Square Enix has confirmed that a potentially seizure-inducing visual effect discovered in pre-release footage of Balan Wonderworld will be resolved, thanks to a day one patch arriving alongside 3D platformer's launch later today.
A musical action-platformer headed up by Sonic Team veterans Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima, Balan Wonderworld launches on Steam later today. But with full playthroughs already landing on YouTube, fans discovered that the game's climactic boss features rapidly flashing lights that risk triggering seizures in certain players.
Seizure warnings for the following video, obviously. The effects hit at 11:35
and 12:40.
The effect seems inconsistent, appearing in some video captures while notably absent from others, suggesting this isn't an intentional effect as was Cyberpunk 2077's seizure-triggering braindance visuals. Rather, this appears to be a bugged effect, one that may stem from per-platform graphics settings.
Fortunately, Balan Wonderworld will be accompanied by a day one patch when it arrives later this afternoon. In a statement to PC Gamer, the publisher explains that this patch resolves the triggering effects, along with a number of issues that arose during the game's pre-release demo.
"Please ensure that you install the Day 1 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 1 Patch prevents this issue as well as enhances the overall play experience."
Balan's demo was met with a fairly negative reception, with Polygon noting that the game's costume-changing gimmick added "little joy or surprise to otherwise simplistic 3D platform-jumping". One patch might not spruce up all the game's mechanical flaws, but at least we can be fairly sure the game no longer risks setting off epileptic seizures.
