Game Review: Willy’s Wonderland – The Game (Xbox Series X)

Released in 2021, Willy’s Wonderland is an action-comedy horror film directed by Kevin Lewis from a screenplay written by G. O. Parsons. It stars Nicolas Cage (alongside Emily Tosta, Ric Reitz, David Sheftell and Beth Grant) as the Janitor of abandoned family entertainment centre that just so happens to be inhabited by eight murderous animatronic characters.

If you’re thinking this sure sounds like Five Nights at Freddy’s, you’re not wrong and a lot of people thought as much. That being said it has plenty of aspects that are different and the film itself was enjoyable (read our review here).

What isn’t enjoyable is this poor excuse of a tie-in game (three years later) that has one thing it needs to do right, combat, and fails in spectacular fashion.

A Streets of Rage clone (2.5 beat ‘em up) set in ugly locations in and around the entertainment centre. Players can choose to play as either the Janitor (not Nic Cage) or Liv (not Emily Tosta) and fight their way through groups of killer animatronics. It’s short, it’s incredibly dull, but worst of all, combat is so clunky, it becomes frustrating. All because of horrible collision detection.

This will ensure any attempt to vary up your attacks by using variations on punches, kicks, and specials won’t happen because it’s too frustrating to land them on the enemies. Instead, you’ll breeze through the game (mostly) by just using the kick button. Move right, kick the s**t out of the enemies, activate a powerup for an even easier experience, beat the boss, and repeat. For around an hour (less if you’re really quick) and that’s it.

To make the whole experience worse it looks like a much older game, has poor music that loops shockingly quickly, and features none of the humour that made the film this game is based upon, more bearable. There are not even quips from the characters, although as far as the Janitor character goes, that’s accurate to the film at least.

Had this been released the week of the film’s release, it would have at least made sense. A crappy attempt to cash in on brief popularity. Yet here we are, three years later, scratching our heads as to why this was made and why it was released in such a poor state. Avoid this, even if you’re a super-fan of Willy’s Wonderland (does such a person exist?).