As a follow-up to the early VR hit that was Down the Rabbit Hole, Escaping Wonderland is another journey into the bizarre and whimsical world inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. This time, players guide Molly through the charming landscapes, navigating a world full of puzzles and peculiar characters. The game’s diorama-style presentation brings this fantastical environment to life, making the whimsical design a highlight, even if its storytelling and gameplay mechanics leave mixed impressions. We fired up a Meta Quest headset to try this one out.
In terms of narrative, Escaping Wonderland sets itself up by focusing on Molly’s quest to recover her lost memories. The story unfolds within a series of interconnected environments, echoing the original Alice tale but adding new twists to keep things interesting. However, while the overall tone and quirky characters work well, the plot occasionally feels disjointed. There’s a sense that the game is more about guiding players through its imaginative world, and some interesting locations in it, than delivering a tightly woven narrative. As such, some players might find the storyline less cohesive than expected, which can undermine emotional engagement.
From a gameplay perspective, Escaping Wonderland largely revolves around solving puzzles. The brain-teasers vary in complexity, with some offering satisfying challenges, while others feel more like filler, breaking up the momentum. The puzzles are cleverly integrated into the environment, making use of the game’s diorama-like setup to create immersive experiences, even though some actions can feel a bit repetitive. The VR controls add a layer of interaction, though the controls can be slightly finicky when trying to navigate through certain parts of the environment. Players might find themselves briefly struggling with the controls during puzzle-solving sequences, though the issue is always minor.
Visually, the game is stunning, particularly in how it uses the VR medium to present its world. The developers at Cortopia Studios clearly put a lot of effort into crafting an immersive setting, and the Meta Quest hardware does a solid job of rendering the colorful, topsy-turvy world. The diorama-style approach gives each area a delightful sense of depth and detail, pulling players deeper into the fantastical environments Molly explores. But while the character designs are charming, they don’t always match the same level of detail as the backgrounds, making them feel a bit flat in comparison.
In terms of audio, Escaping Wonderland continues the strong presentation with solid voice acting (that fits with the game’s playful tone) and an ambient soundtrack that perfectly complements the game’s strange, magical world. The whimsical nature of the music helps set the tone, though it occasionally fades into the background during the more challenging puzzle sections.
Overall, Escaping Wonderland is a fun and visually captivating addition to the Wonderland saga. The game’s strengths lie in its imaginative setting, its whimsical charm, and the delightful use of VR to immerse players in this madcap world. However, with slightly uneven storytelling and some small control woes, the experience doesn’t always flow as smoothly as it could. Fans of VR puzzle games and Alice in Wonderland will definitely enjoy the ride, as it’s a worthwhile follow-up to Down the Rabbit Hole.
Score: 8.0/10
Press Play Media 