Olija Review
A Fabled Pixel Beauty
Developed by Skeleton Crew Games
Published by Devolver Digital
Released on Xbox, PlayStation 4, Steam, and Switch
Materials & Methods
DISCLAIMER: Review code provided by Skeleton Crew Games
Reviewed on Xbox Series X
Introduction
A man and his crew lost at sea; a terrible storm has crashed Captain Faraday’s ship, throwing his crew on a mysterious shore. Black gooey monsters threaten your life, and Faraday is saved by not only his wit but his skills as a swordsman. He is armed with a mysterious spear that, at his will, will return to his hand ready to be thrown again. This world wouldn’t be complete without a goddess of the sea disguised as a maiden to drive Farraday’s goals to help save this world. This is the premise of the new indie game, Olija, developed by Skeleton Crew Studio. As the latest game in their repertoire, I can all but say it’s a hit whose flaws could be overlooked depending on what you’re in the mood for.
Results & Findings
The story of Olija is engaging. While a simple premise, what makes it thrive is Faraday's respect and admiration from his crew. After crashing on the mysterious land of Terraphage, Farraday’s crew has been scattered across the many islands. Throughout the five hour playtime, Faraday is exploring the islands of Terraphage- not only to rescue his crew but to find the woman who has caught his heart. The storyline feels like a classic tale from old storybooks. I’m not sure if it was a mix of the pixel art design and the cutscenes told only through text, but this felt incredibly charming. often times it’s hard to convey character and emotion just through text. Skeleton Crew Studio adds chiptune speech to certain lines, and it feels like it goes a long way. For instance, you’d be familiar with the little chip chatter heard in retro and indie games. Occasionally, they make sounds of names and general words, and they actually can say more than you hear. They show emotion, expressing just how much the crew respects Faraday and how much Olija’s guardians revere her.
The game plays out very similarly to a short form of Metroidvania. Terraphage islands are divided well into different levels that create a good pace for the game. Each major area has several keys you need to collect to unlock a door in that area and fight a boss to get a special key that goes to the final door of the game. It sounds pretty basic, but that’s OK. It’s still REALLY fun to play through all these different dungeons and areas to find everything. Now, I said this resembles a short form of a Metroidvania; that’s because you only really get upgrades through the form of side weapons and hats that change up your gameplay style. The similarity also extends to the exploration as well: secret walls, hidden platforms, and inconspicuous monsters you can throw your spear at are hidden all over the place. They don’t provide upgrades, but they still add depth to the linear levels.
As for the combat, it’s frequent and fast-paced. Occasionally, there are many enemies on screen, which is honestly where the game shines. The game tests your multitasking with the variety of enemies on screen with the different levels they fight from. Throw in a magical spear, and you’re flying across the battlefield, taking out enemies left and right. Trust me when I say Farraday’s spear feels just as good as throwing the Leviathan Axe in God of War. Enemies hit by the spear recoil. They show that they just got impaled. But then… you teleport to your spear and start slicing away at whoever is near you with your sword. It never felt stale. I played through Olija in one sitting. Every time it felt like there was combat ahead, I got excited about the upcoming entertaining fight. Now, I normally used Farraday’s shortsword, but there are several different options you have available to you. From the shortsword to an ancient broadsword, you can teleport to a pistol and a shotgun. Each one can be quickly called to be used at your disposal, ready to dispatch enemies.
I mentioned above that you could customize Faraday with different hats. There is a crafting portion to Olija that, at times, feels like an afterthought but also has driven me to farm certain materials because of one particular reason. These hats are fun. Several give you more survivability, like getting extra health back after landing consecutive hits on different enemies. Others spice up combat. For instance, there is a hat that spits out acid occasionally. You’re just fighting, and enemies start melting. I did notice these hats do change up my playstyle. I tended to play more aggressively when I had the healing hat on and planned out when acid would spit out, so it hit the most impact when wearing the acid hat. Each one does change Farraday’s look, and some do make him look ridiculous, like a fedora (no offense to the developers who tell you that this is their favorite hat). Each one is made by collecting different items from enemies from the world; or using some of the money you earn from levels to send an explorer out to help you find materials you’re missing. It’s a nice little extra layer on top of the game that adds additional incentives to play more of the game while not taking away from the experience.
I only ever had one issue with this game, and it came in the form of the final boss/ the big threat.
Spoilers ahead for the final part of the game.
The final baddie is present throughout the game but just barely. It lurks around corners and occasionally makes itself known to Faraday but never really feels like a threat. I’m not sure if I missed something as I approached the game's final level, but this enemy has a major glow up. From a minor presence to being a major world-ending threat in the blink of an eye, this enemy basically possesses a ship. What follows is an aggravating fight that feels like it comes out of nowhere. And that’s when it hit me that this game isn’t really about taking out this big baddie; it really is about the journey. It’s about Faraday surviving and helping his crewmates on this strange land while also doing anything he can to catch another glimpse of Olija. That’s how the game got its claws in me and how I’ve thought about it almost every day since beating it. Even the credits have little mention of the final enemy. It’s all about Faraday and Olija, and Faraday finding a way to get everyone he’s responsible for back home. Finally, there isn’t much incentive to replay the game beyond reliving the story. Once you beat the game, that’s really about it unless you want to find those extra hidden collectibles that don’t seem to add much to the story beyond the satisfaction of knowing you found the lost crewmates, the ships in a bottle, and the music boxes.
Discussion
Olija is a beautiful pixel art game that pays homage to all the swashbuckling tales of old. Throughout the five hour story, you’ll quickly believe in Faraday and his quest to save not only himself but all of his crew who got stranded on Terraphage. Not only that, but you will believe in the blossoming love between Faraday and Olija. This game finds ways to feel personal, from the chiptune speech to the chatter you hear from the crewmates, the locals, and Faraday and his ferryman who remind you what exactly is on the line even while Faraday finds any way he can to find his true love. That’s not the only way this game gets its hooks in you. Regardless of the negatives that feel only like gripes, the snappy combat to the fun environments to explore every inch of make you stick around. Overall, Olija will find a way to stick with you for a long time.
