be stuck in the same area all the time. Luckily this game is pretty friendly with checkpoints and no repetition limit, but we think the final version will be different. The demo that we played was dominated by tutorials to introduce the concept of the gameplay that was carried.

Conclusion

Who would have thought that platforming and skating could be such a fun combination, and OlliOlli World really applies the concept well. It’s no longer just a matter of completing levels like in platformer games in general, but also how reliable you are at executing skateboarding tricks and getting the best score. Imagine Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, but with an open area where you can only take one linear path, avoiding obstacles, while executing various tricks along the way. Although it may sound challenging especially for platformer games, the gameplay offered is quite easy as long as you can understand the mechanics.

When is the Game Released?

OlliOlli World itself is scheduled to be released this winter for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. The release of this game also supports the availability of subtitles in various languages ranging from English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and many more from America and Europe.

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