How Many Costumes Are In Balan Wonderworld And How Do They Work?

Balan Wonderworld promises to bring fun and mischief to a variety of consoles, but it's also bringing an extensive wardrobe with magical capabilities. The Balan Wonderworld demo not only gives players a huge look at the game, it also previews some of the outfits available over the 12 worlds the protagonists visit.

One of the most anticipated games of 2021, Balan Wonderworld is the creation of director Yuji Naka and art director Naoto Ohshima, the masterminds behind Sega's classic Nights into Dreams. With a creative dream team behind it, Balan Wonderworld should be a fun-filled experience for players of all ages.

Perhaps one of the most interesting and unusual aspects of Balan Wonderworld is its costume system. The two protagonists will learn abilities and navigate the colorful world with the help of different outfits. However, up until now, fans might have wondered how many costumes would grace Balan Wonderland, and, more importantly, what exactly they do.

There are over 80 different costumes for players to slip on in Balan Wonderworld, though players won't know what each of them do until they get a chance to try them out. YouTuber Unbroken Odds provided a review of all 80 costumes, giving fans a first look at the protagonists' wardrobes in Balan Wonderworld. For good measure, Unbroken Odds included the demo-exclusive launcher costumes that players can earn by simply playing the demo.

The costumes range from the goofy Elastiplant, found in the first chapter of the game, to the strange Vacuum Blaster, which makes players resemble a creature that looks like a cross between a dinosaur and a vacuum. The costumes might seem goofy initially, but they actually provide players with necessary abilities to complete different levels. 

While there are 80 costumes available in the game, players might not need or be able to get all of them. For example, the exclusive launcher costumes, which players can get from simply booting up the demo before the main game, are tied to specific platforms. It's unlikely (and perhaps impossible) that players will have both the Xbox exclusive costume and the Switch exclusive costume on one save file.

Costumes provide the protagonists with different abilities that they can use to navigate the world. However, they can also introduce particular limitations to the player's move-set. YouTuber HeroVoltsy demonstrated how costumes work in his overview of Balan Wonderworld's demo. After acquiring a costume, players will be told exactly what it does, which will correspond to one button. Balan Wonderworld has a simple control scheme, with most buttons allowing the player to either jump or perform a costume effect. 

In HeroVoltsy's demo preview, he shows off the Tornado Wolf costume, which allows players to do a spin jump and destroy scenery or enemies. However, when in the Tornado Wolf costume, players couldn't perform a regular jump action.

When players take damage, as HeroVoltsy does when jumping off of the map, they lose the costume currently being worn. It's not too difficult to get the costumes back once lost, though. Players can access the costumes at several points throughout the world, including designated closet spaces.

Costumes allow players to have a varied experience in Balan Wonderworld while remaining the same character throughout the game. They're also cute, and sometimes creepy, adding to the trippy aesthetic of the game.