Wandersong Review - Saving the World, One Music Note at a Time

Published: September 27, 2018 1:01 AM /

Reviewed By:


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Wielding a sword and casting magical spells to save the world from total perish certainly has its charm. However, carrying delightful tunes across the globe to achieve the same end goal generates a whimsical story of bravery as well. The tale of Wandersong innovates an enchanting adventure where yodeling your way through obstacles gets the job done. Regrettably, the world is coming to its end. Our little songster must voyage to varied lands to unveil the Earthsong’s composition before it’s too late.

Wandersong, developed by Greg Lobanov, stars a carefree bard setting sail on a vibrant journey to explore the secrets encompassing the mysterious Earthsong. The adventure brakes up into multiple acts, marking vital moments in the story. The tale begins with our optimistic fella encountering a colorful spirit, thus learning of the world’s demise. The only way to save everyone from their extinction relies on memorizing components of the Earthsong, which only the Overseers know. Of course, conquering such a task and mastering its unique melody entails jumping through some hoops. Fortunately, the bard’s harmonious voice sure makes it a heck of a lot easier.

wandersong singing
The little bard gets carried away with his singing sometimes. No matter what though, the world around him is in-sync with his harmonies.

Full controller support is important, especially in a game like Wandersong. By using the d-pad or analog stick, singing at varied pitches animates the environment around you as if the world is dancing to your beat. The grand atmosphere not only emits joy but reacts to different tones accordingly. A good example of this derives from a plant’s vine which actively grows based on the direction you move the analog stick. This inventive feature produces new paths for our singer, whether he’s carried across an abyss or lifted to an otherwise unreachable surface.

The gameplay is fairly elementary, allowing a great deal of room for error. If you happen to fall deep into a chasm by accident, Wandersong redirects you to the last moment that the game made a save. Unfortunately, manual saves aren’t an option. Pausing the gameplay appears to be nonexistent as well. On the bright side, your progress automatically saves often so the concern of reserving a secure place to respawn at vanishes. In case you decide to exit out of the game, Wandersong even has the decency to inform you of when your game was last saved in the Start menu. This way, you'll have a general idea where you'll pick up at the next time you play.

wandersong puzzle
By singing certain pitches, the whimsical bard can direct the plant wherever he wants it to go. Now THAT'S talent.

At times, the bard's adventure becomes pretty laid back and mundane. Nonetheless, minor inconveniences constantly obstruct his path to victory. Utilizing his musical talent typically does the trick but in varied melodic arrangements. Sometimes echoing a bird’s tune nearby triggers them to assist you in a double jump to a higher platform. A handful of responses to town folk even generate depending on how you direct the bard's harmonies. Choices exist among the minstrel's musical adventure, along with a handful of side quests if you feel up to helping out the eccentric characters you meet along the way. A ways in, you even get to switch gears a bit. Instead of venturing as the bard, you take control of a mysterious stranger equipped with a lightning-powered sword. I’ll admit, it was nothing short of awesome.

Besides the innovative style of Wandersong, its characters truly mold this experience into a dynamic one. The commentary incorporates modern lingo into the bard’s escapade, introducing an array of characters both grumpy and idealistic. It turns out that persistence sometimes is the key with these peculiar individuals. In other words, pestering people after you’ve already communicated with them once periodically unlocks new components of the story.  Early on, Wandersong introduces Miriam, a pessimistic witch accompanying the bard on saving the world. Her frustration with his sunny disposition is perpetual, but continuously conversing with her lifts her spirits. However, a plot twist discourages our little minstrel along the way, which truthfully inflicted my heart with actual sadness. Every character you come across is easy to identify with in some way, shape, or form. You can’t help but adore their differing, yet extremely relatable, personalities. That’s the beauty of Wandersong.

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Girl, same.

The amount of love that went into creating Wandersong shows through its vivacious environments, harmonic compositions, diverse characters, and engaging story. Sure, not every quest overflows with excitement, but the bubbly atmosphere makes up for the humdrum moments. Unmasking the world’s mysteries and making an effort to save the day using a musical approach puts a new spin on the adventure genre in the most wonderful way. I don’t know about you, but I sure wouldn’t mind justifiably singing my problems away.

TechRaptor reviewed Wandersong on PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch using a copy provided by the developers.

Review Summary

8.5

Wandersong takes an innovative spin on the adventure genre by incorporating a quirky musical bard on a journey to save the world. Learning the Earthsong not only requires seeking out the Overseers but winning the affection of helpful strangers along the way has its perks as well. Do you have the harmonic voice the world needs to survive?

(Review Policy)

Pros

  • Inventive Gameplay
  • Adoring Characters
  • Beautiful Musical Compositions
  • Engaging Story

Cons

  • No Manual Saves
  • Occasionally Mundane Quests

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More Info About This Game
Learn more about Wandersong
Game Page Wandersong
Developer
Greg Lobanov
Publisher
Greg Lobanov
Platforms
Nintendo Switch
Release Date
September 27, 2018 (Calendar)
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