NuggetsCanFly
2 reviews liked by NuggetsCanFly
Cyberpunk 2077
2020
It was fun for a bit.
Balan Wonderworld
2021
Balan Wonderworld, but feels more like Blunderworld
Balan Wonderworld is a 3d platformer where you choose your character, Leo Craig or Emma Cole, and help the troubled hearts of twelve individuals with the help from someone named Balan. Or at least that is the jist of it, as the story is not really made clear within your whole time playing. I knew that I was “saving” the person in their world, but the cutscenes and lack of dialogue of the cast makes it a little hard to piece it together. I know there is a book alongside this game, but I am not able to find the time or drive to read it.
The story is not even the confusing part of this game. It is how the brains behind the creation of this game made a platformer that feels half-baked. My time with the game felt like a drag, the levels felt void of creativity, the Quick Time Events (will call them QTEs from now on), and confusing narrative really drove home that this game is not complete.
Before I just lay into this, I will say it had some very good moments. The boss levels are great and I do like how they reward you with a collectable for figuring out all the ways to damage them. The bosses are 100% the best part of this game, and thankfully you have one for each world plus the final boss. I will also say the creativity of where the statues and entrances to where the “Balan Bouts” are located are extremely well done. I was challenged to find all of them, and I had to expand all the costumes and their powers to find them. I can name two that made me scratch my head till I figured out that I needed a certain costume. That will be all the praise I have for this game.
The meat and bones of this is what every other gamer who has played this game has said: It feels unfinished and rushed. I will heavily agree with this statement, all the levels I played were easy as cake to complete. None were challenging to get from start to finish, and the levels never really made myself excited to revisit. Which guess what, you will be revisiting EVERY level at least once if you want to advance in the story. And the QTEs are very cool, till you see you have to do them more than 5 times. A total of 48, and if you want to 100% the game you will be doing them a lot.
With those levels, you collect costumes to advance. In the whole game there are 80 costumes. The issue is, there are repeats. An example of this is the Gear Prince and Gear King. They both function the same, but one block can only be done by the Gear King if there is a light bulb on it. In the end, it could be just the Gear Prince could do both. Definitely could have shaved down 15 costumes to give more ideas for other costumes. But it is a point that every costume is used at least once to get the game fully completed. I do appreciate that you will need to get them all, but the repeats make me think why they added slight off versions.
If someone asked if they should try it, honestly I would say save your money unless you like Banjo-Kazooie (N64) or Super Mario 64 (N64). People who grew up with those platformers will get that blast to the past, but just in the most boring fashion possible. I had this game hovering around 1.5 out of 5. But I will bump it up to a 2 out of 5. I do think you will find your fill if you are obsessed with the 3D platformer genre.
Balan Wonderworld is a 3d platformer where you choose your character, Leo Craig or Emma Cole, and help the troubled hearts of twelve individuals with the help from someone named Balan. Or at least that is the jist of it, as the story is not really made clear within your whole time playing. I knew that I was “saving” the person in their world, but the cutscenes and lack of dialogue of the cast makes it a little hard to piece it together. I know there is a book alongside this game, but I am not able to find the time or drive to read it.
The story is not even the confusing part of this game. It is how the brains behind the creation of this game made a platformer that feels half-baked. My time with the game felt like a drag, the levels felt void of creativity, the Quick Time Events (will call them QTEs from now on), and confusing narrative really drove home that this game is not complete.
Before I just lay into this, I will say it had some very good moments. The boss levels are great and I do like how they reward you with a collectable for figuring out all the ways to damage them. The bosses are 100% the best part of this game, and thankfully you have one for each world plus the final boss. I will also say the creativity of where the statues and entrances to where the “Balan Bouts” are located are extremely well done. I was challenged to find all of them, and I had to expand all the costumes and their powers to find them. I can name two that made me scratch my head till I figured out that I needed a certain costume. That will be all the praise I have for this game.
The meat and bones of this is what every other gamer who has played this game has said: It feels unfinished and rushed. I will heavily agree with this statement, all the levels I played were easy as cake to complete. None were challenging to get from start to finish, and the levels never really made myself excited to revisit. Which guess what, you will be revisiting EVERY level at least once if you want to advance in the story. And the QTEs are very cool, till you see you have to do them more than 5 times. A total of 48, and if you want to 100% the game you will be doing them a lot.
With those levels, you collect costumes to advance. In the whole game there are 80 costumes. The issue is, there are repeats. An example of this is the Gear Prince and Gear King. They both function the same, but one block can only be done by the Gear King if there is a light bulb on it. In the end, it could be just the Gear Prince could do both. Definitely could have shaved down 15 costumes to give more ideas for other costumes. But it is a point that every costume is used at least once to get the game fully completed. I do appreciate that you will need to get them all, but the repeats make me think why they added slight off versions.
If someone asked if they should try it, honestly I would say save your money unless you like Banjo-Kazooie (N64) or Super Mario 64 (N64). People who grew up with those platformers will get that blast to the past, but just in the most boring fashion possible. I had this game hovering around 1.5 out of 5. But I will bump it up to a 2 out of 5. I do think you will find your fill if you are obsessed with the 3D platformer genre.