Review of ‘Wall Town Wonders’: Perhaps Too Casual for the Modern Mixed Reality Scene

Wall Town Wonders offers a taste of what the future might hold for casual gaming, envisioning a world where wearing AR glasses all day is the norm. Imagine managing a bustling town filled with tiny, Sim-like residents, each of whom flies around your room in adorable hot air balloons. While the visuals are captivating, I found myself questioning whether the gameplay depth is sufficient to hold attention, particularly with the current generation of XR headsets.

Wall Town Wonders Overview:

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

Gameplay

As typical of casual games, Wall Town Wonders sets a low bar for difficulty, aiming instead to create a relaxing atmosphere. The initial charm comes from peeking into various buildings to watch the villagers at work, whether it’s a chef whipping up a pizza or two villagers taking a spin in a bi-plane around your living room.

After tackling the tutorial, which takes roughly an hour, much of the gameplay shifts toward mini-games that unlock with new structures. Tasks include defending a vertical farm from pesky bugs with a mini-crossbow strapped to your wrist, fishing on your floor pond, and directing airplanes through your space using hand movements.

However, a significant portion of your time will be spent waiting for villagers to generate resources like wood, money, and food. These resources automatically accumulate, and the gameplay loop revolves around developing and upgrading over 100 different building types. You can also customize and rearrange structures to create a personalized setup, resulting in a visually dynamic display that truly animates your room with activity.

Yet, some might argue that the game essentially "plays itself." Villagers autonomously carry out tasks, allowing you to decide whether to engage directly or simply observe, akin to watching fish in a tank. Interaction with villagers involves helping them mine, farm, and explore through mini-games, should you choose to participate.

After a few sessions totaling about three hours, my interest dwindled. I found myself eager to return to something more stimulating, as the mini-games felt more like chores than entertainment. This makes the idea of returning less appealing.

Immersion

Virtual dioramas have always fascinated me; their dense detail can make them feel incredibly vibrant. Bringing a quaint European village theme to life on your walls is undeniably charming.

Despite advancements in virtual desktops and XR environments, I’m not composing this review in a headset. Like many, my gaming and social app time is typically restricted to a few leisure hours in the evening, rarely blending into work unless it involves a review.

I envision a future where high resolution and all-day comfort in headsets could allow for seamless transitions between tasks. Imagine quickly engaging with games like Wall Town Wonders just as you would with a smartphone app. However, given the current XR limitations, the game’s mix of mini-games and its tranquil "fish tank" ambiance feels too casual for extended play on the Quest.

While Wall Town Wonders has its charms, fans of similar genre games like The Sims or Townscaper might argue my experience is more a personal mismatch than a fault of the game itself.

From an objective standpoint, Wall Town Wonders relies heavily on point-and-click interactions via laser pointers. This setup grants brief opportunities to engage with villagers on exploratory missions or use wrist-spawning gadgets to tackle chores like bug shooting or plant watering.

The game tries to emphasize hand-tracking right from the start, yet I found myself reverting to conventional controllers for their convenience in precise interactions. While the laser pointer interface enables distant interactions with your village, it misses the mark on creating more immersive tools beyond the array of single-use gadgets available in its mini-games.

Comfort

The sheer diversity of buildings prompts players to remain on their feet, utilizing all available wall space for exploration. Though it’s possible to play seated, active movement seems more likely.

Most buildings can be kept at eye-level, but several activities take place closer to the ground, potentially straining for those sensitive to such postures. Wall Town Wonders innovatively places villages at a comfortable height on your walls, which is much preferable to leaning over a map or constantly adjusting your view. I hope to see more XR town simulations adopt this ergonomic approach in the future.

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

• Turning: No artificial turning
• Movement: No artificial movement
• Posture:
  • Standing mode ✔
  • Seated mode ✖
  • Real crouch ✔
• Accessibility:
  • Subtitles ✔
  • Languages: English, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
  • Dialogue audio ✖
  • Adjustable difficulty ✖
  • Real crouch required ✖
  • Two hands required ✖
  • Hearing required ✖
  • Adjustable player height ✖

In summary, Wall Town Wonders hits on a delightful vision of AR gaming and town-building, despite its current hardware limitations and gameplay simplicity. While it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, it offers a glimpse into what could be a more integrated gaming experience as XR technology advances.