밸런 원더월드 / BALAN WONDERWORLD / 스팀 게임 / STEAM GAME / バランワンダーワールド / platform game / 플랫폼 게임 /Square Enix
3밸런 원더월드
스퀘어 에닉스에서 개발 중인 액션 게임으로, 소닉 시리즈의 아버지로 유명한 나카 유지가 디렉터를 맡았으며 소닉과 닥터 에그맨의 디자인을 맡은 오시마 나오토가 캐릭터 디자이너로 참여했다.
수수께끼의 광대 "밸런"에게 이끌려 신비한 마음 속의 세상 "원더월드"로 오게 된 "레오" 와 "엠마"가 원더월드에서 소중한 것을 찾는 여행을 떠나게 된다.
IGN과의 인터뷰에 의하면 원래는 증강현실 게임으로 만들 계획이었으나 어쩌다 액션게임으로 확정되었고 스퀘어 에닉스 측에서 단 한번의 기회(One chance)라는 말을 들었다고 한다. 1회용인데 개발팀인 밸런 컴퍼니가 있는 이유는 계속 만들고 싶은 나카 유지 디렉터의 의지를 드러내는 것이라고 한다.
평가
데모판의 여론은 게임이 지루하다는 반응으로 좋지 않다. 정식 출시 후에도 데모판과 크게 다르지 않아 평가가 좋지 않은데 2021년에 출시된 게임치곤 부실한 게임성과 밋밋한 레벨 디자인 등이 지적된다. 오오시마 나오토의 캐릭터 디자인과 OST만큼은 좋다는 평가다.
리뷰에 쓰여진 대로 LB(PS에서는 L1), RB(PS에서는 R1)을 제외하면 나머지 버튼과 트리거는 모두 동일하다. 사실상 2~3버튼 게임이나 다름 없는데, 귀염 드래곤으로 변신했을 때에도 액션 버튼은 여전히 하나 뿐이라 점프를 못하기 때문에 또 변신을 해야 한다.
닌텐도 스위치에서는 현세대 게임이라고 믿을 수 없는 그래픽과 끊기는 프레임으로 어지러움까지 느낄 수 있다.컷씬이 제일 낫다
나카 유지는 본작이 발매되기 전 IGN과의 인터뷰에서 이 게임이 스퀘어 에닉스가 준 마지막 기회이며 평가가 나쁘면 더 이상 게임을 만들 수 없을 것이라고 발언한 적 있는데, 실망스러운 결과가 나오고 말았다.
결국 나카 유지는 2021년 4월 30일 스퀘어 에닉스에서 퇴사했으며, 나이가 나이인 만큼 은퇴 또한 고려하고 있단 의사를 밝혔다.
BALAN WONDERWORLD
Balan Wonderworld is a 2021 platform game co-developed by Arzest and Square Enix subsidiary Balan Company, and published by Square Enix.
Taking on the role of children Leo Craig or Emma Cole, guided by a magical being called Balan, the player explores twelve worlds themed after the hearts of troubled individuals. Gameplay follows the chosen protagonist as they explore sandbox levels, collecting items to progress to further areas and using a variety of powers unlocked using themed costumes.
The game is the debut project of Balan Company, a subsidiary of Square Enix led by Sonic the Hedgehog and Nights into Dreams creator Yuji Naka.
Development began in 2018 as Naka's first collaboration with artist Naoto Ohshima since Sonic Adventure (1998). The aesthetic was based on musical theater, and Naka studied the hero's journey when creating the story draft. The scenario was written by novelist Soushi Kawasaki. The music, composed by Ryo Yamazaki and Hironori Anazawa, emulates musical scores and includes vocals from West End performers such as Laura Pitt-Pulford. The cutscenes were created by Visual Works.
Balan Wonderworld was released for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on March 26, 2021. The game received generally negative reviews and underperformed commercially. Square Enix also published a novelization by Kawasaki. Shortly after the game's release, Naka left Square Enix.
Gameplay
Balan Wonderworld is a platform game where players take on the role of either Leo Craig or Emma Cole, two children drawn into the magical realm of Wonderworld by a being called Balan. The game plays out across twelve multi-level areas called Chapters. At the beginning of the game only the first Chapter is available, but collecting items called Balan Statues in each area will unlock new Chapters.
Within each Chapter, Leo or Emma must navigate through a sandbox environment, searching areas for collectables and solving puzzles to progress to the end of the level. Collectables include Balan Statues, and crystalline objects called Drops.
During exploration, enemies called Negati will appear and attack the player character. Each chapter ends with a boss battle themed after the Chapter's environment and narrative. Receiving damage, or falling off the edge of the environment, causes the equipped costume to disappear. If the character is hit without a costume, they are ejected from the Chapter.[6] The game uses adaptive difficulty, adjusting the number and types of enemies based on player performance both on the initial playthrough and return playthroughs of stages.
While exploring, Leo or Emma find costumes from the cast of each chapter unlocked from crystals using collectable keys. Costumes grant abilities such as hovering, navigating particular hazards and paths, or fighting enemies. When not wearing a costume, Leo and Emma's only available actions are jumping and basic movement. 80 costumes are spread through the stages, some of them in secret locations. Only three costumes can be held at a time; when players acquire a fourth, the costume it replaces is sent into a costume bank which can be accessed at checkpoints. The game uses a simple control scheme, two buttons are used to change between costumes, while other actions aside from basic movement are mapped to all other buttons.
Minigames can be unlocked and played within each chapter using special costumes, such as a football-themed challenge. A recurring minigame activated by finding a top hat in levels is Balan's Bout. Taking on the role of Balan, players engage in a series of quick time events, matching Balan's poses with button presses. Performance is ranked, with the best performance rewarding a Balan Statue upon first completion, and multiplies the current Drop total. Chapters can also be played in two-player local co-op multiplayer.