A couple of months ago, Square Enix unveiled a brand-new intellectual property in the form of Balan in Wonderworld. What's interesting about this new franchise is that it is being developed by Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima; the creators of Sega's iconic Sonic the Hedgehog series.
From a visual standpoint, Balan in Wonderworld is an action-adventure title that will see players roaming around colourful 3D environments that seem to take a few notes from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland — with the name probably being the most similar aspect — but it has its own spin that also makes it feel very Sonic the Hedgehog-esque.
What's even more interesting is that Square Enix always saw Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima's pitch for Balan in Wonderworld as an RPG rather than a 3D platformer. In fact, a recent interview with IGN reveals that Square Enix gave only the "one chance" to make it a platformer.
"I think Square Enix has an RPG image, but I don't think I'd be good at making RPGs," is what Naka told IGN Southeast Asia.
"During the proposal stage I wrote down that it would have 80 different types of action, but I thought that once I actually started making the game, I would run out of steam at around 40," Naka revealed, although he eventually managed to reach the 80-stage goal.
"Square Enix's management philosophy is 'to contribute to the wellbeing of people all over the world by providing the best stories.' When I joined the company and heard that, I was like 'Stories, huh...'. To be honest, I'm not really the type of developer who focuses on a game's script. I always emphasize how the game feels and the action, while the story may be a bit weak. I wasn't very good with stories."
Balan in Wonderworld is still a few months away from releasin, as it is expected to become available in March of next year, but it really looks like both Naka and Ohshima are doing their best to prove themselves to Square Enix and deliver a top quality product; judging by what we've seen in trailers, so far, it is safe to say that they are scceeding.
Twelve different tales await players in the bizarre and imaginary land of Wonderworld. As the star of the show you can use powers from 80 different costumes while exploring labyrinth stages, filled with a myriad of tricks and traps to get to the heart of each story. As you journey through this land between fantasy and reality, you must find a way to bring balance to others and yourself.
Balan Wonderworld is expected to release for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC(Steam) on Friday the 26th of March in 2021.