FLIP OUT FUN
Olliolli World
(PEGI 3) PS4, PS5, XBOX ONE, XBOX X/S, PC, Switch
★★★★✩
TONY Hawk had better watch out, there’s a new skater in town.
The world of skateboarding games has become surprisingly busy since the last Olliolli release – Olliolli2: Welcome to Olliwood – in 2015.
Not only has there been the superb remaster of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1&2, but there’s been Skater XL, Session and the beautiful pareddown The Ramp, which is a hypnotic exercise in flowing moves together.
And yet, even in this crowded field Olliolli World manages to stand out.
This colourful action-platformer is set in Radlandia, a fantastical world packed with vibrant characters that you get to grind, kickflip and boardslide your way through on your quest for Gnarvana.
Olliolli World is a huge step forward for the series, now in 3D, the graphics are vibrant and beautifully simplistic, clearly taking art inspiration from things like Jet Set Radio and Adventure Time.
There’s a huge amount of customisation to be done, and you can spend literally hours shaping your virtual skater to look just how you want.
From skin tone, and body type to a whole host of fashion choices, skateboard picks and of course accessories – you can really show off your personality.
You even have control over the style of skateboarding you want your character to have, from an ‘old school’ style that sees you doing lots of grabs, to adding a running start to your skating.
The more you explore the map, the more clothes and accessories you unlock to add to your wardrobe – including a bee onesie that looks utterly adorable whizzing up and down a ramp.
There’s even a side mission which, when complete, unlocks a mask of Danny Trejo – star of Spy Kids,
Machete and most recently popped up as a rancor handler in The Book of Boba Fett.
If you ever get past the customisation menus – which can be addictive – when you actually start skating, it’s breathtaking.
As cartoony as the graphics look, the gameplay is swift and fluid, your skater majestically moving through the vibrant world smoothly and stylishly.
Tricks look fantastic, and gameplay is surprisingly layered making it utterly accessible to beginners on the surface, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find challenges that will really stretch your skills.
The map itself is split into five areas, and each has its own special missions which are unlocked by completing a specific task, such as high fiving a certain character or doing a certain number of laps in a specific area without falling.
Sadly some of the side quests I found to be a tad disappointing, but at least they were simple enough to achieve, and check off another item for my wardrobe.
The actual levels themselves, however, are most impressive and you no longer simply side scroll through them, sweeping back and forth on your board as the ramps and mechanics dictate.
Your dexterity is fully tested here, as you try combo tricks and moves while backside wallriding, and grinding your board along rails and billboards.
With so many tricks and skills to master you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ll be overwhelmed when you first pick up the controller. But gameplay is incredibly intuitive and it really doesn’t take that long before you find yourself flipping and pulling ollies with the best of them.
If you want to share the love, there’s a fairly good multiplayer function here too including the Gnarvana League, which allows you to compete against a small group of other skaters to get the highest score.
This fantastic little sequel offers hours of fun for even the most burned out virtual skateboarder, set in a world of pure imagination where you can switch off your brain and just enjoy the peace of skating.
Bargain buy: £14.99 from cdkeys.com on Steam for PC