Balan Wonderworld Improv #3
If you haven't noticed or I didn't tag properly, this is a review split into multiple parts and suggestions.
I'm really enjoying Balan Wonderworld so far. If you are someone who plays Super Mario Odyssey, then this isn't your cup of tea because this game is the embodiment of a puzzle. There are over 80 costumes in the game, each costume being an option to a maze of puzzles when it comes to the Collectibles such as hidden Costumes, Balan Bouts and Balan Statues.
You start off with the weaker costumes at the start of the game, the more worlds you unlock the better costumes you can find. Every world has an obstacle to keep you from grabbing every collectible, areas or enemies that need particular costumes to solve.
People have issues with a lot of costumes performing similar tasks but they shine for the ingenuity hidden underneath their adorable designs. The devs want you to take in the worlds at a reasonable pace, uncover the secrets you couldn't find through your first run.
It's a test of your creativity and problem solving skills. To see what you can do with as little as you are given. They want you to figure it out, not spoon feed it to you like some games do. Biggest example of a spoon feeder is Kirby Star Allies, it gives you the combination needed to solve all of its puzzles.
Balan Bouts are a very interesting take to quick time events. The line up for each event actually gets faster the further you are in the game. Balan will even use trickier moves to raise the difficulty of later bouts, including his infamous butt stomp. Also, getting an Oops with Balan or a Balan Cardboard Cutout is bloody hilarious. One second your a badass and the next you are sent flying like Team Rocket for messing up a quick time very badly. 😂 He's just a minty haired goofball.
I did come across a glitch. World 7 Act 2, there's a blue mushroom you need to use to reach platform needed to go the door floating far away with the flower costume. You can jump off the mushroom and it'll just makes the noises your character does when jumping.
I suggest getting the Double Jumper Costume from World 2 Act 2 to bypass the glitch should it happen. Normally you need the Fixer Upper Costume from World 12 but can use the Snow Fairy Costume in World 8 Act 1 to also reach it. You have to scale to the top of the ruins and coral but you can reach it albeit barely.
Improvements needed
Ability to manually restart the level. You need get all Excellents in a Balan Bout to get the Balan Statue. You can revisit the level but you need to beat the boss if you do fail and restart the entire world.
In-game map. It would make navigating certain worlds way easier if you are looking for costumes, Balan Bouts or Balan Statues. Even better if you can mark the map with symbols, tracking icon and used to warp to different checkpoints.
Island of Tims upgrade system. Change how you can upgrade the Tower of Tims as the normal way is quite slow. Ability to play with the Tims, you can't have an equivalent to a Chao Garden without playing with the adorable critters. Mini-games can affect the Tims' abilities or even get rare Costumes.
Name tags for bosses and characters. I didn't know any of the visitors or bosses' names until I looked it up. I had to go by their titles in each Chapter.
I do suggest you guys get the game on sale if you want to play it. Balan Wonderworld has been a fun and decent experience so far but the normal price isn't really fair since bad marketing being the reason.
Now for a more pressing matter.
I've been getting news that people are attacking Balan Wonderworld fans just because they like the game. Whoever it is, you guys are petty little shits and need to stop. You don't see anyone attacking you for having a different opinion, so what gives you the right to do it to us?
Reminds me of a similar issue with popular fandoms like Undertale, I've been personally attacked by my own sibling just because I don't want to play the game. Undertale is an interesting game but isn't my cup of tea, in fact, all of the attacks makes me avoid the game like the plague.
This is the same thing you are doing it to Balan Wonderworld fans, you are making them avoid their favorite game and feel like garbage because of your foul attitude and dickish threats.
You know what I have to say about these petty haters?
Everyone has the right to play the games they love and neither of us want your bullshit. So keep your nasty comments to yourself and quit harassing others.
Hope y'all have a good day!