Balan Wonderworld Could Cause Epilepsy
Image: Square Enix

If you’re picking up Balan Wonderworld this weekend, be warned - the final boss has a series of flashing lights which could provoke an epileptic fit in those susceptible if the game is left unpatched.

As reported by Game Informer’s Liana Ruppert, who is an epileptic sufferer herself, scenes of the final boss have appeared on YouTube and contain a distressing amount of flashing lights once the floor begins to crack. Ruppert reported that after quickly examining the footage she had to turn it off, as the tell-tale signs of an incoming seizure became apparent.

“I immediately had to shut it off. Instantly, my right side dropped, and I could feel the onset of an episode. I stepped away. I did my usual "checkup" on myself, I donned safer tech settings (seen here), and I looked again, this time at a slower speed to negate the rapid-fire effect that I know is a trigger. What I saw - I hope- is simply a pre-launch glitch because if this scene was intended, my concern is that there were safety checks cut. I can't imagine how this possibly passed the necessary safety certification process if this were intended.”

Square Enix has since come forward and confirmed this is an issue with versions of the game that haven't been patched. To avoid the issue, you will need to download the day one patch which rectifies the problem. This isn't a great fix for anyone who plays games offline, and somewhat concerning that it's made the final product in any capacity.

We won’t put the footage here on the off chance anyone does have any side effects to it, but you can find it readily available in Game Informer's report. Cyberpunk 2077 had similar issues, again, highlighted by Ruppert, and those were quickly patched, too. But it's disheartening to see numerous games run into such easily missable problems.

Are you picking up Balan Wonderworld this weekend? Let us know in the comments below.

[source gameinformer.com, via twitter.com]