When Balan Wonderworld was first announced, many old-school Sega fans expressed their excitement online. The first joint project of former Sega game creators Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima in five years, these fans immediately got on board with what they saw as the spiritual successor to Nights.
Right off the bat it looked like Balan Wonderworld had a lot of potential. The game is a 3D platformer that sees players using around 80 costumes to traverse dreamscapes and repair people's broken hearts. Balan Wonderworld looked simple in its premise and gameplay, enough to be fun while not being obtuse, and the music and style are vibrantly beautiful. But when players picked up the demo that came out recently, their tunes quickly changed.
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Players who have had a hands on experience with the Balan Wonderworld demo agree that the art-style is fantastic, but the gameplay is, by and large, too simple. Almost every button does the same thing, which is either jump or use the power of the current costume. The costumes themselves reportedly feel lackluster, and the overall platforming and puzzles are simple in the extreme. Simply put, there's not a lot to keep players engaged.
On top of that, while there is a section where players can take control of the eponymous Balan, it's no high-flying Nights-esque stage. Instead, the gameplay is relegated to a quicktime event sequence. On Switch, there were even some serious bugs. Considering how hyped some Sega fans were when they heard the demo was coming, many are now doubting the game will live up to the hype.
Balan Wonderworld will launch on March 26, 2021, for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.