Balan Wonderworld (バランワンダーワールド), is a three-dimensional platformer from the Square Enix catalog. The title was created as the debut of Balan Company, the publisher's new studio. The team was led by Yuji Naka and Naoto Oshima, the creators of the series with Sonic the hedgehog. The two recently worked together on the iconic NiGHTS Into Dreams, which has a lot in common with Balan Wonderworld.
Story
Balan Wonderworld tells the story of two heroes: Emma and Leo. They are both lost in their own troubled thoughts when they find the building housing the eponymous World of Miracles. It quickly turns out that this is not an ordinary amusement park, but a huge, fairy-tale world. Led by the mysterious Balan, Emma and Leo embark on an adventure to heal the hearts and minds of the land's inhabitants. They will both discover what really matters to them. The player learns about the history of this journey in twelve smaller stories devoted to the fate of other people.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Balan Wonderworld brings to mind other 3D platformers such as Super Mario Odyssey and NiGHTS Into Dreams. Solve different types of puzzles, and face mysterious creatures to help local folks. Overcome the challenges by using over 80 costumes that endow your heroes with special abilities such as walking in the air, stopping time, and being able to manipulate objects in many ways. Embark on a wonderful journey full of joy, and explore this wonderful WONDERWORLD.
Technical aspects
Technically, Balan Wonderworld is on par with competing platformers. The three-dimensional graphics maintain the characteristic style of Naoto Oshima, known for example from NiGHTS Into Dreams.
Key features
- Twelve different stories to be told, each with different characteristics and challenges to be faced.
- Fantastic Wonderwold when joy and wonderful memories are mixed with daily worries and pessimism.
- More than 80 costumes – each with different power that you can use.
- Two birds with one stone – explore this wonderful world, which was created by Yuji Naka and Naoto Oshima.
- Local co-op – Embark on the journey together with your friend, and combine powers from two different costumes.
