Olija Reviews
With Olija, what you see is what you get. It is well-executed for the most part and is an absolute joy to play. If this is your type of game, don't hesitate to pick this one up.
But for myself, who liked every aspect of Olija, the whole package is a flawed but thoroughly impressive ride. There is a lot to enjoy here, in a game which lets the player feel alienated and disempowered one moment, and then agile and dangerous the next. It wins even more points for the way that it perfects the cinematic platformer formula which has a lot of nostalgia value, but not a lot of modern interpretations. I love that Olija arrives as a palette cleanser to the Metroidvanias and the rogue-lites of the side-scroller scene, and I wish all the success for it.
Olija has a wonderful story to tell that takes influence from some of your favorite seafaring adventures. While the technical hiccups can be disappointing and the major portion of the gameplay can feel unexciting, the boss fights and story sections bring to life a drab and dreary world that I would thoroughly enjoy seeing more of after the patches roll out.
One of the first games of 2021 I’ve sank my teeth into, Olija certainly has set the bar high.
With it’s very retro pixelated look you could walk into Olija expecting a similarly old-school experience, but you’d be wrong...
Expect fluid combat and a captivating atmosphere, with an art style that might not be everyone's cup of tea.
As this game is available on Game Pass if you’re into 2D action platformers then I highly recommend it. It’s a solid 4 to 5 hours of engaging combat in a genre that rarely feels this heavy. That goes for the story as well which uses a minimalist style to tell a tale of lonely sadness. Olija doesn’t give the best first impression, but if you stick with it I think you’ll end up having one hell of a good time.
Olija is a fun mystical little game that doesn’t overstay its welcome lasting only 6 or 7 hours at best, boss battles aren’t really that difficult even the final one felt way to simple. Really the only thing that will impede your gameplay is the game locking up, we were playing on the Switch and we found the game having moments of slowdown nearing the end to the point it crashed in the middle of a boss fight and even silently crashed during the final cutscene with the screen staying black and the music fading away.
It was the fast-paced, gory combat and unique visual direction that first drew me to Olija, and while I enjoyed my time with it, there isn’t much here that hasn’t been done better elsewhere. I’m always impressed by games made by small teams and this is no different – just be sure to go in with proper expectations.
If you enjoy platformers with a really great art style and fantastic story, I'd absolutely recommend Olija. The gameplay alone is a nice draw to the game and it breaks the mold of platforming rogue-lites that have been going around lately.
Olija is a proof that love stories do not need dialogue. It is quite impressive how well this game shows characters’ emotions in spite of its stylistic choices. It is also a rather fun, albeit not too challenging, slasher with some fantastic boss fights.
Review in Polish | Read full review
If you're in for an indie that's all about pure aesthetics and atmosphere, then Olija is just for you.
Review in Greek | Read full review
I don’t think anyone will regret their admittedly limited time with Olija, it’s a joyride from start to finish. An all around great title with some excellent combat, exploration, and phenomenal music.
A great mix of mechanics and ideas inspired by the classics of its genre, that does not live to its full potential.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Sometimes it’s good to get into a game that doesn’t overstay its welcome and can be beaten as quickly as Olija. It’s got very little fat and values the time you spend with it by dropping you into a very tightly designed journey, and honestly I can’t fault Skeleton Crew Studios for how short this game can be if it’s as beautiful and enjoyable as it is. I could think of worse ways to spend the short hours it took to get through Olija, and I’m glad that I did.
The short length, relative lack of difficulty and couple of mechanical niggles stop it from being great, but if you’re looking for a new 2D action-adventure game, you won’t be disappointed.
If you're looking for a simple yet fun platformer that's inspired by somewhat different titles than your usual indie games are, to play over the weekend, you won't go wrong with Olija
Review in Slovak | Read full review
I think adventures like Olija are quite appreciated, with its simple layout but worked and with clear effort behind, and a direct gameplay but with substance as well. An adventure game that combines combat, platforming, classic story, well crafted narrative and art, and fun, quite fun. The so classic and even necessary "what it does, it does well".
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Olija is short but it is an impactful game. It’s got some minor technical issues but the gameplay is intense, the story is impeccable and the puzzles are challenging. The atmosphere of Terraphage is as important to the game as Faraday himself and it’s thanks to the magical harpoon that Faraday wields that the gameplay is so much fun. I’d love to revisit this game but it is so short and lacking in replayability - the upside is that the time you spend with Olija won’t soon be forgotten.
Short-but-sweet, Olija successfully reels you into its intoxicating world and tight gameplay but with few reasons to return to its oil-slicked shores.