[CAUTION] Make absolutely sure the game's Day 1 patch is applied; without it, a strobing effect caused by a bug during the game's last boss can be a neurological trigger for epilepsy. Click this to read Game Informer's article on the subject.
Here is Resetera's dedicated thread on the subject.
Check the threadmarks for SquareEnix's tweet.
BALAN WONDERWORLD |OT| Blights into Dreams
OUT MARCH 26, 2021
$60 USD | $80 CDN | €50 EUR | ¥7'678 YEN
Developed by SquareEnix / Balan Company + Arzest
Published by Square Enix
Available on:
Nice to know:
Balan Wonderworld is a 3D platformer inspired by musical theatre. Everyone has positive and negative emotions, but if your anxieties overwhelm...you may find yourself pulled into Wonderworld. Leo and Emma, our protagonists, are two such people. A sort of psychological dreamspace between fantasy and reality, Wonderworld is overseen by its mysterious "maestro", Balan. Aside from Balan's monologue in the opening movie and a few tool tips, the storytelling is done by visuals and music alone.
Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima, original team members on Sonic the Hedgehog and Nights into Dreams, are helming Balan Wonderworld. Naka joined Square Enix in 2018, forming his Balan Company label within the company. This is the first game under the label. Ohshima is the current Vice President of Arzest, who is co-developing the game. Square Enix are handling publishing duties and developing the game's CG sequences via its Visual Works team.
You play as Leo and Emma, navigating the dreamscapes of Wonderworld in a classic 3D platforming style. There are 12 chapters in all, each based on a different character — a diver, farmer and bug collector among them. You run around and look for lots of collectables, like golden trophies of Balan himself. Those open new worlds to explore as you rack them up, but…
...you won't get far without finding and swapping into different costumes! The creators have touted a "single button" gameplay style, where each costume has a single unique function that just about any button on the controller will activate. Some give you different variations on a jump, allowing you to reach new heights. Others may let you unleash a charge attack or turn into an invulnerable iron box...but that means jumping is off the table! There are 80 costumes in all, and you'll need to mix and match the ones you find to succeed. There is said to be some leeway in which costumes you use to achieve a goal.
That's right, friends: Balan Wonderworld has a companion novel! It's called Balan Wonderworld: Maestro of Mystery, Theatre of Wonders. Written by Soshi Kawasaki, it will further detail the events of the game...and beyond. (You may want to finish the game before starting the book as it works in part off of the game's ending. Thanks Camjo-Z) According to its publisher listing, it will be available on the same day as the game in eBook format only.
I will be buying a copy and posting a few brief excerpts in this space. Stay tuned, and I hope you enjoy the game!
OT by dogbox.
Thanks to SuperiorTrashTalk for the banner inspiration.
Here is Resetera's dedicated thread on the subject.
Check the threadmarks for SquareEnix's tweet.
BALAN WONDERWORLD |OT| Blights into Dreams
OUT MARCH 26, 2021
$60 USD | $80 CDN | €50 EUR | ¥7'678 YEN
Developed by SquareEnix / Balan Company + Arzest
Published by Square Enix
Available on:
- Nintendo Switch
- Playstation 4, Playstation 5
- Steam
- Xbox One, Series X|S
Nice to know:
- Next gen upgrades are free.
- Local co-op play on all platforms.
- Support for Steam's Remote Play Together feature.
- There is a free demo on all platforms.
- SquareEnix has announced a day one patch based in part on feedback from that demo. From a SquareEnix blog post: "Specifically, this patch will adjust movement controls, camera movement, and rebalancing of the difficulty." Time will tell how tangible these improvements may be, of course! More details here.
Balan Wonderworld is a 3D platformer inspired by musical theatre. Everyone has positive and negative emotions, but if your anxieties overwhelm...you may find yourself pulled into Wonderworld. Leo and Emma, our protagonists, are two such people. A sort of psychological dreamspace between fantasy and reality, Wonderworld is overseen by its mysterious "maestro", Balan. Aside from Balan's monologue in the opening movie and a few tool tips, the storytelling is done by visuals and music alone.
Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima, original team members on Sonic the Hedgehog and Nights into Dreams, are helming Balan Wonderworld. Naka joined Square Enix in 2018, forming his Balan Company label within the company. This is the first game under the label. Ohshima is the current Vice President of Arzest, who is co-developing the game. Square Enix are handling publishing duties and developing the game's CG sequences via its Visual Works team.
You play as Leo and Emma, navigating the dreamscapes of Wonderworld in a classic 3D platforming style. There are 12 chapters in all, each based on a different character — a diver, farmer and bug collector among them. You run around and look for lots of collectables, like golden trophies of Balan himself. Those open new worlds to explore as you rack them up, but…
...you won't get far without finding and swapping into different costumes! The creators have touted a "single button" gameplay style, where each costume has a single unique function that just about any button on the controller will activate. Some give you different variations on a jump, allowing you to reach new heights. Others may let you unleash a charge attack or turn into an invulnerable iron box...but that means jumping is off the table! There are 80 costumes in all, and you'll need to mix and match the ones you find to succeed. There is said to be some leeway in which costumes you use to achieve a goal.
That's right, friends: Balan Wonderworld has a companion novel! It's called Balan Wonderworld: Maestro of Mystery, Theatre of Wonders. Written by Soshi Kawasaki, it will further detail the events of the game...and beyond. (You may want to finish the game before starting the book as it works in part off of the game's ending. Thanks Camjo-Z) According to its publisher listing, it will be available on the same day as the game in eBook format only.
I will be buying a copy and posting a few brief excerpts in this space. Stay tuned, and I hope you enjoy the game!
OT by dogbox.
Thanks to SuperiorTrashTalk for the banner inspiration.
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