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The game kinda reminds me of playing Mickey's Magical Mirror on the Gamecube as a kid. It's that bad.
I really don't have to defend anything, I stated my opinion and someone thought I crossed the line with sharing my opinion and anecdotal observation.
My post isn't some guiding light anyone needs to follow, I know for sure it definitely didn't come off like that.
It's an achievement to make a game where actually 100% of people think the game is trash. It's a shame because I was hyped for this initially. And the OST slaps at some points. But clearly all the budget went into the cutscenes. This game could have at least been decent, but it's straight up one of the worst games I've ever touched.
This game a is a trip, the shifting environments is neat but nauseating at times, the art style is amusing(the humans have such large hands and weird running and so much jaggies on base ps4) and the music is pretty charming but the combat/gameplay is super simple, definitely for kids. Like everything is tied to pressing literally any one button. I do like the costume systems though.
I'm pretty mixed on this. I do not see myself playing this at full price.
I'm pretty mixed on this. I do not see myself playing this at full price.
It's quite magical how much of a turn-off this game is. I don't know when I've ever played a demo and disliked a game more. The way the scenery/camera warps around you as you walk is repulsive and disorientating. The walk cycle looks dumb as fuck. The art style is unappealing. Just....just.......uuuurgh. Even the title irritates me. Balan WonderLAND would have a cadence and rhythm to it, but nope, had to be Wonderworld.
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Lucky's Tale and Balan are obviously both shooting for "accessible 3D platformer". Both have a saccharine presentation and sport slower, more deliberate character controls.
I agree that Lucky's Tale's structure is a lot more successful at being accessible without sacrificing smart design, but Balan is clearly intended to be accessible as well, with its dead-simple controls, softball challenges and generally very relaxed atmosphere.
Lucky and Balan both attempt accessible gameplay. Lucky is easily more successful — it's easy for kids to play, but doesn't insult the intelligence of adults. Balan is obviously more concerned with accommodating a young audience, to the point where its simplistic gameplay borders on patronizing.
Regardless, both are still intended to be accessible to kids.
Aaand I would have fuckin absolutely 100%-ed Balan as a kid. I just really liked collectathons and I would power through them like nothing lol.
I just saw an argument and provided a counterpoint. Sorry if I came off as too confrontational.
Not a nice thing to say, but he's been rather miss or miss for a while now.
So I strangely had the urge to return to this one more time last night.
This time I played it on my switch docked on an old 1080p tv. I must say it looked much better then when I was playing on the 4K tv originally. It does not upscale well at all...
I powered through and beat the farm level boss. You guys are right, that dance scene at the end is an absolute trip...
Briefly explored the other 2 worlds, 4&6?, that opened up and they are both much better then the first farm one.
This is a very strange game.. I do enjoy the music though. Is it done by someone that used to work with Yuji Naka at Sega? Def reminds me of NiGHTS or Billy Hatcher.
Fuck it, I'll probably buy it once it hits $30 or below. Once I severely altered my expectations going back in, there's something here that I feel I can appreciate a bit.
Saddens me this will likely tarnish Naka though. His games from the 90's and early 00's mean so much to me..
This time I played it on my switch docked on an old 1080p tv. I must say it looked much better then when I was playing on the 4K tv originally. It does not upscale well at all...
I powered through and beat the farm level boss. You guys are right, that dance scene at the end is an absolute trip...
Briefly explored the other 2 worlds, 4&6?, that opened up and they are both much better then the first farm one.
This is a very strange game.. I do enjoy the music though. Is it done by someone that used to work with Yuji Naka at Sega? Def reminds me of NiGHTS or Billy Hatcher.
Fuck it, I'll probably buy it once it hits $30 or below. Once I severely altered my expectations going back in, there's something here that I feel I can appreciate a bit.
Saddens me this will likely tarnish Naka though. His games from the 90's and early 00's mean so much to me..
Even after the warnings here, it was shocking how bad this demo was. The trailers make it look way better than the trash it is, there are prototype 3d platformers on mobile 10 years ago that feel better to play. And it looks like an old cheap web browser game trying to run 3d graphics. This wouldn't be worth it if it were free.
I don't think the name is the only thing that needs changing, and here I thought Yuji Naka was the magic behind Sonic Team.
I think it's been a long time since I last saw a game being considered so unequivocally bad by anyone who played it. Skipped through a couple of reviews on YT and both were essentially 'it's bad, it's boring and it runs like shit'. This game won't do well.
The real magic was Hirokazu Yasuhara, as he was the main level / gameplay designer of Sonic 1-3&K
Not Sonic CD though which is IMO why CD's level design is kind of messy
What the hell did I just play? This was terrible... from the confusing maps, to all of the dancing and the disappearing NPCs... and not having a single clue of what it is that I'm doing.
Why are there 6 buttons for the same fucking action!?
Why are there 6 buttons for the same fucking action!?
What's more shocking, that this demo sucks?
Or that people didn't get that vibe the moment it's reveal was shown? The running animations should have been enough proof that this wasn't going to end well.
Or that people didn't get that vibe the moment it's reveal was shown? The running animations should have been enough proof that this wasn't going to end well.
