The more I see of Balan Wonderworld, the more intrigued and excited I get. Yuji Naka’s next big follow-up to the Sonic and Nights franchises looks to be a wacky and delightful platforming romp, especially if you’re a fan of the increasingly rare 3D platformer. Thankfully, we'll have chance to see what the game is everything we dream of thanks to a free demo arriving January 28.
Balan Wonderworld tells the story of two kids, Emma and Cole, who are transported to the dreamlike Wonderworld by a mysterious maestro. The usually positive realm has been infected by the Negati, a foul entity born of negative emotions, and its up to the young heroes to rid Wonderworld of its bad influence. Doing so involves donning over 80 costumes, each of which bestows a unique ability. The lengthy demo gives players a sample of three of the game's 12 worlds and can be played alone or in local co-op. Rather than send players through the first three worlds in order, the demo takes a more scattershot approach by offering a broader taste of Balan Wonderworld's offerings.
World 1 takes place on a scenic farmstead born from the memories of a farmer’s despair. Players have access to Act 1 and 2 as well as a boss battle. Players can also don the Jumping Jack and Dainty Dragon costumes.
World 4 represents a boy's love for the open sky, so the realm consists of floating islands and, for whatever reason, bicycle parts. Act 1 is available to play and features the Soaring Sheep and Aero Acrobat costumes.
Lastly, World 6 follows a young girl’s memories of meeting a kitten, with giant candy pieces and gear-driven buildings. Players have access to Act 1 as well as the Gear Prince and Pumpkin Puncher costumes.
Additionally, the demo features the Isle of Tims. This hub area is where players encounter Tims, cute critters with helpful abilities that can evolve by feeding them droplets harvested on the island.
Balan Wonderworld launches March 26 and the full game, along with the demo, will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. For more on the game, check out its opening cinematic and gameplay trailer.
The launch of Cyberpunk 2077 has become one of the messiest to-date, going far beyond simple glitches and game fixes. From hostile work conditions to a lack of any clear planning, the road to launch has been paved with negativity and it looks like the hits will continue as a second class-action lawsuit against CD Projekt Red has been filed.
In a new report from GamesIndustry.biz, the lawsuit has been filed via the US District Court for the Central District of California. The lawsuit was confirmed via the Regulatory Announcements portion of the CD Projket Red's website, citing that the second lawsuit has the same intent as the first one filed earlier this year. The latest announcement reports the filing claims that the game's launch was misleading to both investors and consumers alike.
The official notice of the lawuit's reception is as follows:
The Management Board of CD PROJEKT S.A. with a registered office in Warsaw (hereinafter referred to as “the Company”) hereby announces that it received confirmation from a law firm cooperating with the Company that a second civil class action lawsuit had been filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California by a law firm acting on behalf of a group of holders of securities traded in the USA under the ticker symbols “OTGLY” and “OTGLF” and based on Company shares. The content of the claim, including its subject and scope, is the same as the one disclosed by the Company in Current Report 68/2020 of 25 December 2020.Just like the first lawsuit filed, the second one doesn't mention what the reparations being asked for are, though it does indicate that CD Projekt Red will "undertake vigorous action to defend itself against any such claims."
In addition to the second class-action lawsuit filed by investors, the Poland's Office of Competition and Consumer Protection is also contemplating adding its own lawsuit to the table.
With the recent apology video from the co-founder of CD Projekt Red detailing what led to such a disastrous launch and the recent report from Bloomberg outlining a hellish few years since the game began active development in 2016, the Polish studio has a long road ahead to repairing its reputation both industry-side and with consumers.
[Source: CDPR via GameIndustry.biz]
A new Dungeons & Dragons movie was confirmed back in May of last year but there is also a new live-action television series also in the works thanks to Hasbro and eOne. While the movie is still trying to decide if actor Chris Pine will take a leading role, the TV series just secured itself a phenomenal grab with John Wick creator Derek Kolstad joining the team as the lead writer.
Kolstad's addition to the growing team was confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter, though the idea behind the upcoming show remains a mystery. Reflecting back on Kolstad's impressive work history, including the epic John Wick franchise, the potential is there to see a unique spin on a beloved universe. Pair that with his previous contributions to Hulu's Hitman: Agent 47 and as well as his work on Marvel's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier TV series, there is no telling what sort of flavor he'll bring to the world of orcs, elves, and mystery.
Unfortunately, there isn't any information about the movie or the TV series, but we do know that Kolstad was brought on to write the show as well as to develop a pitch to ensure it has as much support as possible before going into production.
It will be interesting to see what both experiences have to offer, especially as Dungeons & Dragons continues to grow its community with the help of the mainstream spotlight on the fantasy adventure thanks to properties like Critical Role and Geek & Sundry.
With both the film and TV series on the way, what would you like to see come from the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons adaptations? Any particular period in the tabletop's history that you'd be the most interested in seeing, any particular settings capture your eye? Sound off with all of those D&D thoughts in the comment section below and give us your best pitch for what the future should hold.
[Source: THR]