Balan Wonderworld

About Balan Wonderworld

Balan Wonderworld dropped on March 25 2021 from developer Arzest and publisher Square Enix. This action-platformer launched across PlayStation 4 and 5 Xbox One and Series X|S Nintendo Switch and PC. The story follows siblings Emma and Leo who stumble into a strange musical theater run by an enigmatic maestro named Balan. Twelve distinct levels await inside this bizarre world where real memories mix with fantasy. Players unlock various costumes to gain special abilities needed to progress through the labyrinthine stages. The game aims to heal hearts and minds while navigating obstacles that block the path to happiness. It is a colorful but strange adventure built around theatrical themes and whimsical character designs.

Gameplay

You control Emma or Leo as you sprint jump and interact with the environment in each of the twelve worlds. The core loop involves finding specific costumes scattered throughout the levels to access new areas or solve puzzles. Each outfit grants a different power like shooting bubbles or creating platforms. Multiplayer support lets a second player join via split screen for co-operative play. You will spend most minutes jumping between floating islands and dodging hazards while hunting for collectibles. The controls feel floaty at times which matches the theatrical setting but can frustrate precise platforming sections. Completing chapters requires you to revisit areas with new gear to find hidden secrets or reach the ending of each tale.

What Players Think

Reviewers and players have been harsh on this title based on available data. Metacritic holds it at 43 out of 100 while IGDB lists an average score of 42.1 from 18 ratings. The community moods reflect frustration with the controls rather than excitement for the art style. Players spent an average playtime that suggests many gave up early since only 23.7% of all achievements unlock on average. The rarest item is "A Theatre off the Beaten Path..." which fewer than three percent of players have earned. Cheap prices at $5.99 on Humble Store indicate low demand despite the initial hype around the IP. Most users seem to view this as a missed opportunity rather than a gem worth rediscovering.

PlayPile's Take

This game is only for those who want to see what all the fuss was about or enjoy chaotic platforming without perfect precision. At $5.99 it is cheap enough to buy on impulse if you have time to waste. You will unlock 47 achievements but likely never reach the rarest ones due to the high difficulty of specific tasks. The co-op mode offers a brief respite from the single player struggles but does not fix the core movement issues. Do not expect a polished experience or a memorable story compared to other titles in the genre. Buy it only if you need something completely different to play for a few hours before returning to better games.

Storyline

The two main characters who wander into Balan Wonderworld are Emma and Leo. A mysterious theatre leads the duo into a strange new world, full of bizarre sights and whimsical residents. But not all is well in this world, and led by an enigmatic maestro called Balan, the duo must explore the land in a quest to restore happiness and heal the hearts and minds of all they encounter. Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a game if this was a simple task! There will be lots of obstacles in Emma and Leo’s way – but fortunately, they were given just tools for the job. Or more specifically, the costumes.