Balan Wonderworld

 PlayStation 5
User Score
5.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 253 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 121 out of 253
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 253
  3. Negative: 122 out of 253
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  1. JasonButtholz
    Aug 23, 2023
    3
    Balan Wonderworld definitely has good and interesting visuals, and on the outside seems like a game that has a lot of promise, but overall wasn't a good experience as a good. The story didn't make any sense and made me believe that there was a plot that I was missing, but then I found the game didn't really express why the characters felt or acted the way they did properly. The gameplayBalan Wonderworld definitely has good and interesting visuals, and on the outside seems like a game that has a lot of promise, but overall wasn't a good experience as a good. The story didn't make any sense and made me believe that there was a plot that I was missing, but then I found the game didn't really express why the characters felt or acted the way they did properly. The gameplay was confusing as well. I didn't understand the point of the Tims within the game, and the costumes were pretty weird as well. Some costumes repeated themselves and others were absolutely useless. The puzzle-solving and platforming were easy and uninteresting. Combat wasn't good as well, especially because there were certain points where if you didn't have certain costumes you were screwed (some costumes could jump and attack while others couldn't). I got the impression that the creators wanted to make this game easy for kids to play, especially because the controls were mapped to every single button aside from one or two. There were many glitchy moments within this game as well, and for 2021 I'm shocked by how untested this game appears to be. The first world has this wavy texture that happens with the ground and every time I see it I feel like I'm going to be ill. It's sad that this game came out for full price originally because I bought this game expecting it not to be that bad. I completed the game, but there was no way I felt like going back and getting the collectibles for how inconsistently and unnecessarily annoying the gameplay was.… Expand
  2. SpyKicksIn
    May 13, 2023
    5
    Just a boring one-button platformer, which clearly did not have enough time to finalize the game.
  3. bf_jeje
    Mar 11, 2023
    0
    OMG, where do I start.
    I think i should start saying that the game looks awful. The framerate don´t reach the 60fps. Terrible port. Not even a good platformer game.
  4. RjfcGanfWupv
    Nov 26, 2022
    7
    I will give this game some Yuji Naka prison bonus points, to make him feel a little bit better.
  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 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 areBalan 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. M19Xisrupt
    Jan 30, 2022
    0
    The User Review for this game is filled with bots! Don’t believe any 10/10 ratings, this game is nowhere close to a 10/10. It’s a 2/10 at best, but they get a 0 for trying to manipulate their ratings. These devs are so miserable that they go to other, way better games and leave a review saying "Balan Wonderworld is way better than this game" or "I'd much rather play Balan Woderworld" LOLThe User Review for this game is filled with bots! Don’t believe any 10/10 ratings, this game is nowhere close to a 10/10. It’s a 2/10 at best, but they get a 0 for trying to manipulate their ratings. These devs are so miserable that they go to other, way better games and leave a review saying "Balan Wonderworld is way better than this game" or "I'd much rather play Balan Woderworld" LOL no, no one wants to play your boring and uninspiring game, you can keep your game and your manipulative review tactics.… Expand
  7. Melkiades
    Jul 31, 2021
    8
    Es difícil encontrar una crítica ecuánime de Balan Wonderworld. En general, las reviews sobre este juego se han hecho en base a las expectativas que había generado; no a lo que el juego finalmente ofrece.

    Hay pocos plataformas 3D actuales tan bonitos e imaginativos como éste. La jugabilidad es sencilla, pero también variada y bastante adictiva. La banda sonora es digna de la saga Seiken    Es difícil encontrar una crítica ecuánime de Balan Wonderworld. En general, las reviews sobre este juego se han hecho en base a las expectativas que había generado; no a lo que el juego finalmente ofrece.

    Hay pocos plataformas 3D actuales tan bonitos e imaginativos como éste. La jugabilidad es sencilla, pero también variada y bastante adictiva. La banda sonora es digna de la saga Seiken Densetsu (y de hecho, hay algún jefe que parece sacado de Trials of Mana). La variedad de escenarios y la genuina belleza colorida de los mismos es otro de sus puntos positivos.

    El único punto negativo que le achaco es el hecho de perder los trajes al recibir un golpe, de modo que tocará volver atrás para recuperar dicho traje, lo cual lastra el ritmo de juego. ¿Que sus mecánicas de juego podrían ser más profundas y sus escenarios más extensos? Sí. No obstante, el conjunto funciona si lo que buscas es una agradable experiencia nostálgica.    … Expand
  8. 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 be balanced out somehow.
  9. croquetaboi95
    Jun 29, 2021
    0
    fun fact, all 10 scores are from users that only have a review on this game. nice
  10. PenisPickles69
    Jun 23, 2021
    10
    Balan Wonderworld > The Last Of Us Part 2!

