Balan Wonderworld is a genuine tragedy.
Immediately upon entering the game you can tell it's bad. The "combat" is not hard, the movement is stiff, and every single button beside the movement analog does the exact same thing. The costumes are so basic that it feels like some of them were made solely to fit only on purpose in one level for the sake of dragging the game out. Some of the costumes were almost immediately outdone by others or just useless filler. The only thing that was more filler than these costumes is the Balan's Bout events that take place in each level. These bouts are easily the most infuriating and embarrassing things I have ever seen put into a game. I completed every achievement, taking 41 total hours, completing each one of these bouts perfectly. The only thought that was going through my mind when brainlessly waiting to press A and resetting the game if I were to click it .1 seconds early was WHY. Everything about the game seems rushed and in many cases, especially with the Balan's Bouts, less would have been more. After spending so much time in the game it honestly started showing some kind of heart, I really believe with more time or direction it could have been a good game. There was a good game somewhere within Balan, but it was lost during development and pushed out as this unfinished, embarrassing title.
Immediately upon entering the game you can tell it's bad. The "combat" is not hard, the movement is stiff, and every single button beside the movement analog does the exact same thing. The costumes are so basic that it feels like some of them were made solely to fit only on purpose in one level for the sake of dragging the game out. Some of the costumes were almost immediately outdone by others or just useless filler. The only thing that was more filler than these costumes is the Balan's Bout events that take place in each level. These bouts are easily the most infuriating and embarrassing things I have ever seen put into a game. I completed every achievement, taking 41 total hours, completing each one of these bouts perfectly. The only thought that was going through my mind when brainlessly waiting to press A and resetting the game if I were to click it .1 seconds early was WHY. Everything about the game seems rushed and in many cases, especially with the Balan's Bouts, less would have been more. After spending so much time in the game it honestly started showing some kind of heart, I really believe with more time or direction it could have been a good game. There was a good game somewhere within Balan, but it was lost during development and pushed out as this unfinished, embarrassing title.