Today I decided to pick up Wood Turning 3D, by QubicGames SA, on the Xbox shop. I have been missing my actual lathe and figured for $3.99 it would be a good hold over till I can get back in my shop. Unfortunately, this game is nothing like actual wood turning, or any craft really.
You start with a modest shop and a line of customers. They tell you the shape they want, and you turn it out of whatever material is on the lathe. You start out with 3 different shaped chisels and a piece of wood. Once you pare the project down to the approximate shape, you hit the Y button to finish. This brings up a sponge. Why a sponge, I have no clue because I would use sandpaper. Once you smooth out the material to your liking, you move onto finishing with paint and a stencil if desired. I say if desired, because the customer just wants the shape.
The next big issue shows up in this step. You have a choice of 5 colors that you can apply with a spray can. There is 0 chance of doing anything precise with the design. There are actually 15 total colors in the game, but 10 are locked behind the $2 DLC, including the color black. After painting you pick the stencil. This again makes 0 sense, because stencils are laid down before paint. You pick 1 of the 21 stencils, and then peel it off to reveal the design. There are 21 stencils, but 18 of them are locked behind that $2 DLC.
Once that is done you can present it to the customer for payment, or keep it for your collection and sell it later for 3-5 times the commissioned price. You get paid, the next material is added to the lathe and the next customer tells you the shape they want. Over the course of the game you will turn items in wood, metal, watermelon, and even mushroom. No matter what material you use, and you have no choice in the matter, the resistance is identical.
As you progress you will earn new chisels, and money to upgrade your shop. The problem is that all upgrades for your shop are 100% cosmetic. Same goes for the chisels. You earn new decorative handles, but no new shapes. This is an issue because later projects require a different shape or angle to get them correct. But the game really doesn’t care because you can score 100% on almost every design with very little effort.
If you are looking for a game that simulates wood turning, this is not the title. If you are looking for a repetitive game with no depth, the $5 price tag is too much. And the complete edition at $6 gives you the colors and stencils that should have been included originally. I don’t mind an unrealistic game if it’s fun, but this game lacks the fun. And the cover art shows you doing something that isn’t even included in the game.
