There's no official license, so art of rally rather presents itself as a stylised facsimile of the real sport. You’ll tear through stylised natural environments, at different times of the day and in various weather conditions, all to the beat of an incredible electronic soundtrack. Visual and audio pace notes are absent, so every event is all about you, your chosen car, a winding track, and the immersive presentation. If you are a fan of 2D action-platformers, Olija is a must-play on Game Pass (and it's cheap on other platforms if you're interested).įunselektor Labs’ art of rally provides a driving experience that merges tense and (sort of) technical gameplay with a stunning presentation that can completely entrance you. For me, Olija is exactly what I want from an indie game - a short, well-designed, and entertaining experience that respects my time. You will rarely traverse more than a handful of screens before discovering a puzzle sequence, mysterious wandering NPCs, a challenging boss, or a beautifully-animated interaction with the princess Olija and her retinue. Olija's greatest strength is the fine balance of traversal, combat, puzzles, and narrative sequences that pushes you forward for the 5-ish hour runtime.
#ART OF RALLY GAMEPLAY UPGRADE#
There's a simple crafting and upgrade system, and "gear" to equip (think a variety of hats with unique buffs) but it's all streamlined. You can fling it at enemies recall it back for a second hit latch on to enemies or grapple points to teleport around, or simply trigger distant switches. Early in the game, Faraday retrieves a magical harpoon that is used for combat, traversal, and several puzzles. Gameplaywise, Olija is a classic 2D action-platformer (with checkpoint, not rogue-like elements - yay!) in which you move from screen to screen, jumping, grappling, dodging, slashing, and shooting your way through caves, temples, forests, and catacombs. Olija's limited pixel-art is used to great effect, backed up by intricate animations, vibrant and contrasting colours, and a great soundtrack that alternates between high-tempo Flamenco and soothing Japanese-inspired pieces. Apart from ongoing narration from the boatman, Olija features minimal direct storytelling, relying on detailed backdrops, beautifully animated interactions, and brief but stylish cutscenes. To do this, the Faraday must defeat several bosses and collect the required keys, navigate a fledgeling romance with an enigmatic princess, and defeat a gruesome monster that refers to the events as part of an unfolding prophecy.
This kicks off a brisk but unexpectedly epic-feeling adventure that has you explore the surrounding islands for a means to escape the Terraphage archipelago through the massive “Shadow Gate”. Naturally, a storm destroys his vessel, and he only survives thanks to a mysterious boatman that ferries him to an island of fellow shipwrecked outcasts. They're believed to hold treasures that could restore his kingdom, but few ships return. Lord Faraday, a noble down on his luck, sets sail with a small crew towards a group of Asian-inspired islands, known as “Terraphage”. Olija (“o-li-yah” if you are wondering) is a slick 2D action-platformer - blending traversal, combat, puzzling, and secret-hunting - but the focus is primarily on the unfolding narrative and thick atmosphere. This feature aims to highlight some of the great games currently part of the subscription - but don’t assume that means they’re not worth your attention on another platform or after they’ve left the service. Their aggressive push could end up redefining how we consume and value games - for better and worse. There’s no denying the value of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription on both console and PC.
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