Review of ‘Wall Town Wonders’ – Perhaps Too Casual for Modern Mixed Reality

"Wall Town Wonders" has a futuristic vibe, hinting at a world where wearing augmented reality glasses all day is as common as checking your phone. Imagine tending to tiny Sim-like characters as they float around your space in hot air balloons, living their lives alongside you. The visuals are undoubtedly mesmerizing, but the gameplay lacks the depth needed to keep a player engaged for hours, leaving me pondering whether this genre is ahead of its time for the current XR headset market.

Wall Town Wonders Details:

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

Gameplay

As you dive into "Wall Town Wonders," you quickly notice its laid-back and easy-going nature. True to form, it’s a casual game, meaning the difficulty level is quite low, complementing its chill atmosphere. The initial joy comes from peeking into tiny buildings and watching the villagers as they carry out their daily routines—whether it’s a chef whipping up a pizza or two villagers soaring on a bi-plane around your living room.

Once you get through the tutorial, which lasts about an hour, much of the game revolves around various mini-games, unlocked as you build new structures. You’re tasked with amusing jobs like defending a vertical farm from pesky bugs using a mini-crossbow, fishing from a pond on your floor, or guiding airplanes with your hand movements.

Most of your time, however, is spent waiting for your villagers to generate resources like wood, money, and food. The game strongly focuses on constructing and enhancing over a hundred buildings, each adding a distinctive touch to your growing town. You’re free to repaint and rearrange the buildings to suit your artistic vision, resulting in an impressive and ever-evolving visual spectacle that adds life and movement to your room.

Interestingly, the game nearly plays itself, as villagers autonomously carry out their tasks. This allows you the choice to actively participate or just watch your new vertical villagers go about their lives. These activities usually present themselves as optional mini-games.

But, quite soon, the novelty wore off for me. I found myself yearning for something more engaging, a longing that made me hesitate to revisit the game after the initial three hours I played. Though the mini-games are supposed to be engaging, they felt more like obligatory chores.

Immersion

I’ve always had a soft spot for virtual dioramas; they exude a certain lifelike charm by condensing details into a compact space, making everything appear vibrant and lively. Imagining a quaint little European village springing to life on your walls is irresistibly endearing.

Despite the leaps made in virtual desktop technology and XR productivity spaces, I’m not penning this review while wearing a headset. Like many, my gaming or social app time is typically limited to a few hours in the evening, and seldom during working hours—unless I’m reviewing something, of course.

I can envision a future where display resolutions are sharp enough for typing comfortably, and headsets are light enough to forget you’re wearing them—eliminating major hurdles for casual ‘pick-up, put-down’ games.

For now, "Wall Town Wonders" seems to expect us to overlook the existing limitations of XR hardware. The game’s collection of mini-games paired with its meditative aquarium-like vibe feels too casual for extended sessions on the Quest.

Now, I’m not saying "Wall Town Wonders" isn’t appealing. Fans of games like "The Sims" or "Townscaper" might argue it’s more my issue, not the fault of the irresistibly charming game itself.

Still, objectively speaking, "Wall Town Wonders" leans too heavily on using laser pointers for player interactions. The brief moments of picking up villagers for exploration or spawning gadgets to shoot bugs or water plants feel underwhelming.

Though the game attempts to prioritize hand-tracking from the outset, these precise interactions had me switching back to controllers for convenience. The emphasis on a laser pointer-based interface allows for interaction from a distance but misses an opportunity to introduce more immersive gadgets beyond the one-off mini-games.

Comfort

The game’s vast array of buildings encourages frequent movement, nudging you to utilize every available space in your room. Although it’s possible to play seated, you’re likely to find yourself wandering around.

While you can place most buildings at a comfortable height, some ground-level interactions can strain your neck if you’re sensitive to such movements. However, the innovation of positioning villages on your walls for ease is commendable, better accommodating your viewpoint compared to peering down at a small map. It’s an approach I hope more town sims will adopt in XR in the future.

Wall Town Wonders Comfort Settings – November 21st, 2024

Turning

• Artificial turning: No

Movement

• Artificial movement: No

Posture

• Standing mode: Yes
• Seated mode: No
• Artificial crouch: No
• Real crouch: Yes

Accessibility

• Subtitles: Yes
• Languages: English, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
• Dialogue audio: No
• Adjustable difficulty: No
• Two hands required: No
• Real crouch required: No
• Hearing required: No
• Adjustable player height: No