Wall World was newly released on Steam (PC) in April. The small indie game is available for a low price on the platform and it doesn’t take long to complete. MyMMO editor Benedict Grothaus owes Wall World a relaxing vacation, and it is also very well received on Steam.
What kind of game is this? Wall World takes place in a fictional world where people only know a life “on the wall.” Literally. A huge wall stretches from the ground to the sky; there is nothing else.
At the foot lies the ocean; those who venture too far up will be attacked by nasty black slime creatures. The people themselves live somehow in and from the wall. You play as an explorer searching for valuable metals on the wall in your robo-spider.
Regularly, creatures will attack you trying to stop you. At the latest, every 20 minutes, there will be a boss fight. If the spider is destroyed, it’s back to the base and you have to start over.
What makes Wall World so good? Wall World is a so-called “roguelite” game: Every time you start, you begin again at 0 and search in procedurally generated mines for resources and weapons, upgrading your equipment.
An additional system also allows you to collect upgrades for the spider, making it faster, more durable, or revealing a bit of new mines immediately upon opening.
Moreover, Wall World offers hidden secrets through which you learn more about the world’s story or can play to achieve the end. Your explorer finds mysterious keys that apparently have something to do with your “predecessors” and the nasty enemies.
However, the sound design is particularly successful. The walker sounds really heavy and powerful, the weapons are fun, and I giggle like a child with its first firecracker when I blow up particularly tough foes with a grenade launcher.
Not a AAA hit, but perfect for a weekend
Even though Wall World looks simple with its retro graphics, personally, I’m mainly captivated by the gameplay of looting and leveling. Just start, drill, and get better is fun, at least for the duration.
After just 21 hours, I was already done with Wall World with all achievements except one. So, if you have time, you can easily finish over a weekend. Especially when friends are busy, this is perfect – because Wall World is a pure single player.
For just 4.99 € on Steam, I think I’ve made a pretty good deal. And this is not a deal, but the standard price. Other users think so too: 91% positive ratings speak for themselves.
When I unlocked the end, I was both satisfied to have completed a game again and also quite astonished at how a developer can convey such a great feeling with such few resources. The idea just has to be right.
Wall World is certainly a matter of taste. But if you at least have a bit of a liking for indie games and don’t need the best graphics everywhere, it’s worth a look. By the way, the fact that I like Wall World shouldn’t be the case:
