Driver on VOID
OlliOlli’s World one of Biggest surprise for me This year. I respect the previous two games in the series, but I skipped both of them. I’m afraid I’ll do the same to OlliOlli World, but now it’s one of my favorite releases this year.
It’s nice to have an excuse to revisit it and feel insecure about how rusted it is. VOID Riders is the perfect reason to do so. That’s a pretty large collection of levels and a bunch of new custom items to unlock. A new mechanic has also been searched for for good measure, giving new reasons to confuse and frustrate you.
OlliOlli World: VOID Riders (computer [Reviewed], Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox one, Xbox Series X / WILL)
Developer: Roll7
Publisher: Private Board
Released: June 15, 2022
MSRP: $14.99 (Part of Expansion Card)
VOID Riders See your adorable skater rubbing elbows (or similar appendages) with aliens from another dimension. They want to steal our cows and test your tricks. Better pop some dope kicks. Otherwise, our guests will be bullied. I’m doing my best here with the jargon, but I’ve never considered myself a good person.
For the price, you get the usual 14 levels and four “boss” stages. It’s a good stretch and all stages are quite long. The new alien theme is put to good use in the rails that curl in front of you and the tractor beams that lift you up. You need to grab your way into a tractor beam; That’s the right stick. Note that this is not the right trigger, nor the left sidebar. Can recognize it in your head, thumbs. Do not let me down.
Totes gnar
Yes, I’ve had a lot of humiliating failures, that’s how with OlliOlli’s World. I often get into the tractor beam, forget to control for half a second, and end up being pulled too late and missing wherever I want to land. It’s not the game’s fault at all, but I’ll complain about it. In any case, it’s not worse than in Void Riders.
With levels comes all the challenges. High scores, sub-goals and try to complete it to the end without using test scores. Additional custom gear is awarded for the usual milestones, and there are a wide variety of mundane and unusual pieces to collect. If you feel sassy, you can try to climb the leaderboard by making the best possible combination. I keep dropping my long combos after a checkpoint, so you won’t see my name on it.
At least you’ll put together a great bail tape
I was able to go through the entire DLC in less than two hours, but that’s without going back to the additional objectives. Just keep in mind that it’s not for the faint of heart. The last level almost killed me. I’m serious. I don’t think I’ve been breathing all the way to my success. My brain needs oxygen.
If I have one complaint, it’s the story is nothing special. The base game also doesn’t exactly have the most thrilling story, and this feels like an offshoot of that. It’s mainly just there to tell you how great your skateboarding is. You are just the best. Everyone here and in VOID thinks so.
If you are looking for a reason to come back OlliOlli’s World, VOID Riders is the perfect one. A lot of love has been put into these new levels, and they definitely live up to the quality of the rest of the game. Considering this was only the first half of the expansion, that small investment turned out to be good value. Here’s hoping that the quality of the sequel plays a part.
[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]
Zoey Handley
Zoey is a gamer. She has played video games her whole life and is a lover of both new and classic games. She loves digging in the dirt and picking out games that are perfectly fine if you clean them up a bit.
