Balan Wonderworld

 PlayStation 5
Balan Wonderworld Image
Metascore
51

Mixed or average reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
5.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 253 Ratings

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  • Summary: BALAN WONDERWORLD is an action platformer game themed around the Balan Theatre. Led by the enigmatic maestro named Balan, the stars of the show Emma and Leo will use special abilities from a multitude of characterful costumes as they adventure in the bizarre and imaginary land ofBALAN WONDERWORLD is an action platformer game themed around the Balan Theatre. Led by the enigmatic maestro named Balan, the stars of the show Emma and Leo will use special abilities from a multitude of characterful costumes as they adventure in the bizarre and imaginary land of Wonderworld. Here memories and vistas from the real world mix with the things that people hold dear. Twelve different tales await our stars in the Wonderworld, each with their own unique quirks. They will explore all corners of these labyrinthine stages, filled with a myriad of tricks and traps, to get to the heart of each story.… Expand
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 29
  3. Negative: 9 out of 29
  1. Video Chums
    Mar 27, 2021
    82
    If you have a soft spot for classic 3D platformers and imaginative game worlds, you'll have a lovely time with Balan Wonderworld. With a heartfelt story, plenty of cuteness, a clever costume system, and oodles of stages to master; it's one incredible adventure.
  2. Hobby Consolas
    Mar 30, 2021
    68
    Mixed feelings: graphics and sound offer a surreal and engaging experience, but gameplay wise, several camera hiccups and uneven level design may become frustrating. Balan is able to appeal to your inner child... If that child is a patient one.
  3. 4P.de
    Apr 10, 2021
    60
    An interesting 3D-platformer with a very unique style and a few good ideas. But Balan feels outdated and shows some design flaws.
  4. Vandal
    Mar 30, 2021
    55
    Balan Wonderworld had good intentions, but it get two of its core mechanics wrong: its control and the suit system. It’s still enjoyable, although not as much as it could have been.
  5. PlayStation Universe
    Apr 1, 2021
    50
    Sometimes, Balan Wonderworld evokes a bygone era of platformers very well, but this is all too fleeting a feeling. All the creativity seems to have gone into the characters and music while the actual act of platforming leaves a lot to be desired. It’s far from the worst modern platformer, but given the names involved, it’s a thoroughly underwhelming one.
  6. PlayStation LifeStyle
    Apr 9, 2021
    45
    Balan Wonderworld feels like it’s shrouded in mystery because there’s a woeful lack of explanation for the majority of its mechanics. Nobody should be left looking for external guides to gather even the most basic information for a game aimed at children. When added to the frustrating management of the game’s costumes (including those that can’t jump in a platformer), its underdeveloped story, the overly simplistic platforming, and the tortuous Balan Bouts, this is a game that had promise but is ruined by a multitude of bizarre design decisions.
  7. VideoGamer
    Apr 5, 2021
    20
    If only Naka, staying true to form, had given the whole thing a dose of high speed; his work only holds together when it hurtles past our eyes, growing vivid with velocity.

See all 30 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 106
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 106
  3. Negative: 60 out of 106
  1. EminaShin
    Mar 30, 2021
    10
    Everything about this game is simly Amazing!
    I've played a lot of platform games in these years, but this is the most original and    Everything about this game is simly Amazing!
    I've played a lot of platform games in these years, but this is the most original and surprisingly fun I've played.

    An incredible beautiful game, with an incredible OST.
    Highly recommend    … Expand
  2. Shifty2604
    Mar 28, 2021
    10
    Brilliant classic platformer, in the vein of old Saturn games. Reminds me of Nights into Dreams. Story wise imagine a family friendly versionBrilliant classic platformer, in the vein of old Saturn games. Reminds me of Nights into Dreams. Story wise imagine a family friendly version of Persona 5, where you have to change the heart of a unhappy farmer for example. Well worth every penny and a future classic (hopefully).… Expand
  4. Ezynu
    Mar 27, 2021
    10
    Exciting and fun. This Balan Wonderworld became one of my favorite platforming games after hitting the credits.
    The gameplay becomes much    Exciting and fun. This Balan Wonderworld became one of my favorite platforming games after hitting the credits.
    The gameplay becomes much more immersive when you find the best costumes, and each level has hidden secrets reachable through the advanced costumes.
    It also presents a fairly rich and multifaceted postgame.

    Personally recommended for lovers of the platform genre.    … Expand
  5. HTGamer
    Jul 30, 2022
    3
    Balan Wonderworld is a trainwreck of a game. It's a cute 3D platformer but other than moving around, your abilities depend entirely on whichBalan Wonderworld is a trainwreck of a game. It's a cute 3D platformer but other than moving around, your abilities depend entirely on which costume you happen to wear. There is a costume for a spin jump, another for a long jump, a third one for spitting fireballs, a fourth one for jumping and slamming down, and so on. Abilities that are taken for granted in 3D platformers or are unlockable, here are just randomised, that's some odd decision-making. You can hold 3 costumes at any time or find different ones in the levels. Even then, controls are far from being tight and precise.

    And I haven't even touched the technical issues of this game with low frame rate and ridiculous grass pop-in like 2-3 meters away from the avatar. On PS5 the game kinda runs at 60 fps, but moving objects and even parts of the environment that lie 10-15 meters away run at 30 fps or lower. On last-gen consoles and the Switch it's said the game runs horribly. At least I didn't experience any Cyberpunk 2077-style freezes, slowdowns and glitches.

    I know there were issues behind the scenes during this game's development, where creator Yuji Naka had a diss with Square Enix and was fired, but even if that's to blame for the technical shortcomings and lack of polish, the core game idea is nothing special. And that's a shame. I expected more from the lead programmer of the classic Sonic games.

    I played this game for 1 hour or so, up until the first boss fight, and was disappointed enough to delete the game. At least I didn't pay for this game because it's currently free for PS Plus Extra/Premium subscribers.    … Expand
  6. Harroc
    Jul 9, 2021
    0
    Honestly, this game alone probably doesn't deserve a 0, but the sheer amount of fake reviews by what I assume to be the devs has to beHonestly, this game alone probably doesn't deserve a 0, but the sheer amount of fake reviews by what I assume to be the devs has to be balanced out somehow.… Expand
  7. Xerowattbulb
    Mar 30, 2021
    0
    This game is awful in every way...so much so that it had to have been created specifically to hurt us. You can not fall backwards into thisThis game is awful in every way...so much so that it had to have been created specifically to hurt us. You can not fall backwards into this many mistakes.… Expand
  8. Demsville
    Mar 28, 2021
    0
    Ignore all the fake reviews on here that have been paid for by Square Enix. This is a mediocre, if not bad action platformer

See all 106 User Reviews

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27
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