OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood
I never had so much fun smashing my head on the pavement before.
OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood is a 2D sprite-based skateboarding game. The more perceptive of you may have noticed that OlliOlli2 is a sequel. I would have played that first to see how the series started, but for some reason the game didn’t play nice with my computer, so I’ll probably have to get that fixed.
In the meantime, I am having a blast with OlliOlli2. Even when the first level already gave me a lot of trouble, I still liked it. Being rather bad at games and having the patience of a toddler, I tend to drop games out of frustration, but this game got me playing despite smashing head-first into the ground time after time.
The game recommends using a controller, and I say it’s well worth using one just for the haptic feedback alone. From the soft humming burr as you skate along the walkway, to the crisp, brief buzz when you land properly, to the harsh rumble as you brake with your face, the vibrations add a lot to the feel of the game. It is something playing on a keyboard can never replicate.
When you first start the game, it puts you through the tutorial levels so that you have some grasp of the basics. I personally find them extremely good as a warm-up before starting a session proper. It’s nice to have a series of maps meant to practice a particular mechanic before you go on to the actual maps and having to chain multiple different tricks and moves in the real world. As in, in the game.
After performing a stunt, you’ll need to time your landing properly. Nothing sucks worse than chaining a whole series of grinds, flying off the last rail with an ollie and miss the landing. Your little pixel avatar stumbling and fumbling about and the controller buzzing in complain is punishment enough without getting a big fat zero for your efforts. Conversely, nothing feels better than doing a flip onto a rail, skip onto a bench, grind across the top of a signboard and stick a perfect landing.
The main goal in every level is to skate to the end, where a cheering crowd will greet you as you made it to the end. Each level also came with five challenges for you to fulfill, as well as a score keeping track of your performance for each level.
OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood is an extremely fun game. Chaining together different stunts is satisfying simply because of the timing and precision required, and the haptic feedback from the controller does well in adding a level of immersion to the game. If you have a controller, do pick this game up. It’s well worth its asking price. However, without a controller, I can’t say you’ll get to experience the game at its best. Still, it’s a great game.
