On 4th August 2020, Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout released on Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4. At the beginning of the game’s cycle, it felt like everybody was playing it. YouTubers such as VanossGaming, Miniminter and DanTDM flocked to the game, aiding its popularity. Then – after several weeks – Fall Guys‘ player counts reduced, with gamers switching to Among Us or growing bored.
During its first season of content, Fall Guys had server issues, making it difficult to get into lobbies. The game was also released with just 25 rounds. This may sound like a lot, but before long you would have played the likes of “Dizzy Heights” and “Gate Crash” countless times. Fast forward to just over one year later, and Fall Guys is seemingly popular once again, and there is good reason for this.
Currently, there are 53 rounds to play – a major increase that adds to Fall Guys’ replayablilty. The original 25 rounds generally had the same aesthetic running through, with pink, blue and yellow as the key colours. Recurring obstacles also followed. With the 28 that have followed, colour schemes, objectives and obstacles have significantly varied. This is partially because Fall Guys has seasons for its content. From seasons two to five. we have medieval, winter, futuristic and jungle maps added, respectively, all of which require different skills from players.
Medieval-themed levels mostly offer slight variations on the original rounds, with similar objectives for the most part. With “Hoopsie Legends” and “Wall Guys”, the mechanic to move ramps and blocks is the most significant addition – other small obstacles are placed within the new rounds. It is only when we get to the winter levels that we see significant changes. With season three, the ice physics are decent; fans and giant snowballs make their entrance and create some very interesting rounds. Then, we have season four, which again offers rounds that are variations of the original rounds, using mechanics that change gravity. Finally, there is season five, which introduces lily pads you can bounce on and robotic rhinos that can push you off maps. Essentially, one year after its release, Fall Guys has significantly more content.
Fortunately, the rounds of season one are not forgotten in the recent updates. You can play variations of the earliest rounds, with slight changes to the obstacles to increase the challenge. Rounds such as “Perfect Match” and “Roll Out” benefit massively from this. It is a welcome mechanic that added replayability to the original rounds, making them even more fun. Also, you can play all of the rounds as a team of two or four with friends or random players. It’s a fantastic addition because if eliminated out of a round, you would have to watch your friends progress and play. Now, working as a team, you play to keep everyone in the game, with average points dictating the teams that progress.
Fall Guys has developed a lot in the space of one year. They have responded well to connection and lobby issues to ensure everybody with internet can play. It is not a game I can play for hours on end, but playing a few games provides a lot of fun, especially if I’m playing a good variety of rounds. Costumes are seemingly endless at this point, and eventually, the rounds will feel like this too. We have yet to see the best that Fall Guys can offer, but it is going in the right direction