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"Balan Wonderworld is a mixture of half-hearted platform ideas that waste a lot of charm."

• Sluggish movement

• Generic levels

• Half-baked costume gimmick

• Limited experiments

If Balan Wonderworld doesn't get big studios to get early access, nothing will.

When Square Enix ran a demo for its colorful puzzle platformer before launch, the response was not good. Players criticized everything from the game's unwieldy camera to the painfully slow animations. Weeks prior to its release, Square Enix announced they would be working on a patch for the first day to take into account feedback, but admitted that the ship could not be fully flipped in time.

That caveat should create some immediate expectations for fans who hoped the game would mark a triumphant return to form for former Sonic team boss Yuji Naka. There will almost certainly be some long-term crafting here to get the game into shape. Think of this as an accidental beta.

Chances are, Balan Wonderworld will gain cult status thanks to its charming aesthetic and throwback platform. But for those who don't have a lot of Dreamcast nostalgia, it's a frustrating jumble of half-hearted ideas that plays like a crude prototype for a game that's still years away.

Failed basic exam

Balan Wonderworld should feel instantly familiar to anyone who grew up in the heyday of 3D platformer. The players explore themed worlds, jump over obstacles and collect shiny gemstones that are spread over different levels. Its simplicity may be the selling point for those hoping for a nostalgic trip, but the game stumbles upon the basics.

The movement is sluggish, as if the game's protagonist is having trouble sprinting through the mud. The character's standard jump is so short that even the smallest of gaps can turn out to be a risk. The limited number of mini-games are just plain boring and repeat ad nauseam. Most of all, the camera is an indomitable animal that gets confused the moment it hits a wall.

Even the narrative framework is confusing. The child's protagonist works with the title Balan, a maestro in a top hat, to solve the problems of strangers in a bizarre world. Each level represents a character's specific struggle, like a fiery cave that reveals a firefighter's deepest fears. What's weird is that the real story behind each world isn't revealed until after its two acts are complete and just before an uninspired three-hit boss fight that feels completely independent.

Its simplicity may be the selling point for those hoping for a nostalgic trip, but the game stumbles upon the basics.

Nothing really goes together. The levels contain intentional visual motifs, but only a few levels make meaningful use of their settings or story. Most are just filled with interchangeable platform challenges that lack any real personality. Any time the game introduces a promising mechanic, like a train ride section of a carnival level, it quickly drops the idea.

It all feels like a whiteboard doodle that has been processed into a rough proof of concept.

Wardrobe malfunction

The defining mechanics of the game is the costume system, but this is exactly what causes the already fragile seams to burst. During the adventure, players can collect over 80 different outfits. Each acts as a power-up that offers a different perk, like the ability to climb spider webs or approach large gemstones. The idea is that each can be used to solve various platform puzzles and encourage experimentation.

It's a riff on Super Mario Odyssey that goes horribly wrong.

I haven't talked about the controls of the game yet as there aren't many to talk about. Each face button or trigger acts as a unique action button for the equipped costume. There is no line, no attack and, above all, no special jump button. For example, if you're wearing a painter's costume, the push of a button will shoot a blob of paint forward. That's it. That's all you can do until you switch costumes.

The system could have worked, but it's implemented in a way that feels almost thoughtless.

The idea is to think carefully about what skills you might need in order to solve a puzzle. However, this leads to unforeseen complications. In one case, I went out to grab some gems that were scattered across a laser grid. As I tried to leave the area, I found that I had taken a tiny step down a 6-inch wall. None of my outfitted costumes had a jump action, which meant I was just stuck there. The only way to progress was to get deliberate laser hits, destroy my three outfits, and get myself back to the standard no-costume state where you can jump.

This happened all the time in my playthrough. I would move through a level, lose a costume that could jump, and find that I am now stranded. Likewise, there are times when advancement means equipping a certain skill. If you reach an area and aren't wearing the right outfit, you'll have to go back until you find it.

The game tries to solve this with a locker room accessible by standing on a checkpoint long enough (this is never explained and is currently not triggered consistently), but players must have a costume to get it out of storage pull. Most of the time I had to leave a level completely, go back to a world that had the costume I needed, and drag it all the way back to do a simple, obvious task.

To make matters worse, it is fun to play with few skills. They mostly grant basic actions that need to be used in certain situations. There are no real experiments. If there is spinning equipment, the equipment costume must be equipped. Some outfits are also functionally identical, so players will have different animations that perform the same action, e.g. B. hover over gaps. Others are just useless, like an outfit that players can run faster in … but it is activated randomly. Admittedly, a funny troll.

The system could have worked, but it's implemented in a way that feels almost thoughtless. The levels are based on the assumption that players will always have the right tools for the job. Whenever they don't, they will face a level design shrug.

Roll out on charm

The only thing that Balan Wonderworld successfully brings to the table is charm. It offers an unabashedly happy style of art and a beautiful soundtrack, even if its compositions suffer from being dubbed. While the story cinematics are misplaced, they love microfilms about empathy and kindness.

There is also a cute, if completely underdeveloped, reef in Sonic Adventure 2's Chao Garden. The players take care of an island full of colorful little bird rabbits that feed on the gems collected in the levels. It's disappointingly flat and offers little interaction, but at least it matches the good vibes the game tries to deliver, even if it's not fun.

"It's not fun" is kind of a running theme here. Balan Wonderworld could work as an adorable cartoon, but it falls flat as an interactive adventure.

It works? No. Does it at least think outside the box? Certainly.

What is really fascinating is that it rarely happens that a large studio release fails this way. Publishers like Square Enix don't have to gamble big these days when they have so many reliable franchises and established gaming trends. Balan Wonderworld is a real risk, refreshing at a time when AAA games can feel completely predictable.

That could make it a cult perk for players looking for something a little different. It has the same energy as forgotten platformer like Billy Hatcher and the giant egg. It works? No. Does it at least think outside the box? Certainly. With a dedicated following behind it, Square Enix may have exactly the feedback loop it needs for a sequel to work. Drop the next installment early and let fans spot the issues before it's too late.

Our opinion

It's tempting to write off Balan Wonderworld's mistakes as part of its fallback character, but that wouldn't be entirely true. Beloved 3D platformer like Sonic Adventure may be a bit of fun, but it's still fun to play. Balan Wonderworld stumbles upon the basics with sluggish movements, overly simplistic controls, and a semi-sculpted costume gimmick that creates frustrating roadblocks at every turn. It's charming enough that the "they're not doing it like they used to" crowd may gather behind it, but those who want a nostalgic hit are better off chasing a Dreamcast and sticking to the real classics .

Is there a better alternative?

Super Mario Odyssey has the same central idea but executed with more thought and better movement techniques.

How long it will take?

The main quest lasts around 10 hours, but there are additional levels and lots of collectibles to be hunted down after the credits.

Should I buy it?

No. Impossible to recommend this at a full $ 60 price. Wait for the price to drop if you're morbidly curious.

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