PGC NEWS

Balan Wonderworld, the ambitious platformer from Square Enix, promised a whimsical journey crafted by industry veterans Yuji Naka (Sonic the Hedgehog) and Naoto Oshima (Nights into Dreams). With high expectations set by pre-release trailers, the game aimed to capture the magic of classic platformers. However, does the final product live up to the hype?

Balan Wonderworld

A Story Lost in the Wonderland

Balan Wonderworld’s narrative feels disjointed and underdeveloped. Players choose between Leo or Emma, two children who stumble upon the magical Balan Theatre. Tasked with finding lost pieces of their hearts, they embark on a journey through twelve chapters, each representing a troubled individual. While the premise sounds intriguing, the execution falls flat. The game fails to adequately explain the world, its inhabitants (like the Tims), the antagonistic Negati, and even the villain, Lance. It feels like a collection of ideas thrown together without a cohesive structure.

Each chapter’s three-level structure also adds to the narrative confusion. Players navigate the first two levels without understanding their purpose or connection to the overall story. Only upon reaching the boss fight in the third level is the chapter’s representative character and their struggles revealed. This makes the initial levels feel pointless and disconnected from the narrative payoff.

Balan Wonderworld

The lack of exposition and context leaves players constantly questioning their role and the meaning behind the events unfolding around them. The result is a narrative experience that feels shallow and ultimately unsatisfying.

One-Button Gameplay and Frustrating Mechanics

The core gameplay revolves around collecting and utilizing over 80 costumes, each granting unique abilities. While the sheer number of costumes initially seems impressive, many offer similar or redundant powers. Some, like the “Lovely Lantern,” feel entirely useless. The “Box Fox” costume, while potentially powerful, transforms the player into a metal block randomly, leading to frustrating and unpredictable gameplay moments.

Balan Wonderworld

The one-button mechanic for each costume severely limits the gameplay depth. Players can only perform one action per costume, meaning they might be unable to jump if their equipped costumes don’t offer that ability. This leads to tedious backtracking and frequent deaths just to swap costumes. The inability to combine costume abilities or even have a default jump further hinders the experience.

Enemies offer little challenge, dying in a single hit, while bosses succumb to just three. The continuous supply of costumes during boss fights eliminates any sense of danger or strategy. The real challenge lies in finding specific costumes to reach hidden Balan Statues needed for story progression. However, even this task becomes trivial once the required costume is identified.

Balan Wonderworld

The Balan’s Bout minigame, triggered by collecting golden hats, offers repetitive button-mashing challenges. While not difficult, failing to achieve a perfect score requires restarting the level, adding unnecessary frustration.

A Visual Treat, a Technical Mess (on Switch)

While Balan Wonderworld boasts beautiful cutscenes and vibrant level design, the Nintendo Switch version suffers from severe technical issues. The low frame rate, often dipping below 20fps, makes gameplay choppy and unresponsive. The lack of anti-aliasing further detracts from the visuals, creating a blurry and jagged image. These technical shortcomings significantly impact the overall experience, especially for players on the Switch.

Balan Wonderworld

Conclusion: A Missed Opportunity

Balan Wonderworld, despite its charming aesthetics and promising pedigree, ultimately disappoints. The disjointed narrative, shallow gameplay, and technical issues (especially on Switch) hold it back from reaching its full potential. While the game offers glimpses of brilliance, they are overshadowed by its fundamental flaws. Balan Wonderworld is a missed opportunity, a reminder that even the most talented developers can stumble.