Fall Guys (2020)

I was hoping they'd do another thing where they give bonus EXP for the last week of the season.

I don't usually care about achievements in games but I feel somewhat compelled to reach level 40, because I did in season 1. But that was when the game was new and fresh, I have much less desire to hit it now. I'm at 32 so I'm not even that close.

They've added a limited time "Hard Mode" show, which features the hardest variations of lots of levels.

The variations are a bit harder, but what actually makes it hard is that the type of person likely to queue for it is, on average, a better player.

I can play the same exact way I would in normal mode and be middle/back of the pack, when I'd normally be a frontrunner.

I got a 7-person Fall Mountain where the 7 of us were just neck and neck the entire time, except me whose character randomly tripped coming off the initial platform. The other 6 all reached the crown at the same time and I was 3 steps behind. Because hard mode filtered it so that everyone was good.

I only played this game solo, which is a mistake. It's likely best enjoyed with friends. I found myself very frustrated with the controls specifically the grab controls. I'm no strangers to platformers and this mechanic just didn't work for me. Sometimes I could drag a box quickly and other times it would be stuck for no reason. Sometimes I would grab the ledge and pull myself up other times I would grab the ledge and fall for no reason or hit the ledge and bounce off. Although timing can account for some failed instances, it often felt random whether it would work or not. It wasn't long before the mini-games got repetitive, which would be fine if winning or losing many of them, especially the non-race ones, didn't feel like you just had to get lucky. I guess they probably wanted to even the playing field by not making the mini-games need dependent on skill to succeed. That's fair, but not my type of game. Lastly, they should evenly randomize the level selection instead of having people play certain maps over and over and some barely ever. I swear to God if I have to play that knight race one more time!

I had fun with it at first but the bumbling move mechanics and repetitive nature of the game quickly grew old. Would be open to trying with buddies in the future.

I haven't had access to my PC for most of the year this year, but now I do and can finally catch up on all that everyone's been talking about. This was my first go-to and I'm definitely not disappointed. I think it's so great to have a non-violent, colorful game like this in the world of online competitive multiplayer titles, especially one that mechanically stands out from the pack so much and is available outside Nintendo consoles.

Speaking of Nintendo, this game feels to me like an evolution of what Mario Party could become -- it's structurally very different, but it captures the same kind of feeling, and if I were Nintendo, I would look very hard at this and see a glimpse of how I could make online Mario Party into the next big streaming sensation.

Not something I'll play for hours at a time, but I like it quite a bit.

While conceptually I like this game, the more I play it the less I like it in practice.

I’ve also started to think that the attempts to level the playing field don’t really work. As several of us continue to play I increasingly notice that players with greater skill or experience at platforming tend to fare better in the solo rounds. This isn’t quite like Mario Party, something I compared it to earlier in the week. There isn’t enough to make this fun or worthwhile for less skilled players. People I’ve played with have already expressed that it’s just too hard.

I don’t particularly enjoy the gameplay loop of battle royale games. I don’t enjoy the fact that you chip away at levels to unlock cosmetics because the actual gameplay isn’t compelling enough to captivate me for more than a few minutes each day. I can’t sit and play this for hours because I simply don’t find it fun enough to do that. There are plenty of games that I can lose myself in, but Fall Guys is just not one of them. There isn’t enough variation to keep me coming back. Again, maybe it would be fun with other people in local co-op. One of my favourite things to play in co-op are the battle stages of the LittleBigPlanet racing game, funny enough. There are only a handful of the levels, and so variation isn’t that great yet I love playing that game with other people in co-op. Even if that game is repetitive, having the added layer of playing with someone in the room with you makes the difference. Getting back to Fall Guys, I don’t have the patience to sit through enough levels to unlock all the cosmetics. I love cosmetics in games but if the only thing I achieve by playing this game is unlocking more cosmetics, it doesn’t feel worthwhile.

I suspect this game will continue to do well over time, especially if they keep it fresh. I’m probably not going to write and actual review based on my experience because this game will evolve over time and maybe I’ll feel different in future.

Fall Guys is rewarding fans for dealing with launch issues

On Twitter, the official Fall Guys account announced that anyone who opened up the game before midnight on Aug. 13 would get 5,000 kudos — Fall Guys’ in-game currency — along with a special cactus-themed skin. The skin, Mediatonic says, is a variant on a different costume created by the winner of a contest held in February. Each month, a new, fan-developed skin will be introduced to the game.

Bonkers game that is pretty hilarious to play and watch. But I think, after playing a bit now that I ultimately feel it’s not for me. I love the zany energy, but the lack of local co-op means it’s just not what I’m looking for when it comes to this type of game.

That’s not a knock against the game, because I recognize that what I’d prefer is not what this game is. The devs have something else in mind entirely and I can respect that. I do think it’s a fresh take on the battle royale, which is very welcome. But when it comes to playing quirky games like this I’d rather do it with a group of people who are all in the same room so we can feed of each other’s energy. Laughing about the the goofy antics together is very rewarding, and I miss that aspect with Fall Guys.

My partner and I took turns playing and had some laughs but It didn’t have the same draw as playing something together. We will probably continue to play for a bit and also play with my brother via party play on PS4, but I don’t see us sticking with it for long.

It’s a great game for those who love the battle royale formula and who also want something that isn’t another map full of shrinking circles and gunplay. It’s chaotic and crazy and kind of stupid in all the best ways. I’m glad it exists and am happy I got to play it but I’m sticking to good old Gang Beasts to get a similar goofy experience on a more intimate, small scale, level.

Think the game is great. Love the chaotic first rounds and the control scheme suits the game well Its all about fumbling. Its an obstacle course game at the end of the day. Servers are struggling but that's to be expected with a popular game upon initial release. It just needs to be fixed soon. Also lag needs to be sorted. I've lost Fall Mountain a couple of times now despite grabbing the crown first.

I've given the game 3-5 but I would give it 4/5 if the servers were fixed and team rounds were separated. How about free for all rounds only and then a mixed mode. I just hate the team modes. Every time I'm eliminated prior to the final its in a team round because of a terrible team.

Controls feel mushy and unresponsive, I keep losing track of my character since everyone looks the same, the camera needs some work, the outcome of the mini-games feels like a complete coin toss (whether I win or lose) and I keep getting the same ones over and over.

It's neat to see a new take on the Battle Royale craze, but once the initial charm of the game's pandemonium wore off, I found it pretty dull. 🤷‍♂️