Olija

Olija is incredibly cinematic, despite its minimalist approach to art style. The game still feels fantastical thanks to an incredible attention to detail with both the visual and sound design. In addition, Olija tells a heartfelt story with important themes, while keeping satisfying gameplay at the center of it all. It becomes even more impressive when you realize the game was practically develope...

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.

This darkly atmospheric action adventure delivers great grapple.

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 that’s about the only complaint I can leverage at Olija. Aside from occasionally getting lost, every moment spent with this short adventure game is a joy. You’ll see the credits roll in less than six hours, but you’ll likely be itching to jump back in and continue exploring after that. The harpoon makes for a unique and useful weapon; whether you’re using it to destroy your foes or to transpor...

Olija subverts the expectations of an unforgiving old-school adventure for something more fun and breezing, verging on slapstick combat, yet still dripping with atmosphere thanks to its impressionistic pixel art and excellent audio. Being a castaway makes for a good escape.

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 ...

Olija is Devolver Digital‘s latest release; a beautiful homage to the early days of 2D pixel-art action and platforming. You play as Lord Faraday, your story beginning as you set sail in one last attempt to bring riches back to your people and your poverty stricken land. After getting shipwrecked on a mysterious island, you must search for an ancient harpoon of legend and rescue your crew.

Olija is a short-lived odyssey, and it would’ve been great if there were additional difficulties or any sort of incentive to replay its brief, four-hour campaign. But as a bite-sized 2D action adventure, it leaves a very strong impression thanks to a magical harpoon that makes fighting, moving, and discovering secrets especially rewarding. Its combat in particular packs a surprising amount of dept...

Olija might not be long and might not have the most interesting combat, but the story and style of the game make it worth playing.

This tale of a man shipwrecked in a strange land feels like it ends before we can get invested in its world and characters.

When I first saw Olija being advertised, the thing that really struck me was the gameplay. The character fluidly teleporting around the battlefield and carving pixelated chunks of flesh from their opponents. I knew nothing of the context for what was happening. I didn’t really care. It looked hectic, vicious and all kinds of enticing. In practice, all these attributes lie at the core of Olija. The...