This whole time that's what I thought this games title actually was
I went back to watch a trailer, and while some of the strange stuff is there (mad dancing), it looked like a completely different beast from this demo.
It did not looked slow ass like the demo is and at some point you change your costume while jumping (fairly quick).
It's a shame.
It did not looked slow ass like the demo is and at some point you change your costume while jumping (fairly quick).
It's a shame.
While I've not played it, I've seen quite a bit through streams and videos and...my god.
Those dances are some of the most bizarrely off-putting things I've seen in a while. Like...why? What is it supposed to convey? I know "fever dream" has been dropped a lot, but, well, for good reason.
Why was there that one "puzzle" where the player steps on a switch, a sloooooow cutscene plays out as a ball rolls down for like, 5 feet, and then opens the door which is right there? What does that add?
Why are the costumes locked behind keys which are right next to the costume itself?
I have to assume these are to train the player to look for keys or buttons or balls or something in later levels, but as a standalone anything, it just seems insane. It's like some crappy LittleBigPlanet creator just unlocked all the tools and he's just mashing things in; thinking that "content" and "things" in and of itself will cover for good game design.
Those dances are some of the most bizarrely off-putting things I've seen in a while. Like...why? What is it supposed to convey? I know "fever dream" has been dropped a lot, but, well, for good reason.
Why was there that one "puzzle" where the player steps on a switch, a sloooooow cutscene plays out as a ball rolls down for like, 5 feet, and then opens the door which is right there? What does that add?
Why are the costumes locked behind keys which are right next to the costume itself?
I have to assume these are to train the player to look for keys or buttons or balls or something in later levels, but as a standalone anything, it just seems insane. It's like some crappy LittleBigPlanet creator just unlocked all the tools and he's just mashing things in; thinking that "content" and "things" in and of itself will cover for good game design.
I assume it's a puzzle introduction thing to teach the mechanic. there's another ball puzzle that's a bit more involved (but really not much)
I'm having this weird issue after deleting the demo on PS5. The icon has disappeared from the game library (unlike other demos or deleted games that stay) and has been replaced by Shove Knight Treasure Trove. Now Shovel Knight shows up as a PS5 game in my library.
I've seen this happen with games I've never played on showing up in place of other games on the games list on my profile but this is the first time that it's messed up in the library itself. Anyone else has a similar issue?
I've seen this happen with games I've never played on showing up in place of other games on the games list on my profile but this is the first time that it's messed up in the library itself. Anyone else has a similar issue?
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It looks like exactly the same game. It's just the power of nice editing with fast cuts.
I played the demo on PS4.
Pros:
- very colourful
- nice music
- I like the art style
Cons:
- level design is awful
- controls are weak
- it's just... not fun
I feel bad for Naka and crew because there's a lot of effort in some aspects of the game but man, what were they thinking with the game design. You can't make a 3d platformer that has bad platforming. It seems like they went so all-in on the costumes that they decided to completely nerf the base controls of the game so that the costumes had notable value. Which means the game is unfixable because it's built around playing like shit.
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I played the demo on Switch last night and didn't really care for it, but I chalked it up to the Switch version running like garbage. Tried it out on PS5 an hour ago and besides performance, the game really isn't any better there either.
Bummer, it looked neat but as others have already pointed out the game just doesn't play well at all. A 3D platformer with terrible platforming.
Bummer, it looked neat but as others have already pointed out the game just doesn't play well at all. A 3D platformer with terrible platforming.
I played this demo and thought it was okay minus a few baffling design choices. For example, you can lose the ability to jump when you only have costumes that punch or shoot. For a platforming game, that shouldn't happen. It's definitely due to their decision to make the game control with only one button too. My other major complaint is the character's movement speed. You move so slow that it doesn't feel fun to move.
Now to be fair, given Yuji nakas production history for 3d platformers, of Sonic Adventure through to Shadow the Hedgehog, as well as billy hatcher and the giant egg, he obviously never got that memo.
It plays like a PS1 game. So much so that they maybe should have gone with a retro super low-poly aesthetic and gone that angle.
I'm guessing the rate of preorders for a platformer by a no-name Japanese studio and developed by someone no one younger than 30 has heard of wasn't particularly high to begin with.
Damn, this trailer almost gets me hyped right back up. Maybe this is a case of a bad demo? Man I don't know. The depressing thing is minor changes like instantaneous costume switching, every costume can jump, inventory access from the pause menu and a run button would easily boost this game to a very enjoyable 7/10 for me. For now a lot of these quality of life issues really pile up.
Yea. They definitely lost a lot of potential buyers who tired the demo. Man I was interested in this before playing the demo too. Thanks SE for saving me a few $.
It's. So. Slow.
And more importantly, there's no sense of momentum. How do you spend the best days of your career programming the most satisfying and buttery smooth platformers in gaming history and not come out the other end with an appreciation for the importance of momentum? How?
Love the stretchy flower costume tho.
And more importantly, there's no sense of momentum. How do you spend the best days of your career programming the most satisfying and buttery smooth platformers in gaming history and not come out the other end with an appreciation for the importance of momentum? How?
Love the stretchy flower costume tho.
Considering the demo has levels from later chapters, doesn't look like the game will change later on.
I'm more convinced they wanted to rip the band-aid off rather then shock people with the disappointment