Are you also one of those people who watched Takeshi's Castle in their childhood? Then the new multiplayer hit Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is just what you're looking for: Where Battle Royale madness meets fun, chaotic mini-games.
60 brightly colored jellybean men run towards cardboard doors, roll over each other and push each other off a rotating platform. Sounds like chaos? Yes. Sounds like the ultimate multiplayer fun? Yes. That's what you can expect in Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, the surprise hit of the summer. Forget the Fortnites and CoDs of this world: Our Fall Guys review reveals why you shouldn't miss out on the game.
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Fall Guys = Mega Hype
More than 1.5 million players in the first 24 hours, a streaming record in beta and the most streamed game in the last few days. Yep, the party game Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is the surprise hit of this summer and could be the next Rocket League (only without the esports ambitions - but then again... you never know).
Fall Guys combines the principle of Battle-Royale games with a good portion of chaos, bright colors and lots of humor. This little indie game from publisher Devolver Digital proves that a multiplayer hit is possible without a budget of millions.The game principle is quickly explained: In an online lobby, 60 players fight in crazy mini-games to stay alive until the end to come away victorious. Sounds like Battle-Royale in the style of Fortnite or CoD: Warzone? Kinda... the idea is similar, but the game does it without weapons, vehicles or huge maps.The fascination of Fall Guys is within its simplicity. 60 players, small mini-games that rarely last longer than two or three minutes and a control system that even children can grasp within a few rounds.
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Takeshi's Castle X Battle Royale X Mario Party
Apart from the "Last Man Standing" idea, Fall Guys has little in common with classic Battle Royale games. Rather, the game is strongly reminiscent of the cult game show Takeshi's Castle, which was produced in Japan between 1986 and 1989, but only made its way into German television ten years later.Back then, a few crazy Japanese ran through cardboard doors, climbed over obstacle courses and competed in all other kinds of madness. That's roughly how you can imagine the gameplay of Fall Guys. It's just that there are 60 colorful comic characters competing against each other. For all those little guys, the title offers a total of 25 mini-games, of which the selection is always random.
Most of them are about competing against all other human opponents. In some, however, the game puts us in a team with our opponents to collect eggs together or complete other tasks. But all mini-games have one thing in common: they are incredibly fun. So much so, in fact, that even if we're the first to be eliminated, we won't be frustrated and hurl the controller at the nearest wall.
Great Mini Games - Lack of Content
The mini-games of Fall Guys are divided into three categories: Race, Survival and Team Play. In the races, you race towards the finish line (...duh) and have to overcome several obstacles on the way. These include rotating platforms, wobbling seesaws or mighty rubber hammers that fire us into the earth's orbit on contact.In survival games, all remaining participants are usually in very confined spaces and have to dodge approaching obstacles or jump over rotating poles with perfect timing - rope skipping 2.0 so to speak. Those who are particularly nasty grab their teammates at the push of a button and pull them directly into the next source of danger. It's great fun.At the end of a round you collect experience points, which you can use in the Battle Pass to unlock new outfits or designs for your Fall Guy. The community and other developers already have some great ideas for the next seasons.
TACTICAL FALL GUYS ACTIONWe've been carefully designing our ultimate #FallGuys outfits here at KONAMI UK. What do you think, @FallGuysGame? pic.twitter.com/N9OigxUzqd
— KONAMI UK (@KonamiUK) August 11, 2020
The scope of content for the first season is quite... cozy. More mini-games or new game modes would be desirable for the future, because after three to four hours of playing you've seen everything. That does not detract from the uncomplicated game fun however. Especially if you join the game show with up to three online friends.
Let's not forget: Fall Guys is still in its infancy and, according to developer Mediatonic, it will be expanded with new games, modes and options in future seasons.
Fall Guys - Verdict
We love Fall Guys for the uncomplicated gameplay and the smile that the indie title always puts on our faces. Instead of having to spend hours to find out about the best weapons, vehicles or positions, you can throw yourself right into the colorful Battle Royale turmoil and watch the colorful hustle and bustle of the comical characters.The accessible principle of the game is what makes it so appealing. The simple controls are internalized in minutes: running, jumping and maybe even throwing - that's all it takes. When 60 Fall Guys sprint towards a cardboard door, roll over each other and pull one another into the next rubber mallet... it's simply fun. Also, the random change of mini-games is a clever trick, because you never know what to expect. Still, a few more games and variety would be desirable.Fall Guys is the multiplayer surprise hit of the summer and makes you wanna pick up the controller again and again. We're already excited to see what the developers have in mind for the next seasons.PlayStation Plus subscribers should definitely download the free game, but the 20 bucks are also a good investment on PC.
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