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<\/article>\nStory And Presentation<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\nI haven\u2019t finished Olija, so I can\u2019t speak to the whole story\u2019s overall quality. However, I am deeply intrigued. The game opens with protagonist Lord Faraday getting shipwrecked among the islands of Terraphage while on a mission to bring treasure and resources back to his struggling village. His crew gets scattered to various isles, so it becomes something of a rescue mission as he explores creepy dungeons in search of them. Before long he encounters creepy, shape-shifting monsters and other hostile foes, as well as the mysterious Lady Olija. I\u2019m not sure what to make of Olija herself yet, but I\u2019m curious to see what her agenda is as Faraday tries to recover his crew and get the heck out of Terraphage.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nIf you watch Olija\u2019s animated launch trailer, it\u2019s easy to feel slighted by its in-game presentation. Sure, it\u2019s not a stylish animated epic, but the pixel art is smoothly animated in a way that feels like a modern take on the original Prince of Persia. Cutscenes make the most of this with dramatic camera angles and copious abrupt cuts to black. In short, Olija has style. There\u2019s also plenty of disturbing moments, usually involving the brutal manner Terraphage\u2019s monstrosites murder or transform their victims. The ominous soundtrack creates a constant sense of eerie unease, which is appropriate given you\u2019re facing bizarre supernatural forces.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\nClick here to watch embedded media<\/a><\/p>\nCombat<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\nAt a glance you might not guess Olija\u2019s combat would be as fun as it is, but it\u2019s a stylish treat. The core of the experience is a magic harpoon used to impale enemies and objects, which you can then use as an anchor to teleport towards them. It feels great, and is supremely useful both as a platforming tool and for closing the gap against ranged based foes. Plus, recalling the harpoon hits anyone caught in its path, similar to recalling Kratos\u2019 axe in 2018\u2019s God of War, creating additional strategy in setting up enemies.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nA variety of sub weapons are fun in their own right. Right now I have a rapier that complements the heavier harpoon with rapid melee strikes. A crossbow deals rapid fire bolts and a shotgun-esque musket fires powerful spreading shots. Sub-weapons can be swapped on the fly, making it a cinch to change combat styles in the heat of battle.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAll of this leads to combat that is surprisingly fluid and fast-paced with an emphasis on combos. It almost feels like a heavily pixelated Devil May Cry at points, especially since you can launch enemies and juggle them in mid-air. You can also knock enemies into walls or pits. Special hats lend supplementary abilities such as allowing players to spin the harpoon like a propeller or firing feather daggers while performing dodge rolls. Combat feels great and is probably Olija\u2019s strongest aspect.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/what-is-olija-and-why-you-should-you-try-it-2.jpg\")
<\/article>\nExploration<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\nOlija isn\u2019t quite a Metroidvania, but the dungeons do feature a handful of paths that often require puzzle-solving and light backtracking. There are no level maps (at least none that I\u2019ve found yet), and that might annoy some players. However, while levels have multiple paths, they\u2019re still small enough where I could pretty easily remember where I\u2019d gone.\u00a0 Teleporting around with the harpoon is fun, as is using it to find secret areas hiding collectible bottled ships. There\u2019s also some neat variety, such as one area that requires full stealth to get through. So far, I haven\u2019t seen any other area that called for that, so it\u2019s cool to see one-off mechanics like this. Traps and various obstacles are fun to overcome, and there\u2019s even a couple of cool setpiece moments I won\u2019t spoil.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/what-is-olija-and-why-you-should-you-try-it-3.jpg\")
<\/article>\nSettlement-Building<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\nSettlement-building feels all the rage suddenly, and Olija hops on the trend with its own take. Between missions players return to Oaktide, a port that\u2019s initially in terrible disrepair. As players locate and rescue their displaced crewmates, Oaktide grows into a bustling port. Eventually players obtain a potion seeker who can increase maximum health and order a ship to search for treasure, which you\u2019ll collect upon your next visit. Given the game\u2019s overall dark tone, it feels good to see some hope by bringing crewmate after crewmate back to Oaktide. I\u2019m a sucker for building up a home base in games, and while Olija\u2019s isn\u2019t the deepest example of it, it\u2019s still engrossing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nSo far Olija\u2019s my favorite game of 2021, and I can\u2019t wait to dive back in and see how the mystery unfolds. If you want to give a shot, it\u2019s available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC for $14.99. Watch us play some of the game’s early hours in this episode of New Gameplay Today<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
