Some of these battle royale style games can be a real hit and miss; some may be strangely addictive, where the hours just fly by, others can feel like you are just dragging your feet through a repetition of party style games, all of which start to feel oddly similar after an hour. Then, ‘Fall Guys’ came knocking and, thankfully, it proved to be the earlier of the two examples!

GAMEPLAY

The most interesting appeal to Fall Guys is that the game pitches you and 59 others against one another in a TV survival game show style concept (think Gladiators, Wipe Out, Titan Games etc). Your goal is to survive five rounds and grab the crown at the end, signalling the end of the round and your claim to fame. Much like the previously mentioned game shows, the rounds consist of platformer style levels that can, and will, attack you!

You do have the option to party up with 3 of your friends so that the 4 of you can now challenge the remaining 56 players! Once the matchmaking with the other 56 players has finalised (via a very cute cutscene of your avatar free-falling), you are then shown a series of levels that flick by, slideshow style. Eventually, one level will be picked at random, initiating the round! One of the most popular rounds that are offered up are that of ‘Races’.

Now, before you click off and think “Just another party racing sim”, this mode is arguably by far the most addictive and outrageous mode on offer! As predicted, you and the other 59 wacky players race to a finish line. As previously mentioned, the course offers a variety of obstacles from windmills, timed gates, punching platforms, bumpers, even fruit! — you name it, this mode will undoubtedly have it gunning for you!

Another round variant that was on offer was that of a pin the tail on yourself / capture the flag. Follow me along here: basically, you have to be the last person standing wearing a tail. Seems easy enough, right? Say that with 59 others gunning for you! Addictive and intense? I say yes!

Each round requires a set amount of people to remain alive / cross the finish line. E.g. Round 1 race will end after roughly 44 people cross the finish line. If you are one of the lucky 44, then you get to progress onto the next round. If you haven’t made the cut, then you are eliminated. You then have the choice to quit the current session you’re a part of, matchmake, and start the rounds from scratch with a new batch of 59 strangers, or you can continue to spectate and view your current session. After 5 rounds, you are presented with one final race: Race to the Crown! If you are skilled enough (or even lucky enough) to win the race and literally grab the crown, the game ends!

The end game screen will reward you with EXP and ‘Kudos’, based on how long you lasted per round. Both Kudos and Crowns transfer into spendable in-game currency that will unlock special items via the in-game store. These range from avatar skin colours, costumes & emotes. There are also unique rewards per season of play. At the time of this writing, it’s unknown how often these in-game ‘seasons’ will change and refresh, but it keeps the replay value high as there is even a battle pass available!

GRAPHICS + SOUND

The graphics of this game are so simple, cute, bright and immersively colourful! With its artistic approach, you somehow manage to fall in love with its quirky style again, each and every time you play. It quite literally feels like a mix of anime and animal crossing.

The sound is also perfectly reflective of the action (and carnage) on screen. Though your avatar doesn’t speak any specific words, their cute creature-esque noises of excitement, pacing and any in-game related activity are very chuckle worthy!

CONCLUSION

This game provides a splattering of exciting game show-style minigames and chaotic onscreen action. With a rainbow palette to boot, and cute scenery in every level, you’re bound to get addicted to this game!

Written by: Brutaleo