Overall a pretty mediocre and downright bad platformers at times elevated by its uniqueness and charm on character and level design.

Balan Wonderworld has good ideas, really interesting aspects but a poor execution on almost every front; character designs are a standout, boss fights are consistently pretty good but level design is uneven, the amount of dresses plays against itself making most of them useless the more you play, and the worlds are a hit or miss depending too much at times on replays that will likely never come due to repetiveness. There are good concepts for levels that manage to be great experiences and the balance between open environments and more linear intricate corridors is (like the rest of the game) unbalanced but pretty good at times.

This is an example of how general consensus depends too much on polish and modern game standards over style and substance; Balan does its own thing, and while being a failure on some fronts that are usually considered as pillars of an experience like gamefeel, performance or polish, that doesn't detract in any way any of its virtues. It has a much clearer identity than a lot of modern platformers and the charisma to be remembered for its own rights and wrongs; a game I can't call good, but deeply interesting, and an unfairly hated game that could have found a niche at a lower price point and the right mindset going in.