Olija

Olija is a short-lived odyssey, and it would’ve been great if there were additional difficulties or any sort of incentive to replay its brief, four-hour campaign. But as a bite-sized 2D action adventure, it leaves a very strong impression thanks to a magical harpoon that makes fighting, moving, and discovering secrets especially rewarding. Its combat in particular packs a surprising amount of depth and flexibility, even if its enemies and bosses never really stepped up and demanded that I engage with that depth to defeat them. Much like Faraday himself, I don’t see myself ever returning to Olija’s mysterious world, but it’s an adventure I won’t soon forget.