Square Enix has issued a statement asking Balan Wonderworld players to ensure that they download a day one patch before playing the new PC game. Several players expressed concern online after seeing early footage of a boss fight in the latter stages of the game containing what they believed might be a potentially seizure-inducing effect.
We reached out to Square Enix for comment to find out whether the leaked footage was reflective of the game as it would launch and if the developer was aware of the issue. We were presented with the following statement: “Please ensure that you install the Day One Patch before playing Balan Wonderworld. We have received reports of a photo-sensitive epilepsy risk from a potential flashing bug if playing the game un-patched. The Day One Patch prevents this issue as well as enhances the overall play experience.”
While the video is circulating online, we won’t be sharing it here for safety reasons. That said, if you do see it, we would urge caution as the photo-sensitive epilepsy risk referred to occurs during a transition at the 12:40 mark in the video, which is during the final boss fight. As always, exercise caution.
Balan Wonderworld is a colourful take on the action-platform genre from the minds of director Yuji Naka and artist Naoto Ohshima, which may sound familiar to you as they’re the same team that brought us Sonic the Hedgehog and Nights into Dreams.
The action platformer is set to release today on PC, so make sure you have the day one patch downloaded if you’re buying this one.