OlliOlli World review: New skateboarding game sticks the landing

In this case, 2.5D refers to the fact that, although players are still almost always moving from one side of the screen to the other, there are multiple different paths you can take through levels, and the depth of field has been enhanced greatly. For example, at certain points, you'll be able to hop between two different routes, one of which is normally a 'gnarly' option that's a little bit more difficult.

To bring you this OlliOlli World review, RadioTimes.com went hands-on with the PC build of the game (using an NVIDIA 3070 Ti graphics card), and we also tried out the handheld version on Nintendo Switch OLED. Keep on reading for our full thoughts!

First things first, let's take a second to stress that OlliOlli World is utterly charming. When those character models were first revealed, it was easy to fear that they would spouting overly edgy dialogue and generally outstaying their welcome. But we were very pleasantly surprised to find that they're all pretty likeable people, and you can skip right past most of their dialogue if you just want to get skating. There's also an impressively deep character creator, so you can make your own avatar as wacky or as normal as you like.

Another thing that impresses straight off the bat is the level design and the overall world building at play during each chunk of the game. There's a surprisingly deep overarching lore regarding the 'skate gods' that created this world, with plenty of cute stories spinning off from that central idea (you can skip all of that, too, if you like). And each individual level has its own memorable moments, with an impressive amount of unique pastel colour designs and plenty of interactive elements at every turn.

• Order OlliOlli World from the official website (£24.99)

Playing OlliOlli World often feels like a zen experience. Lo-fi beats tick along on the game's super-chill soundtrack as each course unfurls in front of you. The gameplay is easy to pick up, so you'll be grinding down railings and performing sick combos in no time. It may take you a while to master the art of getting truly high scores, but even just sticking to the basics can feel very satisfying at the same time as creating a chilled out atmosphere.

You might get stuck from time to time, but there are regular checkpoints to ensure that you'll never lose too much progress. And the gameplay feels slick, smooth and welcoming, so you won't resent those restarts when they do occur. And when you really get in the zone, nailing a chain of combos and overcoming multiple hurdles without breaking a sweat, you'll feel like a skate god yourself.

During our time with the game thus far, we've mainly played OlliOlli World as a solo experience, but it's worth noting that there are multiplayer elements as well - all of them are asynchronous, which means you'll be competing with other players indirectly and at different times, in a retro arcade's 'try to beat my high score' kind of way.

We did try this out a bit, but quickly found ourselves unable to overcome some of the highly impressive numbers on the leaderboard from other people in the review server. There will presumably be a bit more of a range when the game launches to the public, with more players of varying abilities putting scores on the board.

As you progress through the game's many levels, you'll gradually move through five areas in the game's cutesy overworld map - each area has its own look and its own quirks, with plenty of lore on offer for those that care to read it. Each area generally teaches you a new skill, or pushes you in a new way, so the experience of playing through OlliOlli World never allows itself to stagnate. There's always something fun and thrilling to try out.

Having played the game on two platforms (PC and Switch), we're happy to say that OlliOlli World is a game that we think a lot of players will love. There's a real smoothness to the gameplay, and there's nothing quite as satisfying as flying through a course without falling off your board, letting the surreal visuals and soothing music wash over you as you go.

You may even find yourself pleasantly intrigued by the story and all the wacky characters and creatures in this world. This is certainly a unique skateboarding game, dripping with mythos and even some mystical elements, but it gels well together in our opinion. It's a really nice overall package.

OlliOlli World looks particularly great on the Switch OLED's swanky new screen, which really lets the colours pop, but we'd wager that you'll enjoy the cartoony visuals no matter what sort of screen you've got. It's hard to imagine anyone not having fun with this one.

Here's hoping that OlliOlli World finds an audience now that is has launched, then. We'd certainly welcome new levels and DLC if the demand is there. Based on our experiences with the game, we'd certainly say that OlliOlli World sticks the landing and never feels like a grind. We'd recommend hopping in.

OlliOlli World is out now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Nintendo Switch.

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