    Balan Wonderworld has everything that TLOU2 doesn't, including the following. 1. Gameplay that is generally fun and full of unique/creative variety that always keeps the game fresh as you progress through it, and is not just a boring walking simulator. 2. Characters that are interesting, charming and naturally likable, and the way they    Balan Wonderworld > The Last Of Us Part 2!

    Balan Wonderworld has everything that TLOU2 doesn't, including the following.

    1. Gameplay that is generally fun and full of unique/creative variety that always keeps the game fresh as you progress through it, and is not just a boring walking simulator.

    2. Characters that are interesting, charming and naturally likable, and the way they tackle serious issues in life gives you a good reason to care about the characters!... In other words they're not just bland generic flesh-robots that you're forced to play as after one of them abruptly murders the beloved main character (without any proper transition/build-up that would've given it an emotional impact that it completely lacks when it happens), nor do they feel incredibly forced and manipulative with little to no actual character development whatsoever with their main appeal being pretty much just SJW bait. The characters in Balan Wonderworld are nothing like that at all.

    3. A decent story that is pretty simple but carefully structured in a way that is easy to follow, and is not an overly complicated incoherent mess that doesn't even know what kind of messages it's trying to convey, nor is it overall insulting to human intelligence to the point where it ultimately pushes you away and makes you never wanna play it ever again, instead of it drawing you in wanting more, which Balan Wonderworld always does! (Unlike TLOU2)    … Expand
  11. Kyech_
    Jun 6, 2021
    0
    I'm doing my job.

    Down to the bots.

    F*** y** stupid coorporate s***, acept the crap game for what it is!
  12. datoneguy246
    May 14, 2021
    1
    A painfully average and dull experience inter-cut with a story that makes no attempt to be interesting or even at times coherent. A true disappointment.
  13. greninjaX
    May 11, 2021
    0
    what a waste of time. square enix doesn't make video games, they make movies disguised as RPGS. they could never make a platformer. and yuji naka is the guy who made sonic. he's never made a good game in his life. the man has no talent.
  14. Silver333
    May 5, 2021
    1
    A shallow, buggy, and basic experience. This game treats the player as if they are a brain-dead saint with the IQ of a cucumber and the patience of a monk. The only reason I did not give it 0 is because it has 2 good songs and a few good CGI animations. Save yourself the time and $60 and watch them on YouTube.
  15. CyberRobotnix
    Apr 25, 2021
    0
    What you expected when the game was first announced: Nights into Dreams
    What you got: Rubbish Psychonauts, 'nuff said
  16. Crimson2
    Apr 24, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is just bad man. Bad story, frame drops, bad 3d platformer mechanics (can't jump with actions, vice versa), camera work is a little rough, lame qtes, etc. Do not buy.… Expand
  17. rampantrabbit
    Apr 22, 2021
    1
    If there is any game I wish I could un-buy then Balan would be it. The controls are shocking, animation is poor. Have now put it on eBay and various forums for sale.

    SE has lost the plot with this release.
  18. Masterchaos
    Apr 22, 2021
    4
    I was planning to review games for a long time. But it's sad that my first review has to be negative.
    This game is just not very good. There are some ideas that may would have worked, if they would have delayed the game to polish it.
    The character design is cute and some worlds also look nice. But the main game play is just not very fun. There are costumes that disable your jump in a    I was planning to review games for a long time. But it's sad that my first review has to be negative.
    This game is just not very good. There are some ideas that may would have worked, if they would have delayed the game to polish it.
    The character design is cute and some worlds also look nice. But the main game play is just not very fun.
    There are costumes that disable your jump in a jump and run game. And changing costumes cost way too much time. Some are even an insult. Like costumes that activate randomly and may throw you down into a bottomless pit. Just who thought this is a fun ability?
    The Level design is weak and difficulty is non existed. (Okay for a kids game)
    But again: Why do you add a QTE mini games that you have to perfect (first try) to 100% complete the game? If you fail, you have to restart the stage. And this stupid mini game appears in every stage. And takes way too long. And in some stages even 2 to 3 times. Who thought this would be a nice idea? Kids get bored or frustrated by this.
    Cut scenes are nice and some of the mini stories would be cute. But again there is repetition. And you not learn much else about the characters before the boss fight. I don't know how often i have to ask why? Why do you only show cutscenes before and after the boss? Why not tell the story starting in level 1 (introduction), level 2 (the conflict), Boss (Resolve)

    Whoever made the gameplay decisions in the game, has never played a game before. There is no other explanation. The game sabotages itself at every corner. Every good idea is crushed by bad design choices.

