We’re not entirely sure where to start with Balan Wonderworld. The early granting of the demonstration – available to everyone tomorrow – we played this somewhat mysterious title and we are not fully convinced. The demo itself is quite large, but in our experience, we are not sold on this new concept from Yuji Naka.
After an elegant introduction to the game world with a CG fantasy scene, you are immersed in a hub world that connects each level of the game. There is not much to see or do here, but to go up in a scene. The first duo of levels is on a farm, with huge crops and green fields everywhere. What is more unusual about this setting is a very annoying visual effect. As you run forward, the world beyond the kind of warps, as if you were on a huge cylinder. The problem is that the effect is poorly implemented; in fact, he got a little confused with our eyes. Once you’ve removed this first world, other levels open up and don’t seem to have the same problem.
Anyway, weird visuals aside, the game has a whimsical look, all in bright colors and runs at 60 frames per second locked on the PlayStation 5. That being said, it’s not particularly impressive to look at, with very simple characters and texture working . The music is better, accompanying the stages with easy-to-follow songs that will probably end in your head.
As for the gameplay itself, it’s extremely simple. The main hook of Balan Wonderworld is that your character can wear many costumes and each offers a unique ability. Once you collect one, you will receive a brief explanation of what it does. Examples in the demonstration include a wolf outfit that allows you to generate a tornado, a flower that can extend to collectibles, and a dragon that can breathe fireballs. We say that the game is extremely simple, because, regardless of the outfit you are currently wearing, its ability is activated with a single button. You can use any of the face buttons or any of the triggers (which have adaptive feedback on DualSense) to perform the power of a suit.
It means that the game is very accessible for younger players and is not worrying about the controls when switching between costumes. You can record three of them simultaneously and switch freely between them whenever you want. What’s nice is that each ability can be used to progress through a level, but it can also be used against the bad guys. Some are better than others at fighting enemies, but just jumping on their heads will do the job.
If you are hit by an enemy, you will lose the outfit you are currently wearing, which can be annoying depending on how far away the suit is. Generally speaking, they seem to be smartly assigned, but be prepared to roll around a bit if you need a certain skill.
After playing several levels in the demo, it looks like you’ll want to return to the previous stages with more outfits unlocked. You can pick and choose what costumes to take on stage, allowing you to mix things up and potentially access new areas or hidden secrets. Your main goal, as far as we know, is to collect the golden Balan statues and you will have to use each outfit to find them all.
There are also mini-games to discover, but they fall pretty flat without adding much to the experience. After you have played through a scene, you will have gathered some colored gems. Back in the hub area, these gems can be fed to the chick like creatures called Tims, but it doesn’t really explain why you should do this.
This is not the only inexplicable mystery; there’s a counter in the middle of the hub and I still haven’t figured out what it’s for. After fighting a boss, we released the farmer trapped inside and then rode a heavenly train. This demonstration contains a fair amount, but the inexplicable elements left us somewhat puzzled.
It is clear that the purpose of this game is to create something with a dream quality that is suitable for players of all skill levels. Of course, there is nothing wrong, but we can not help but feel overwhelmed by what we played. Maybe the whole game will go better with the whole picture in place, because now, it feels like a bizarre mix of ideas that don’t really come together.
The Balan Wonderworld demo will be available starting Thursday, January 28, on PS5 and PS4. Will you check this? Play dress-up in the comments section below.