Escaping Wonderland arrives subsequent month on Quest and Pico, and we went hands-on with this puzzling journey. Listed here are our full impressions.
As VR gaming continued discovering its ft, Down the Rabbit Gap provided one thing distinctive again in 2020 to the purpose the place our overview said its “sheer existence looks as if lunacy.” Third-person VR video games aren’t unprecedented, normally with platformers like Max Mustard or Moss, but Cortopia Studios offered an gratifying journey from a diorama perspective.
Set earlier than Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, I am happy to see this gameplay premise return with a brand new standalone journey, and prior data of Down The Rabbit Gap is not necessary. Enjoying the Quest 3 model throughout Gamescom 2024, I guided our new amnesiac heroine, Molly, throughout a brief demo.
My journey started on the recreation’s very starting, encountering Mr Mole after Molly’s descent into Wonderland. As a 2.5D aspect scroller, Molly strikes through the analog stick in your Contact Controllers however grabbing the vines with movement controls enables you to regulate the way you see your environment. This allows you to examine every scene with nearer element, letting you respect the sturdy artwork type whereas offering a greater vantage for determining puzzles.
Your preliminary purpose includes discovering an merchandise for Mr Mole, which leads into an early demonstration of how puzzle mechanics work. One part switched to a first-person perspective as I started reassembling a set of pipes, utilizing solely pre-determined shapes in limitless portions. Easy however not particularly thrilling, so I am hoping for extra complicated puzzles afterward.
One other part continued utilizing the diorama perspective. Learning the scene intently reveals potential clues, and a touch system is helpfully accessible if you happen to’re struggling. Figuring this out primarily based on environmental particulars works effectively with out feeling overtly signposted, and it did not turn out to be overly sophisticated.
Carroll’s novel has seen numerous interpretations throughout the many years, and I am curious to see what kind of story Cortopia can ship in Wonderland this time. Since I solely performed for roughly quarter-hour, it is troublesome to type extra in-depth opinions of Escaping Wonderland. That stated, the preliminary indicators look good.
Escaping Wonderland arrives on September 26 on the Meta Quest platform and Pico.