Olijabegins with the protagonist, Faraday, setting sail for adventure. He aims to gather materials for his people to make his civilization grow. Unfortunately, Faraday and his crew are hit by a terrible storm. He winds up on a seemingly deserted island inhabited by monsters. It’s an archipelago of other lost ships that players will slowly get to explore. It won’t be that slow though because the game is relatively short.
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This eventually leads Faraday to find a mysterious girl, the titularOlija, along with a powerful spear. That’s the setup for thisMetroidvania-like action platformer. What else should players know before jumping into this newXbox Game Passexperience? Here are some quick tips to help make the most out ofOlija.
6Make The Most Of Your Spear
Players will not find the mythical spear until a little way into the campaign. Obtaining it will change everything. It’s a bitlike the axinGod of Warsince it can be called back. The biggest ability to note is its warp functionality. There are eyeballs strewn throughout dungeons. If a player throws their spear into them then they can warp to that point.
Be on the lookout while exploring for these eyeballs. Sometimes they can be hiding in plain sight and are this easy to miss. This is mostly covered in the tutorial. What may not be as clear is thatthe spear can also warp Faraday to enemies. Players should also make sure to get the most out of their spear while exploring and in battle. It’s also important not to forget about dodge rolling through enemies to negate damage.
5Don’t Forget To Farm For Materials
There are a few prime directives players should follow while in dungeons inOlija. Defeat enemies, headtowards the boss, defeat it, earn a key. That is the basic template for each area. However, it’s important that players also keep an eye out for mineable things in the environment.
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There arebushes, trees, vines, crates, rocks, and so on. Hitting them may reward Faraday with crafting materials. Some of these things require the spear while others requireFaraday’s trusty sword. These environmental things may seem like untouchable parts levels. That’s why players should be diligent about hitting everything just to be sure. They will never know if a secret is staring them in the face or not until they try.
4Go Back And Grind If You’re Having Trouble
There are no difficulty options inOlija. There aren’t evenany assist featuresto help players out. That may be a bit vexing for some, butOlijais fairly well-balanced. If players are finding themselves dying on a level or a boss repeatedly then it is okay to ditch the current mission. Go back to the hub town, Oaktide.
Use the money to increase health via the healer. If players are short on cash then they can go back to other islands to grind for crafting materials and more money. It’s as easy as that even if it does take more time.
3Beware Of Traps
Monsters in dungeons are not the only thing players should worry about. There are also traps, specifically two types:
The crates are useful once Faradayacquires more weaponslike the gun or crossbow. Triggering an explosion to take out multiple enemies is a satisfying feeling. Except for when players get caught in the blast. That is the opposite of cool.
2Don’t Waste Money On Ship Voyages
There aren’t a lot of things players can usetheir hard-earned currencyon. The best thing to invest in is the aforementioned health upgrades. Healing is almost nonexistent outside of rest stops in dungeons or crates filled will healing crystals. These healing opportunities are few and far between though.
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Players can also use cash to buy hats. Crafting materials are also needed to make those. Since that is the case, most hat prices are thankfully low. One other early thing players can invest money into is a sailor at the docks. If players give him money then he will sail away with the promise of bringing back crafting materials.Most materials can be easily acquired in dungeons instead so there is no need to bother with the sailor.
1The Best Hats
There aren’t a lot of hats players can craft in the game. The best one inOlijais made out of a crocodile. The hat looks odd, fitting itself on top of Faraday like a backward baseball cap. Most hats look weird on the explorer as they clash with his simplistic black design. That’s okay since most other designs inOlijalook nice as aretro-inspired indie game.
Looks aside, this hat will sometimes steal health away from enemies. As it was said earlier, there aren’t many opportunities to heal inOlija. That’s why players need to capitalize on every opportunity. Before buying any other hats, verify to invest in this crocodile one first.
Olijais available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
