OlliOlli World

Get your skate on!

Between the excellent remake Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, the recently released Skate City, and upcoming indie oddity Skatebird, it’d be easy to say that skateboarding is having a renaissance right now. Though really, skateboarding never went away for some of us on PlayStation.

Developer Roll7 has been passionate about boarding for a number of years, as evidenced by its OlliOlli series, which debuted on PS Vita in 2014. This third instalment kickflips into a candycoloured skatepark called Radland that looks like it’s been designed by a four-wheeling Pendleton Ward.

JET GRIND RADIO

Whether this is the first time you’ve scraped your knees on the asphalt or you’re an old hand, OlliOlli World promises accessible, ‘flow state’ gameplay accompanied by a soundtrack that melds electronica and IDM tracks. Radland is full of rails to grind, ramps to kickflip from, and quests to cruise through. Levels have multiple tracks, and player expression is encouraged on and off the board.

As you figure out what’s in your wheelhouse within a combo system that boasts over 100 moves, you’ll have the opportunity to express yourself through your avatar’s sense of style. A bumble-bee onesie may not be aerodynamic but skating around in one is certainly a way to make a name for yourself. Another way would be through Leagues, in which you compete online with boarders from around the globe for that sought-after high score. If you’d rather hone your boardcraft solo, Sandbox mode boasts a wealth of levels that’ll be right up your alley.

Skateboarding can seem daunting, especially for those of us who struggle to balance simply standing up. Roll7’s videogame fantasy isn’t only appealing for that reason, but its eye on accessibility could provide the confidence boost we need.

IMPRESSIONS

“RADLAND IS FULL OF RAILS TO GRIND AND RAMPS TO KICKFLIP FROM.”

We can’t wait for OlliOlli World to pop shove it onto PS4, just as it’s getting too cold for outdoor fun in the real world.

Radland boasts bags of whimsy and personality. Have you ever kickflipped off of a giant popsicle? Now you can!

1 Express yourself! With plenty of options for navigating the rails in style, player expression is prioritised. If you’re going to pull off the coolest tricks, you might as well look cool at the same time. 2 As in previous instalments, gameplay aims to conjure a flow state in would-be boarders and often nails it.