    But the worst: The developers are buying reviews. I would have give the game a 6 but for this alone i have to subtract 2 more points!    … Expand
  19. illuvatar_1st
    Apr 20, 2021
    5
    I was on the anticipated side of the game.. The demo didn't show much but the trailers made me hope for something better. I personally Had a good time but i'm not gonna be blind to its flaws
    Pros:
    Good graphical Cutscenes Balan's & Launch's Design Music 37 level (13 being boss levels) Cons: Terrible choice of 1 button command IN game and IN Menu. 80+ skins (most of them being the    I was on the anticipated side of the game.. The demo didn't show much but the trailers made me hope for something better. I personally Had a good time but i'm not gonna be blind to its flaws
    Pros:
    Good graphical Cutscenes
    Balan's & Launch's Design
    Music
    37 level (13 being boss levels)

    Cons:
    Terrible choice of 1 button command IN game and IN Menu.
    80+ skins (most of them being the same but slightly better(cat/raindeer,,, Ps5 cannon/robot/chess piece etc)
    NO Balan Gameplay (outside of quick events) and No the Balan skin you get from the ritual is no where near the Balan experience
    Story doesn't really make sense and does not explain much ( expects the player to read the book) -As of this the final cutscene doesn't have subtitles
    No explanation on things,,(isle of Tim, Tims, story)
    Bad Collectibles
    -200+ Balan Statues and i believe 90 colorful statues are a mess to find and the only thing they unlock is a dancing statue cutscene in the theatre...
    -gems Colorful ones are used for the Tim ritual while the yellows for feeding Tims    … Expand
  20. Di110n
    Apr 19, 2021
    0
    I made an account JUST so I could make sure nobody buys this trash. This game is a scam. It's worth less than $5. It has the design depth as a freemium phone game. Please, for the love of god, go play anything else. Literally anything. I can't believe this dumpster fire is allowed to exist.
  21. UltrANeX
    Apr 16, 2021
    0
    Dear god, Square Enix is rolling down the hill, eventually they're gonna hit the cliff edge, and fall right off, but that's a subject left for another disaster. What the hell were they thinking here? Did they think this piece of absolute sh1t was going to rival Mario Odyssey? Do not believe the fake reviews, they did that for Left Alive, and they're doing it here. How about you actuallyDear god, Square Enix is rolling down the hill, eventually they're gonna hit the cliff edge, and fall right off, but that's a subject left for another disaster. What the hell were they thinking here? Did they think this piece of absolute sh1t was going to rival Mario Odyssey? Do not believe the fake reviews, they did that for Left Alive, and they're doing it here. How about you actually make a good game like FF7 Remake, instead of treading out cheap, and effortless garbage like this, and pay for positive reviews to net yourself the minuscule sales made by manipulating kids who don't know any better. Unfortunately, it's failing, and I'm so happy you're failing with this. Do better next time please.… Expand
  22. quebbbin
    Apr 15, 2021
    0
    wtf people giving this high score? .
  23. Strenqth
    Apr 15, 2021
    0
    TLDR: An absolute scam. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. It seems to be designed with the intent of stealing your parents/ grandparents money because they wont know the difference when they gift the game to you/ your little brother.

    There are 20 year old platformers that hold up better today than this game ever will. Balan Wonderworld feels like it was developed by someone studying their first    TLDR: An absolute scam. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. It seems to be designed with the intent of stealing your parents/ grandparents money because they wont know the difference when they gift the game to you/ your little brother.

    There are 20 year old platformers that hold up better today than this game ever will. Balan Wonderworld feels like it was developed by someone studying their first year of game development, and will likely end up dropping-out of the program. Every aspect from the visuals to the story and gameplay are comparably worse than Ape Escape 2 (Playstation 2, 2002).

    This game got some traction in the gaming media for having 80 costumes available to change into. As I now know after playing, the 80+ costumes in this game are mostly just ripped off from recent Mario titles and given horrible new names using poor world play.

    Box Fox, Speedy Cheetah, Slow Tortoise, Hardy Hammer, or "Ladderman" are some of the more lamely names on top of the list. Then you'll find these one-time-use character costumes have 5-6 cases of ability overlap with the other costumes, which begs the question as to why Square Enix thought 80 was a good idea instead of just 8-10 truly unique costumes.

    Happy Blaster (Just picture a happy clown), Inky Blaster (a squid) Water Blaster (a fire hydrant) Flame Blaster (flames around you) and Vacuum Blaster. (yep, just a vacuum)

    All of these "Blasters" follow some function throughout the game which is often overshadowed and deemed irrelevant by the next costume to follow them up. Ie. Water blaster helps you solidify lava pools into rock to stand on when surrounded by lava during a level but - the flame blaster can walk on lava.

