![]() I’d move through a level, lose a costume that could jump, and realize that I was now stranded. This happened constantly in my playthrough. The only way to progress was to take intentional laser hits, destroying my three outfits, and reverting me back to the costume-less default state that’s capable of jumping. None of my equipped costumes had a jump action, which meant I was just stuck there. When I tried to leave the area, I realized I had taken a tiny step down a 6-inch high wall. In one instance, I went off to grab some gems scattered around a laser grid. The idea is to think carefully about what ability you may need to solve a puzzle, but that creates unforeseen complications. ![]() The system could have worked, but it’s implemented in a way that almost feels thoughtless. That’s all you can do until you switch costumes. When wearing a painter costume, for example, pressing a button shoots a glob of paint forward. There’s no dash, no attack, and, most importantly, no dedicated jump button. Any face button or trigger acts as a singular action button for the equipped costume. I haven’t talked about the controls of the game yet, because there aren’t many to speak of. It’s a riff on Super Mario Odyssey that goes terribly, terribly wrong. The idea is that each one can be used to solve different platforming puzzles and promote experimentation. Each one acts as a power-up that grants a different perk, like the ability to climb up spider webs or grapple toward large gems. Throughout the adventure, players can collect over 80 different outfits. The game’s defining mechanic is its costume system, but that’s what really causes the already fragile seams to burst. It all feels like a whiteboard doodle adapted into a rough proof of concept. Anytime the game introduces a promising mechanic, like a train riding section of a carnival level, it quickly drops the idea. Most are just filled with interchangeable platforming challenges that lack any real personality. The levels feature deliberate visual motifs, but few stages actually take advantage of their settings or story in a meaningful way. In other Square Enix news, the company recently sold off its western studios to Embracer Group in order to fund future projects, such as cloud services, AI, and most notably, blockchain initiatives, the last of which Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda has expressed an interest in pursuing.Its simplicity might be the selling point for those who are hoping for a nostalgic trip, but the game stumbles over the basics. In IGN's Balan Wonderworld review, we said, "It’s a mess of undercooked concepts and clunky mechanics that slow it to a crawl, and it seems to take inspiration from better games without properly recapturing what actually makes them fun." In that context, Square Enix's recommendation feels a little off-base. ![]() Furthermore, Naka called out the company, saying, "I think Square Enix is no good." He said that he had an internal conflict with co-developer Arzest and felt like Balan Wonderworld was submitted in an unfinished state. Recently, Naka opened up about his time at Square Enix developing the game. Naka left Square Enix after the game was released last year and has since become an independent developer. As for Balan Wonderworld, "it is a game that we recommend with confidence." (from Q&A session during earnings briefing)- Takashi Mochizuki May 13, 2022īalan Wonderworld hasn't had the best time in the spotlight. Square Enix confirmed it had lawsuit case with Yuji Naka but declined to comment further. However, according to Bloomberg's Takashi Mochizuki, Square Enix also commented on Balan Wonderworld itself, saying, "it is a game that we recommend with confidence." Square Enix confirmed that Naka had a lawsuit case with the company but wouldn't give any further details about it. The game was brought up in a Q&A session during a company earnings briefing, during which an investor asked about ex-director Yuji Naka's lawsuit against the company, seemingly brought after his dismissal from the project.
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