Olija Reviews
If you're fond of cinematic platformers, mysterious settings, and swashbuckling adventure, you've washed up in the right place.
Olija instigates with its premise and unique ambience. Exploring a exotic country in the company of a castaway is pleasant, specially when using the harpoon teleporting mechanics. The journey has well-balanced moments of exploration, platform and combat, and there are some secrets to find, and the low-resolution visual pixel art and music bring an exotic air to the game world. However, it's easy to be bothered by the simplicity of several aspects: the plot and universe are too enigmatic, and the challenges are too basic. In the end, Olija is interesting while it lasts, but, unfortunately, does not fully exploit its potential.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Olija is a beautiful minimalistic game, that includes some interesting mechanics, such as the use of a magic harpoon and the Lunar Sword, to classic "metroidvania" gameplay.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Olija enters a crowded genre and its gameplay does little to revolutionize the scene, but it still manages to stand out with a unique visual style that greatly contributes to its intriguing, atmospheric tone. Anyone interested in the story should go in blind, as a sense of mystery adds to the experience. The Devolver catalog has often curated the best in niche indie games, and Olija is another good addition for those looking for a unique, moody, maritime experience.
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.
Olija’s adventure might be a short one, but it’ll certainly prove memorable for players thanks to its fun harpooning-action and its minimalistic yet impressive visual style. Add to that an intriguing narrative that’ll keep you hooked in until the very end and it’s clear that Devolver Digital and Skeleton Crew Studio have a winner on their hands here. Admittedly, the combat mechanics were a little underwhelming and the lack of challenge did feel like low points of the journey, but Olija still did more than enough to ensure that its harpoon-fuelled escapade is one that fans of 2D adventures won’t want out miss out on.
At the end of the day, Olija is a voyage that is quite a blast, even though it ends quickly.
It may not look like much to begin with, but when Olija gets going it’s a captivating experience. Pixelated violence paired with the minimalism of its peers, it’s as worthy as any other game with Devolver’s blessing behind it.
Olija’s atmosphere is spot on and despite its huge pixels, the game manages to channel Hugo Pratt’s fabled Corto Maltese graphic novels that take place in similar exotic corners of the world. The gameplay also works most of the time, but as is often the case with indie games, the authoritarian developer has gone overboard. The less is usually more but here, the style simply went over the substance and 12 hours of playtime more than overstays its welcome considering the game's ultimately shallow bounty.
Olija is a new action-adventure game made by Skeleton Crew Studio, published by Devolver Digital, and showcasing all the hallmarks of an indie darling. With fast-paced combat and an addictive gameplay loop, it has the makings of another decent slasher. However, with the help of extraordinary animation, excellent pacing, and a heartfelt narrative, it is lifted to wonderful heights.
Olija is a unique, intriguing adventure that brings players to a strange land. It isn't long but its length is enough. The visuals and atmosphere are first-rate, as are the combat and level design. All of that makes it an easy game to recommend.
Olija is a game that thrives in its Asian fantasy atmosphere and well-realized gameplay. The story and soundtrack are artistic and evoke special moods, while the combat and exploration are a neat and interesting package. The journey is short and sweet and only held back by a few stumbles in its narrative delivery.
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.
Olija is a memorable 2D action platformer with great combat that is over all too soon with little reason to return.
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.
With it’s very retro pixelated look you could walk into Olija expecting a similarly old-school experience, but you’d be wrong...
Olija is a great action platformer and one that throws back to the best of those which have come before.
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.
As Faraday, the setup is simple, you're a lone shipwreck survivor left to pick up the pieces, rescue those lost or trapped, and lead them through a fantastical world. Rebuild.