Review of ‘Wall Town Wonders’ – Perhaps Too Laid-Back for Modern Mixed Reality

Wall Town Wonders feels like you’ve stepped into the future, a casual game perfect for when augmented reality glasses become an all-day accessory. Imagine managing a bustling little town of Sim-style characters who float around your space in hot air balloons, going about their tiny lives as you navigate yours. It’s a visually stunning experience, though I find the gameplay lacks enough depth to hold my attention for long stretches. This raises the question of whether this genre is just ahead of its time for the current crop of XR headsets.

Wall Town Wonders Details:

• Publisher: Cyborn
• Available On: Quest 3/3S
• Reviewed On: Quest 3
• Release Date: November 21st, 2024
• Price: $20

Gameplay

When it comes to difficulty, Wall Town Wonders embraces the relaxation-fueled vibes of a typical casual game. The initial thrill lies in peering inside buildings to watch the town’s inhabitants do their thing—like seeing a tiny chef hard at work on a pizza or spotting two villagers zooming around your living room in a biplane.

Once you get past the hour-long tutorial, you’ll find your time in Wall Town Wonders is mostly about indulging in various mini-games unlocked with new structures. Picture yourself defending a vertical farm from bugs using a mini-crossbow on your wrist, fishing at a scenic pond at your feet, or directing planes around the room with hand gestures.

Most of your time, however, is spent waiting for your villagers to generate resources like wood, money, and food. These resources are crucial for constructing and enhancing the over 100 available building types. You can also customize the town’s aesthetics to your liking, turning your living space into a lively, dynamic scene full of little set pieces that blend seamlessly with your environment—bringing it all to life.

Some might say the game "plays itself," with villagers autonomously completing tasks. You decide when to engage or simply observe, much like watching fish in a tank. You can lend a hand by mining, farming, or constructing, but these activities often come as optional mini-games.

Over time, my interest started to fade. I found myself longing to tune out the town’s activity and dive into something more engaging. Despite their intended role in relieving the monotony of resource delays, the mini-games just felt like chores to me.

Immersion

Virtual dioramas have always fascinated me; their compactness makes every detail vibrant and life-like. The charming European village motifs decorating your walls evoke that “awww” factor.

Despite advancements in virtual workspaces and XR productivity tools, I’m not penning this review in a headset. Like many, I usually reserve game time for the gaps between work and daily commitments, seldom during the workday except for reviews.

A future where display clarity rivals a monitor and wearing a headset feels natural seems ideal for casual ‘pick-up, put-down’ gaming experiences. I’d love to play for a quick session then seamlessly move on to other tasks, akin to using a smartphone. However, Wall Town Wonders sometimes seems to ask us to overlook today’s XR limitations. Its mix of mini-games and laid-back atmosphere is almost too casual for a serious gaming session.

While some fans of The Sims or Townscaper might argue that’s the game’s charm, I felt Wall Town Wonders relies too much on point-and-click laser controls for interactions. You can pick up villagers for brief adventure missions or use wrist-spawned gadgets to take on various tasks. From the outset, the game leans into hand-tracking, though I found myself resorting to controllers for precision. While the laser-oriented interface facilitates remote interaction, it misses chances to offer more immersive gadgetry than what’s found in its mini-games.

Comfort

The vast array of buildings encourages you to stay on your feet as you explore the available wall space. You could sit, but you’ll likely end up moving around more than anticipated.

While you can adjust most structures to a comfortable level, some low-ground activities might strain your neck if you’re prone to discomfort. One of the unique features of Wall Town Wonders is positioning buildings on walls, which feels more natural than peering down at a map or constantly shifting the virtual world for a better view. I genuinely hope more XR town sims adopt this ergonomic approach in the future.

‘Wall Town Wonders’ Comfort Settings – November 21st, 2024

• Turning

  • Artificial turning ✖

• Movement

  • Artificial movement ✖

• Posture

  • Standing mode ✔
  • Seated mode ✖
  • Artificial crouch ✖
  • Real crouch ✔
• Accessibility
  • Subtitles ✔
  • Languages: English, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
  • Dialogue audio ✖
  • Adjustable difficulty ✖
  • Two hands required ✖
  • Real crouch required ✖
  • Hearing required ✖
  • Adjustable player height ✖

So there you have it. While Wall Town Wonders might not be my perfect game, it certainly offers a unique experience for the right audience—and who knows, it might just gain more traction as XR technology evolves.