BALAN WONDERWORLD

Balan Wonderworld is a 2021 platform game developed by Arzest and Balan Company and published by Square Enix. Assuming the role of two children guided by a magical being called Balan, the player explores twelve worlds themed after the hearts of troubled individuals. They explore levels, collecting items to progress to further areas, and using a variety of powers unlocked using themed costumes. Balan Wonderworld is the debut project of Balan Company, a subsidiary brand of Square Enix led by Yuji Naka, co-creator of the Sonic the Hedgehog and Nights into Dreams series during his tenure at Sega's Sonic Team. Development began in 2018; it was 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 story 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. There were subsequent claims from Naka and other employees regarding internal conflict around the quality and marketing. Balan Wonderworld was released worldwide for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on March 26, 2021. It received generally negative reviews and underperformed commercially. Critics panned its gameplay and level design, although some praised its graphics and music. Square Enix also published a novelization by Kawasaki.