    Nobody should have to pay a cent for this trash. Please do yourself a favor and avoid purchasing this game at any cost, paying more than a cent for a game of this quality is a huge slap in the face to the consumer. Director Yuji Naka should be ashamed, and so should the developers who made this atrocity, and also whoever decided it should be worth 60$.    … Expand
  24. TheQueenOfMedia
    Apr 14, 2021
    0
    All these 10/10 ratings have gotta be made by AI. This game is a crap sandwich. If you're truly interested in this game, make sure to read actual reviews first otherwise AVOID AVOID AVOID.
  25. CodeTJ
    Apr 13, 2021
    0
    This game is terrible. There are only three good things about this game, the music, cutscenes and Balan’s character design. Those are the only good things. Simply moving around in the game makes me angry. The power ups are annoying and lead to multiple possible soft locks. The story makes no sense sometimes.

    Overall, the game has a few things that are good, but everything else    This game is terrible. There are only three good things about this game, the music, cutscenes and Balan’s character design. Those are the only good things. Simply moving around in the game makes me angry. The power ups are annoying and lead to multiple possible soft locks. The story makes no sense sometimes.

    Overall, the game has a few things that are good, but everything else (especially the gameplay) is terrible. The 10/10 reviews are definitely fake.    … Expand
  26. M0TTO
    Apr 13, 2021
    0
    Awful platforming with an awful power-up system of suits that literally only give you one button to use. There’s also no clear story or explanation of what you’re setting out to accomplish in each world, there’s no explanation for characters vanishing every time you approach them, the trophies give you the same exact Balan quick time event each time, on top of consistent fps issues. ThisAwful platforming with an awful power-up system of suits that literally only give you one button to use. There’s also no clear story or explanation of what you’re setting out to accomplish in each world, there’s no explanation for characters vanishing every time you approach them, the trophies give you the same exact Balan quick time event each time, on top of consistent fps issues. This game could’ve released 30 years ago and it would still be considered awful and lazy. If you want to experience anything about this game without wasting $60, go on Youtube and watch the cutscenes, because that is the only remotely decent part of this game.

    P.S. It’s also disgusting that Square paid for positive user reviews on this nightmare of a game. Some of these positive reviews literally have nothing to do with the game and it’s embarrassing that a triple A studio would stoop so low.    … Expand
  27. GamingMoments53
    Apr 12, 2021
    0
    The game is unfinished and repetitive. The costumes are bland and not fun to play. The developers probably ran out of ideas so they copied some costumes to later levels while hoping you would forget about the older one. If a costume has an ability that isn't a jump such as launching a projectile, you have to switch to a costume that does have a jump to get through the level. Ignore all ofThe game is unfinished and repetitive. The costumes are bland and not fun to play. The developers probably ran out of ideas so they copied some costumes to later levels while hoping you would forget about the older one. If a costume has an ability that isn't a jump such as launching a projectile, you have to switch to a costume that does have a jump to get through the level. Ignore all of the fake reviews that say the game is better than other platformers. Save your money and buy a different game.… Expand
  28. celestialmyth
    Apr 12, 2021
    0
    This game is the worst the 10 scores are fake and bots this game does not cost 60 dollars at best it costs 10 dollars this game is soo bad
  29. Triantafyllos
    Apr 11, 2021
    0
    Such a garbage uninspiring game with clunky controls,terrible characters and the list goes on. Don’t waste your money on this one, buy something better.
  30. HankisLaw
    Apr 11, 2021
    1
    Really nothing good at here at all. I think the only reason to play this is if you lost a bet or have somehow played every other game in existence
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Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Most Discussed PlayStation 5 Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
51

Mixed or average reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 29
  3. Negative: 9 out of 29
  1. Cubed3
    Jul 20, 2021
    60
    Balan Wonderworld deserved to be far more than average, as the final game is a marked improvement over the demo. It's beautiful a lot of the time, character designs are mostly wonderful, the unique ideas that appear in each level are great fun… however the overall execution is simply lacking something important. The repetitive bouts, rough edges, and the sometimes awful physics make this a much harder title to recommend. It is full of bubbly unique charm, and is mostly heart-warmingly fun, but many will be put off by the slow, restrictive design, despite this being designed around it. Hopefully, the game will get some traction.
    Read full review
  2. PLAY
    May 4, 2021
    70
    While not reaching its full potential, Balan Wonderworld is a grand and well designed adventure, which runs superbly on PS5. It’s perfect for family co-op play. [Issue#1, p.76]
  3. PlaySense
    Apr 26, 2021
    55
    Balan Wonderworld offers a great story, accompanied by an absolutely wonderful soundtrack. That's about all it offers, though. In the end, mediocre graphics and rough gameplay make for a rather disappointing package.
    Read full review
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