LOS ANGELES (Jan. 19, 2021) – Today SQUARE ENIX® announced that a free demo will be released next week for BALAN WONDERWORLD™ – the all-new action-platformer from the creators of Sonic the Hedgehog. The demo will be available to play from January 28th, allowing players to experience two hours of BALAN WONDERWORLD gameplay ahead of its March 26th release date. The demo can be enjoyed with friends and family in local co-op mode or in single player mode and will be available on each platform that the full game will be released on.
Demo Release Date: Midnight, Thursday January 28
* The Steam® edition will be available for download from 5pm, Thursday 28th January.
Platforms: PlayStation®5/PlayStation®4/Nintendo Switch™/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Steam®
Two players can explore the game as the stars of the show Leo and Emma in local co-op mode, combining abilities from different costumes to access new paths that are unavailable in solo play! Simply connect a second controller and push any button on it to activate co-op mode. Using a range of costume abilities, players will be able to collect Balan Statues in each stage as well as access the hidden Balan’s Bout mini-games. The demo will feature three of BALAN WONDERWORLD’s twelve magical worlds:
World 1 – The Man Who Rages Against the Storm
Playable Areas: Act 1, Act 2, Boss Battle
World One is set in a beautiful farm, made up of rolling hills and giant crops. This mysterious world is woven from the memories inside Jose Gallard’s heart, a farmer whose beautiful cornfield is struck by a storm. The boss lurking in the depths of Jose’s world is Barktholomew, the embodiment of Jose’s despair after seeing his cornfield being destroyed.
Make use of a range of costumes to successfully complete this level, including the Jumping Jack costume that allows players to jump to places they just can’t quite reach and the Dainty Dragon costume that uses its fiery breath to clear obstacles in its path!
World 4 – The Boy Who Would be One with the Wind
Playable Areas: Act 1
World Four takes place in a fantastical setting born from the heart of Chang Haoyu and his love of the open sky, where bicycle parts and floating islands of all sizes are scattered through the sky.
Costumes in this world that could come in handy include the Soaring Sheep costume that can float away by puffing up its fluffy fleece, and the Aero Acrobat costume that can soar through the sky and aim kicks at balloons and enemies!
World 6 – The Girl and the Kitten
Playable Areas: Act 1
World Six follows the story of Cass Milligan, depicting the town where she meets a cute kitten. In this magical world built from Cass Milligan’s fond memories, candy pieces and books float in the air and there are mysterious buildings full of moving gears.
Costumes that will help players solve mysteries and perform powerful attacks include the Gear Prince costume that can spin switches with the gear on its stomach to operate machinery, and the Pumpkin Puncher costume that can shoot a rocket punch!
Players will also be granted access to the Isle of Tims – a base area and gateway to the three mysterious worlds. Here, players will meet the magical creatures called Tims; whose powerful abilities can help Leo and Emma as they explore each world and battle Negati! On the Isle of Tims, players can also harvest magical droplets from the colourful flower patches found around the island. These droplets can be fed to Tims in order to evolve their abilities.
BALAN WONDERWORLD will release March 26th, 2021 and can be pre-ordered here. Physical copies of the game also include a collectible Balan Theatre ticket, while supplies last.
About BALAN WONDERWORLD
BALAN WONDERWORLD is a wondrous action-platformer game themed around the mysterious Balan theatre; home to a mischievous maestro named Balan. The stars of the show will use special abilities from a multitude of characterful costumes as they adventure in the bizarre and imaginary land of Wonderworld. Here memories and vistas from the real-world mix with the things that people hold dear. Twelve different tales await our stars in Wonderworld, each with their own unique quirks. Players will explore all corners of these labyrinthine stages, battling Negati and playing mini-games that are hidden along the way, to get to the heart of each touching story.
BALAN COMPANY brings together talented videogame developers, visual artists, and composers to tell the greatest stories and provide the ultimate platformer experiences.
BALAN WONDERWORLD is rated E10+ by the ESRB and will be available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X with support for Smart Delivery, PlayStation®5 console, PlayStation®4 console, Nintendo Switch™, and PC (STEAM®) on March 26, 2021. For more information, visit: www.balanwonderworld.com
Related Links:
BALAN WONDERWORLD Website: www.balanwonderworld.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SquareEnix
Twitter: @balanwworld
Instagram: @balanwonderworld
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/SquareEnixNA
#BalanWonderworld
About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix, Inc. is affiliated with a global network of leading development studios such as Crystal Dynamics® and Eidos Montréal™. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 159 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 82 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 81 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at https://square-enix-games.com.
BALAN WONDERWORLD © 2021 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.
BALAN WONDERWORLD, DRAGON QUEST, EIDOS, EIDOS MONTREAL, FINAL FANTASY, SPACE INVADERS, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, TAITO and TOMB RAIDER are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix group of companies. Sonic the Hedgehog and Team Sonic are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA CORPORATION. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.