Olija is a new action-adventure side-scroller with great atmosphere, a killer magical-harpoon hook, and a narrative journey that can be experienced in a couple of hours. It's also surprising and spontaneous...

A snippet.

Surprise is rare when approaching an action-adventure side-scroller, a presentation and style that has existed in one form or another since the dawn of the videogame. Mechanically you sort of know what to expect, even though there’s still plenty of room for identity and a unique feel to cut through. From the Kyoto-based Skeleton Crew Studio and Devolver Digital, Olija presents that rare feeling on multiple occasions. That sense of being unsure where a door will lead, or what you might find.

This lends itself to adventure, discovery, and spontaneity. There’s as much of a focus on world-building and the meaning behind the somewhat sombre story of a land overrun by darkness as there is on the fast-based combat.

Our Full Olija Review