OlliOlli: Epic Combo Edition Review

The 2D scrolling pixel art skateboard game that everyone needs in their life. OlliOlli: Epic Combo Edition combines both amazing games in the OlliOlli series into one neat package along with 3 documentaries, a full colour booklet and the OlliOlli 2 soundtrack. What more could you ask for?

OlliOlli is the first in the series and boasts quirky pixel art and a hellishly difficult learning curve that infuriates as much as it entertains with 4 different game modes there is a lot to keep you occupied. You have Career, Spots, Daily Grind and RAD mode. Each game mode is as difficult as the last so prepare to curse, pull hair out and threaten to throw the controller out the window. The tutorial is a must for anyone who wants to make it past the first level of OlliOlli. You need perfect timing to land those tricks and grinds and impossible timing to nail perfect combos, you may get to the end of a level but you may never perfect the level. As you progress you will face harder levels and more insane combo possibilities the more you play the better you get and the more you will attempt to nail those near impossible combos in order to gain as many star as possible per level. Something that will eventually become second nature is trick variation but until that time there is a very handy Tricktionary, containing every ambitious trick to fail at a hundred times before you finally land it perfectly.

OlliOlli was originally released in January 2014 in the PS Vita. July of the same year for Windows, OS X and Linux, with PlayStation 3 and 4 getting an August release date and Android arriving just before Christmas of the 2014. Wii U, Nintendo 3Ds and Xbox one all getting a march release date in 2015

OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood takes a step away from the pixel graphics but loses none of its charm, the colourful artwork an ever present and pleasant distractions from your numerous face-plants. The early levels are a hint as to what you will find later in the game, a nice little easter egg from the developers. Just like the first game, OlliOlli: Welcome to Olliwood has a tutorial you should play through and also like the first game there is the handy Tricktionary for you to peruse so you can attempt those insane combos that only video game physics allow. Enough with the old now for the new OlliOlli 2 has a host of new additions to keep you skate sessions fresh. Firstly the addition of Combo Rush and Split-screen multiplayer with 4 game modes. Secondly is the addition of ramps and massive hills slingshotting you for monster air and allowing for multiple routes through levels. To make the most of those routes your going to need the new and expanded combo system, Manuals, reverts, grind switching have been added among others to give you more expression and control than before. Remember those new places I mentioned earlier? Well the final new addition is 5 new worlds to skate the hell out of, 50 new amateur and pro levels as well as 250 new challenges to sink you board into.

OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood kick flipped its way onto our PS4 and PS Vita Screens in March 2015 before combing its way onto Windows, OS X and Linux in August before Making its way to Android in October of the same year before finishing the level on Xbox one in May of 2016.

So now we have the games out of the way we can talk about what actually makes this special edition special. OlliOlli: Epic combo edition contains 3 documentaries, 2 behind the scenes and one OlliOlli at the BATFAs. The documentaries left me feeling a little be unfulfilled, I wanted to know more about what goes into OlliOlli, what goes on behind the doors of Roll7. That being said if you have a spare 10 -15 minutes they are still worth the watch. on top of the documentaries there is a full colour book for you to browse though for a little more info on OlliOlli and the Roll7 team.

OlliOlli: Epic Combo edition is a great bundle for anyone looking to join the 2D scrolling skateboarding world both games are great fun and very difficult to master. The addition of the split-screen multiplayer in Welcome to Olliwood was a stroke of genius, now you can curse and scream in the company of your closest friends at something other than Mario cart.

The Welcome to Olliwood sound track is included in the epic combo edition and you are free to listen at any time you wish without fear of faceplanting the floor or bursting into tears at the thought of having to try that same rail to rail combo for the millionth time

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Sony Playstation 4 code was provided to Brash Games for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to editor@brashgames.co.uk.