Olija

On its surface Olija is quite mediocre and derivative. It's a short action platformer (not a metroidvania) with very basic combat, weapons, and traversal puzzles. There's some exploration required for finding the secrets, but otherwise level design tends to be more linear than open. To be clear, all of this gameplay is adequately done, but there's also nothing noteworthy about it.

What makes Olija special is its style. Its very precise art direction combines minimalist pixel art and animations with masterful sound engineering to present an immersive experience that exceeds the power of its ingredients.

I kinda wish this were a bigger and more satisfying game, because the story and world have potential for more depth, but it also works fine as this shorter experience. About the story: We do have that annoying "European lands in Asia and becomes a hero" trope, but at least things are left vague enough to allow for more interesting angles. Is Lord Faraday just being used by local spirits? Yes, he probably is.

Finally, it must be mentioned that the game could have used more quality control. I hit a few bugs. Nothing that ruined the experience, but I did have to restart the game to move on. Also, despite the minimal assets, loading screens are very long. Generally, the game demands and enforces patience with unskippable and slow-moving—but beautifully crafted—sequences when moving between areas. If the game were any longer, they might have become annoying.

In conclusion, some very cool style on display here, though there otherwise is nothing special about the game.

I gave it a on Steam. Respond to this review there.