If you watch Olija\u2019s animated launch trailer, it\u2019s easy to feel slighted by its in-game presentation. Sure, it\u2019s not a stylish animated epic, but the pixel art is smoothly animated in a way that feels like a modern take on the original Prince of Persia. Cutscenes make the most of this with dramatic camera angles and copious abrupt cuts to black. In short, Olija has style. There\u2019s also plenty of disturbing moments, usually involving the brutal manner Terraphage\u2019s monstrosites murder or transform their victims. The ominous soundtrack creates a constant sense of eerie unease, which is appropriate given you\u2019re facing bizarre supernatural forces.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Click here to watch embedded media<\/a><\/p>\n At a glance you might not guess Olija\u2019s combat would be as fun as it is, but it\u2019s a stylish treat. The core of the experience is a magic harpoon used to impale enemies and objects, which you can then use as an anchor to teleport towards them. It feels great, and is supremely useful both as a platforming tool and for closing the gap against ranged based foes. Plus, recalling the harpoon hits anyone caught in its path, similar to recalling Kratos\u2019 axe in 2018\u2019s God of War, creating additional strategy in setting up enemies.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n A variety of sub weapons are fun in their own right. Right now I have a rapier that complements the heavier harpoon with rapid melee strikes. A crossbow deals rapid fire bolts and a shotgun-esque musket fires powerful spreading shots. Sub-weapons can be swapped on the fly, making it a cinch to change combat styles in the heat of battle.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n All of this leads to combat that is surprisingly fluid and fast-paced with an emphasis on combos. It almost feels like a heavily pixelated Devil May Cry at points, especially since you can launch enemies and juggle them in mid-air. You can also knock enemies into walls or pits. Special hats lend supplementary abilities such as allowing players to spin the harpoon like a propeller or firing feather daggers while performing dodge rolls. Combat feels great and is probably Olija\u2019s strongest aspect.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Olija isn\u2019t quite a Metroidvania, but the dungeons do feature a handful of paths that often require puzzle-solving and light backtracking. There are no level maps (at least none that I\u2019ve found yet), and that might annoy some players. However, while levels have multiple paths, they\u2019re still small enough where I could pretty easily remember where I\u2019d gone.\u00a0 Teleporting around with the harpoon is fun, as is using it to find secret areas hiding collectible bottled ships. There\u2019s also some neat variety, such as one area that requires full stealth to get through. So far, I haven\u2019t seen any other area that called for that, so it\u2019s cool to see one-off mechanics like this. Traps and various obstacles are fun to overcome, and there\u2019s even a couple of cool setpiece moments I won\u2019t spoil.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Settlement-building feels all the rage suddenly, and Olija hops on the trend with its own take. Between missions players return to Oaktide, a port that\u2019s initially in terrible disrepair. As players locate and rescue their displaced crewmates, Oaktide grows into a bustling port. Eventually players obtain a potion seeker who can increase maximum health and order a ship to search for treasure, which you\u2019ll collect upon your next visit. Given the game\u2019s overall dark tone, it feels good to see some hope by bringing crewmate after crewmate back to Oaktide. I\u2019m a sucker for building up a home base in games, and while Olija\u2019s isn\u2019t the deepest example of it, it\u2019s still engrossing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n So far Olija\u2019s my favorite game of 2021, and I can\u2019t wait to dive back in and see how the mystery unfolds. If you want to give a shot, it\u2019s available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC for $14.99. Watch us play some of the game’s early hours in this episode of New Gameplay Today<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\nCombat<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/article>\nExploration<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/article>\nSettlement-Building<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n