Some franchises feel like they are made for VR, and Micro Machines certainly seems like one of those. With LEGO Bricktales showing how perfectly a concept can work in Virtual Reality, this only made me that more excited for Micro Machines: Mini Challenge Mayhem.
Release Date: January 4th 2024
Developer: Wimo Games Inc
Publisher: Wimo Games Inc
Price: £10.99
Reviewed On: Meta Quest 3
* Code Provided For Review *
MICRO MACHINES X SCALEXTRIC
As soon as loading into the game, it became very evident this was not the Micro Machines I as expecting, nor what many would have wanted either. With no multiplayer in sight and no actual full on racing – making what what was a promising concept turn disappointing very quickly.
Jumping into time trial mode, soon shows that the free-form racing with tracks full of obstacles and mayhem is not what the game is offering. Instead you are on a set track on your own, going around settings with no real obstacles in sight – although the settings would be perfect for things like toys, coins or oil spills to dodge. With your only control of the Micro Machines being managed by trigger pressure control as the vehicle hits corners, slopes, loop-the-loops and jumps, making it more like Scalextric game over a Micro Machines. They have tried to offer some more elements such as speed-boosts and a tricks, but these are just activated with a single press of a button.
What seems like a control solution that is made with a much younger and new to VR audience, you would think nothing could really go wrong, however, this is not the case. Over my time playing it for review, I found multiple points on the stages if you didn’t make it across the jump, where it spawned you back on the track even with the use of boost you can’t make that jump any more – meaning countless unnecessary resets of the tracks. Also I found myself just going through the walls on the corners or just randomly crashing on the way down ramps with nothing in sight or any logical reason I would crash being evident.
The game does offer some other modes outside of the times trials in stunt and demolition, both of which will have you building your own tracks to get the most points, either by doing stunts through rings or by destroying stuff. These modes really did nothing for me, and after doing a few of the levels I just lost interest.
It also brings a track builder, and it can be fun building tracks with in the settings offered in the game or for the better experience in Mixed Reality and creating the tracks around your own room. But, this fun is short lived, as aforementioned there is no multiplayer in the game, so you can’t even share these with friends online – so unless you have a child in the house, I just don’t think there is any reason an adult would find themselves doing this for a prolonged time. Also, the movement control scheme is based around teleporting with no other options, meaning moving around while creating a track can feel a little cumbersome as well.
The final element is unlocking new vehicles, parts and paint jobs. This is done by spending the Stars you are given while playing available levels in each mode, with plenty of unlocks over Four Series of items. However, with how the game plays I think many will find it hard to be bothered about trying to unlock everything – unless you are a massive fan and collect Micro Machines.
ALL FEELS A LITTLE DATED
I wish I could say it get better on the visual and audio side but it really doesn’t improve here either. Where the miniatures look good and have been approached correctly, this rest just doesn’t live up to what is possible with the standalone device – with the environments looking more suited to the PlayStation 2 era. This is the same on all three view-points the game offers, you can negate the in game visuals and move into MR mode, but this only allows for top-down view and this has to be my least favourite, as you need to move around the track and with the aforementioned aged control system is makes it unbearable.
Then all you get for sound is the noise of the engines, turning screeches and crashing that all sound really dated with very generic music in the background that brings nothing extra to the game. Leaving it all feeling a little dated in design, as well as gameplay.
COMFORT
THE VERDICT
Summary
This is not the Micro Machines game we needed in Virtual Reality and left me utterly disappointed. With the Micro Machines games always revolving around the fun and mayhem of racing friends or AI around well designed tracks with obstacles placed all over them to go with each location. Instead we get a game with no control over the vehicle, outside of trigger pressure to speed up or slow down on pre-determined tracks, making it more like a Scalextric’s game. The game seems more aimed at the younger generation with the simple nature of controls and design, rather than making a game that really feels true to the franchise and the Micro Machines games history.
