We don’t quite know where to start with Balan Wonderworld. Early access to the demo – available to everyone from tomorrow – we played this somewhat mysterious title and we’re not completely convinced. The demo itself is quite large, but from our experience we are not sold on this new concept from Yuji Naka.
After a stylish introduction to the world of the game with a chic CG movie, you will be immersed in a hub world that connects each of the game levels. There is not much to see or do here but step onto a stage. The first duo of levels are in a farm setting, with giant crops and green fields all over the place. The most unusual thing about this setting is a very jarring visual effect. As you run forward, the world is beyond types of warps, like sitting on a huge cylinder. The problem is that the effect is poorly executed; it actually messed with our eyes a bit. Once you clear this first world, other levels open up and don’t seem to have the same problem.
Aside from the visual quirks, the game has a whimsical look and feel, with everything in bright colors and at a locked 60 frames per second on PlayStation 5. That said, it’s not exactly impressive to look at, with very simple characters and texture work. The music is better and accompanies the stages with easy songs that will probably end in your head.
As for the gameplay itself, it is extremely easy. The main hook of Balan Wonderworld is that your character can wear numerous costumes, each of which offers a unique ability. Once you collect one, you will be given a brief explanation of what it does. Examples in the demo include a wolf outfit that can generate a tornado, a flower that can extend to reach collectibles, and a dragon that can breathe fireballs. We say the gameplay is extremely simple because no matter what outfit you’re currently wearing, the capability is enabled with a single button. You can use any of the face buttons or any of the triggers (which have some adaptive feedback on DualSense) to output the power of a suit.
It means that the game is very accessible to younger players and you don’t have to worry about the controls when switching between costumes. You can bank three at a time, and you can freely switch between them whenever you want. What’s nice is that any ability can be used to get through a level, but they can also be used against bad guys. Some are better than others for fending off enemies, but just jumping on heads will get the job done.
If you are hit by an enemy, you will lose the outfit you are currently wearing, which can be annoying depending on how far back that costume’s pickup is. Overall, they seem to be cleverly handed out, but be prepared to back down a bit if you need a certain amount of power.
After playing different levels in the demo, it looks like you want to go back to previous stages with more unlocked outfits. You can choose which costumes to play on a stage so you can mix things up and potentially access new areas or hidden secrets. Your main goal, as far as we can tell, is to collect golden Balan statues, and you’ll need to use every outfit to find them all.
There are also mini games to discover, but they fall quite flat and don’t add much to the experience. After playing a level, you will have collected a number of colored gems. Back in the hub area, these gems can be chick fed as critters called Tims, but it doesn’t really explain why you should do this.
That’s not the only unexplained mystery; there is a counter in the center of the hub and we have yet to figure out what it is for. After fighting a boss, we freed the farmer who was trapped in it, and then we took a ride on an air train. This demo contains quite a bit, but the inexplicable elements left us somewhat baffled.
Obviously, the goal of this game is to create something with a dream-like quality that will suit players of all skill levels. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but we can’t help but feel impressed with what we’ve played. Maybe the full game does better with the whole picture, because right now it feels like a bizarre mishmash of ideas that don’t quite come together.
The Balan Wonderworld demo will be available on PS5 and PS4 starting Thursday, January 28. Are you going to watch this? Play dress up in the comments section below.