At a time when the fashion is for AAAA games with budgets bordering on the indecent, let’s take a look back at this unpretentious game released in 2021 on all the good platforms of the moment. The work of the Skeleton Crew Studio team is called Olija, and it takes us back in time.

Gone are the VR and fashionable features, and here we find a game that seems to be more of a tribute to Prince of Persia I, with simple but enjoyable gameplay and a story that unfolds without a hitch.

Lore

You play the role of Captain Faraday, a man who sets sail to save his village from starvation (basically), and who unfortunately stumbles upon a bone (or a whale and a tornado, in our case). As your boat is destroyed, you wake up alone on a beach.

After a few adventures, you meet a mysterious sailor. He will enable you to move from island to island to fight the evil that has invaded this strange land, where sailors without boats find themselves isolated.

This action-adventure game lets you evolve in carefully designed environments, where you have to think while you fight to avoid losing your skin.

Game

Olija is a 2D action game in which you have to navigate islands while eradicating not necessarily very clever enemies. The gameplay is simple (though) and effective. Over time, our characters unlock new weapons that enrich our style of play.

You start out with a rapier, but you’ll quickly pick up other deadly accessories like a crossbow or a special sword.

What sets our character apart from all the others is that, at the start of the game, he obtains a “magic” harpoon. A mythical object in the land where we find ourselves, this harpoon is unique and allows us to do much more than just kill our enemies.

This harpoon allows us to “teleport” over any distance. All we have to do is send it to an object or an enemy, and we can teleport towards it like two magnets that nothing should separate.

This feature is perfect because you’re invincible for that short time, you do damage once you reach your destination, and the icing on the cake: you can walk through walls.

The game is very dynamic, as you can use this power constantly. There’s no Prince of Persia-style “power gauge”, just fluid, fast-paced, fun combat.

Another special feature of our characters is the ability to unlock “hats”. These grant us special powers or skills that will come in handy during our many battles. It’s up to you to choose the one that suits you best, depending on the location and your style of play.

Between the one that electrifies your harpoon and the one that sucks the life out of your enemies, you have half a dozen options to choose from.

La difficulté est bien jaugée et les ennemis ne vous donneront pas forcément de fil à retordre si ce n’est les boss qui vous offriront un peu plus de challenge.

The world of Olija is really neat, both graphically and musically. It’s a pleasure to venture around the few islands, discovering abandoned caves and demolished buildings. The enigmatic story remains classic and accessible.

Lifetime

You’ll need just 5 hours to complete the game, and a little more if you want to get your hands on all the objects hidden in the most unlikely of nooks and crannies. Once the adventure is over, there’s little chance of you getting saved again, but it’s an enjoyable experience that would be a shame to miss.