7/22/2023 0 Comments Balan wonderworld farmerAnd I rinsed out the first levels of Balan Wonderworld expecting an easy ride, only to find I’d missed four of the eight Balan Statues in Stage One – which is absolutely tiny. Powers can be used to climb bits of scenery that seem like they maybe shouldn’t be climbable, only to find this was anticipated and you’re rewarded with a Balan Statue – the Jiggys of Balan Wonderworld – or some gems, which you feed to creatures in the hub world in a totally inscrutable mini-game akin to NiGHTS’ A-Life system or Sonic Adventure’s Chao Garden. It’s also got that kind of exploration that really works for me, where you feel like you’re breaking the game a bit when you’re actually not. The controls are always simple but it’s the application of the different powers that’s kept esoteric. Gameplay is based around acquiring costumes which grant new effects, but the game doesn’t really tell you how to use them or what they do. Despite its somewhat “kiddy” look (hack, spit, what an awful criticism), it’s actually quite surprising how hands-off the game is. It feels like a platform adventure made for people who love to explore and push against the limits of what they can do. This feels like the absolute warts-and-all vision of its very, very divisive creator. In fact, I don’t really know what it reminds me of. It has been compared to a PS2 platformer, but the frame of reference isn’t as broad as that. It’s far, far, far from the disaster it has been portrayed as. So please trust me when I tell you, once again – Balan Wonderworld is a good game. With me the mania is very much real, and I’m quite proud of that. I’m not here to put myself over, but I’ve never said I like a game that I dislike or vice versa. Stu the contrarian loves his being contrary. Just let the madness wash over you and focus on the gameplay.īecause here’s the kicker – Balan Wonderworld is a good game. What’s with the weird aesthetics? What’s with the dancing animals and giant farmer? Mate, it’s a Yuji Naka game. Granted, it didn’t have the most impressive demo in the world, but some of the complaints struck me as singularly bizarre. Goodness gracious me, you’d think with all the hullabaloo and impressions-as-performance that Balan Wonderworld causes beloved household pets to spontaneously combust or something.
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