Video games get as much of a cult following as movies, so maybe that’s where Willy’s Wonderland – The Game will fit in – with a select few. As a film fan, schlock titles appeal to me as much as the arthouse indies, though Willy’s Wonderland didn’t quite hit the right notes.
In the film, in case you haven’t seen it, Nicholas Cage’s character, the Janitor, breaks down in Buttfunk County and has to work a night shift in an abandoned themed restaurant while his car is in for repair. What he doesn’t know is that serial killers possess the animatronics that populate the dive.
It’s a decent premise for late-night straight-to-video entertainment, and in terms of action, it fits the bill—as does the appalling acting. Willy’s Wonderland—The Game has the same outline of breaking down and heading into Willy’s Wonderland. However, that’s the only similarity, as this is a side-scrolling (when it wants to be) beat ’em up featuring both The Janitor and the supporting character Liv.
The only similarity to the film is the concept, as the main character looks nothing like Cage. Due to the nature of the game, there are evidently a bunch of throwaway enemies to fill screen time. It’d be pretty boring if it were just the boss fights. Or would it? That could have worked. Anyhoo, The Janitor will stomp through various themed locations, even heading outside early on, battling baddies and subsequent bosses of the film.
If you could compare Willy’s Wonderland—The Game to any other beat ’em up, it’d be Cobra Kai. Here, you have a licensed IP that is open to interpretation. Besides knuckles and big toe moves, The Janitor can rush enemies and perform a whirlwind attack that repeatedly attacks with limited invulnerability. Guess what? Liv has the same moves, rendering her character pointless other than cosmetics and girl power.
In my first playthrough, I’d steamed through and annihilated the bosses almost with my eyes closed. Why – because I’m a hardcore beat ’em up enthusiast? Sure, I love the genre, but I’m above average. The reason for the OP run was button mashing. There’s next to no skill required to play the game, and interestingly, the standard enemies tend to be more challenging than the bosses.
One of the biggest issues was the invisible attacks. A character who operates a drone and wields a force field (remember them from the film?) will have a large invincible window, and while you’re attacking them, their drone will shoot you from off-screen. When swarmed by foot soldiers, this gets problematic—even inducing brain freeze, where The Janitor will stop moving for 1-2 seconds, take loads of hits, and then typically die.
Willy’s Wonderland – The Game was not enjoyable and could be considered more of a chore. If it weren’t for the fact that QUByte Interactive kindly provided a key, this would have been abandoned – like the restaurant from the film. However, this is an honest opinion based on my experience with the PS5. I’d never steer you away from a game, as reviews are subjective, but this one didn’t have any redeeming qualities to recommend seeking it out.
There are no extra features other than starting the game and selecting one of two characters, and no nods to the film that will have you re-enabling your Amazon Prime subscription to re-watch it. Worse: when you’re running low on energy, and there’s a health crate in front of you, but an invisible wall prevents you from reaching it? No thanks.
QUByte Interactive has been putting out some decent games lately. If you’re a fan of the publisher, I’d suggest the excellent Musashi Vs Cthulhu, Bem Feito or even ….. Those who’d prefer a beat ’em up, perhaps Fight’N Rage, 99 Vidas (just remembered that’s actually QUByte!), or an old-school arcade scroller such as Vendetta. Just not Willy’s Wonderland – The Game. Sorry.
