Balan Wonderworld is an upcoming action-platformer game themed around the mysterious Balan Theatre, home to a mischievous maestro named Balan. Recently, the developers announced that a demo would be available next week for players to try out.
This creative looking title is being co-developed by Balan Company and Arzest and published by Square Enix. The game is notable for its director and art director having previously worked on the Sega household title Sonic the Hedgehog.
The demo can be played through single player or local co-op by connecting a second controller. Playing in co-op lets players access paths of progression that are normally unavailable when going at it alone. Players take on two characters, Leo Craig and Emma Cole, as they follow the maestro, Balan, across the Wonderworld he seems to control. The demo will give players the chance to experience three of Balan Wonderworld’s many areas known as World One, World Four and World Six. Gamers can try it out across multiple platforms, both current and generation, at midnight of January 28. Steam users will have to wait a bit longer, though, as it can only be downloaded after 5 pm the same day.
World One is set on a farm made up of rolling hills and giant crops. This mysterious world is woven from the memories inside Jose Gallard’s heart, a farmer whose precious cornfield is hit by a storm. The boss lurking in the depths of Jose’s world is Barktholomew, the embodiment of Jose’s despair after seeing his cornfield being destroyed. Players can try out a range of costumes to successfully complete this level, including the Jumping Jack costume that allows players to jump to places they just can’t quite reach and the Dainty Dragon costume that uses its fiery breath to clear obstacles in its path.
World Four takes place in a fantastical setting born from the heart of Chang Haoyu and his love of the open sky, where bicycle parts and floating islands of all sizes make up the skyline. Costumes in this world that could come in handy include the Soaring Sheep costume that can float away by puffing up its fluffy fleece and the Aero Acrobat costume that can soar through the sky and aim kicks at balloons and enemies.
World Six follows the story of Cass Milligan, depicting the town where she meets a cute kitten. In this magical world built from Cass Milligan’s fond memories, candy pieces and books float in the air and there are mysterious buildings full of moving gears. Costumes in this world can help players solve mysteries and perform powerful attacks include the Gear Prince costume that can spin switches with the gear on its stomach to operate machinery and the Pumpkin Puncher costume that can shoot a rocket punch.
Players will also be granted access to a hub area called the Isle of Tims, which houses the gateways to those three worlds. Here, players will meet the magical creatures called Tims, whose powerful abilities can help Leo and Emma as they explore each world and fight Negati. On the Isle of Tims, players can also harvest magical droplets from the colorful flower patches found around the island. These droplets can be given to Tims in exchange for gaining and upgrading their abilities.
Over 80 collectible costumes were planned for the final version of the game, each providing a unique ability when traversing the 12 available worlds. These areas have been described as being a mix of reality and fantasy. From trailers showcasing gameplay, gamers quickly noted a few similarities to Nintendo’s 3D Mario games, such as Super Mario Odyssey. Others also consider this a spiritual successor to Sega's Night of Dreams.
Balan Wonderworld is set for release on March 26, 2021, on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows.