25 Aug
Blog

Fall Guys Review: A Battle Royale For A New Age

Fall Guys Key Art

Fall Guys Review: A Battle Royale For A New Age

"Fall Guys is a family-friendly battle royale and a contender for Game of the Year."

  • Addicting gameplay

  • Familyfriendly

  • Good balance between luck and skill

  • Well structured microtransactions

It's hard to imagine that someone wouldn't fall in love with Fall Guys, a new battle royale that overcomes its shortcomings by offering a unique experience in the genre. The colorful world, charming character designs and rich cosmetics will bring much-needed joy to every gamer.

Unfortunately, the game has some growing issues too, as its immense popularity collided with the fact that its developer, Mediatonic, only has 13 employees. The team has worked tirelessly to iron out bugs, some of which have made certain game types unplayable for a select few players. That said, some of the minor quirks add to the game's charm, and by that I mean, I keep coming back even if I don't think I have a chance to win.

The first family-friendly battle royale

Fall guys seesawProvided by Devolver Digital

Fall Guys takes inspiration from a variety of sources, but its biggest influences are Wipeout-style TV game shows. Each game or “show” to which the game relates consists of several rounds. Each round is designed to shrink the group of 60 players until there is only one left. While many Battle Royale confrontations can last up to half an hour, depending on the skill of a player, a show in Fall Guys only lasts between 10 and 15 minutes, resulting in an addicting “just one” experience.

I keep coming back even when I don't think I have a chance to win.

The titular Fall guys are the anthropomorphic brightly colored beans that are at the heart of the game. Players can unlock cosmetics through an experienced “Battle Pass” as well as kudos, a game currency that can also be bought with real money and used to purchase additional patterns, colors and costumes for your fall man. There are tons of customization options to choose from so that every character in the game is unique and distinguishable.

Some cosmetics require a premium currency called crowns, although you can't buy it with real money. Crowns are either made available through a select few levels on the Season's Battle Pass, or they are awarded for every show you win. In almost every other battle royale, winning just gets you boastful rights and a points boost. There's more incentive here to win at Fall Guys, making every win even sweeter and every loss more bitter. Overall, Fall Guys has one of the best monetization schemes I've seen in a game so far, and it doesn't feel like Mediatonic and publisher Devolver Digital are keeping you on your toes for better cosmetics.

All of these elements make for the first family-friendly battle royale. To the best of my knowledge, it's the first game in the genre where players don't have to shoot each other to win. Many titles are aimed at an older audience, like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Call of Duty: Warzone, and some are aimed at younger players like Fortnite, but none offer the all-age experience that Fall Guys offers.

Far more hits than failures

Fall Boys Hit ParadeProvided by Devolver Digital

Making the game even more accessible to a wider player base is the simplicity of its controls. Aside from moving your character, all you have to worry about is jumping, diving, and grasping. There's no burden to manage or meta-gameplay like building in Fortnite or buying gear in Warzone to deal with. Most cards require all three skills to be used. On the surface, this seems to result in very flat gameplay. The more you play, the more you will find certain strategies and ways to use certain moves that may not have been apparent at first glance.

Fall Guys has one of the best monetization schemes I've seen in a game so far.

For example, in Fall Ball, one of my personal favorites, two teams compete in a Rocket League-style game that tries to hit footballs into the opposing team's goal. At first glance, the only strategy seems to be to jump and dive to hit the ball. However, players began to develop defensive maneuvers by reaching out to opponents to prevent them from reaching the ball at crucial moments. Moves like these show that there is a learning curve in mastering the mechanics of Fall Guys and that there is plenty of room for your skills to grow.

Most of the games are a ton of fun, and personally there are only one or two that I moan about when they show up on the rotation. There are individual and team rounds, each with different goals. Some games will ask you to run to the finish while avoiding obstacles or trying not to be eliminated. Others will ask you to meet certain criteria before a timer expires. There's a lot of variety, which means that each show takes a completely different course.

The team has promised additional levels and cosmetics with each season and has added a new round since the start. However, it would be nice if the games that are out there could be easily customized to create a unique experience. The See Saw level, in which tumble boys race across huge platforms on which the players have to balance, could have a rotation of the placements for the platforms. Instead, it's the same layout for the level at every store. Adjustments like this can make 25 cards feel like hundreds.

Regardless, the game types are fun and haven't exhausted their reception except for Perfect Match. It shows players in a 4 × 4 grid and shows sporadic images of fruit on a handful of the tiles before revealing which fruit players players must stand on before the remaining tiles disappear after a handful of seconds. The game completely ruins the momentum of the show and is easy to go through as you can usually just follow the herd up to the correct tiles. I've been in Perfect Match games where no participants were eliminated. It is hands down the worst type of game.

Fall guys raceProvided by Devolver Digital

Backend problems

The real problems with Fall Guys, however, lie in the backend. For the first week, the game was littered with server issues due to its popularity. This meant that many players were unable to connect and the servers for the game were routinely shut down for maintenance. Even if you got into a game, sometimes the rounds would not be playable.

The game Tip Toe, which asks you to use a large grid of tiles to get to the finish line – some for sure, others collapse if you step on it – had a groundbreaking bug for me in the first two weeks of its release. If I moved too fast, I would slide as if the tiles were covered in oil and would constantly fall off the board. Despite my best efforts, I never won a single game of Tip Toe before resolving the issue.

Many of these issues have been fixed and the servers are far more stable than when they were started. However, they are not 100% present, which means that occasionally you may not be able to connect. Last night the connectivity was so bad it was almost like we were playing again on start day. In addition, some massive bugs were not eliminated. In the PC version, players found a way to change the game through their Steam name. Players can see the names of the participants at any time and certain monikers that contain certain words are displayed in giant letters, obscuring the game. So when you play on the PC your name is Fall Guy and it follows four random numbers.

This is especially frustrating if you're playing at a party that up to four players can jump from on a show. When a player is eliminated, he is showing them gameplay of a random Fall Guy, not necessarily one in your party. When everyone is just "Fall Guy ____" it is awkward to switch the camera to the desired person's point of view. Hopefully both this issue and the automatic switch to a party member's perspective will be fixed in the next update, although with such a small team at MediaTonic it is understandable that these issues have not yet been resolved.

However, it is evidence of the game that despite these blatant issues, it is still an experience I have no hesitation in recommending. It has become one of my favorite games of the year.

The zeitgeist around the game adds to the fun

Fall Guys See SawProvided by Devolver Digital

One element outside of the game itself that improves it is its popularity. The game was released in a similar way to Rocket League in that it is free for PlayStation Plus subscribers for a while. There is evidence that more than 10 million people play the game on PlayStation 4. In addition, both the regular and the collector's edition of the PC version have been at the top of the Steam sales charts since launch. It is one of the most, if not often, most watched games on Twitch right now, with hundreds of thousands of viewers.

It is proof of the game that despite glaring issues, it is still an experience I have no hesitation in recommending.

Everyone on my social media is talking about the game and sharing clips of incredible wins or devastating losses. The Fall Guys Twitter account killed him with his posts and is currently auctioning in-game cosmetics to the highest bidder for charity.

The zeitgeist surrounding the game is abundant and it is a joy to be a part of what cannot normally be said about most games. It means you shouldn't wait to play, although the game seems to have many legs for the months and years to come.

Our opinion

Fall Guys is the game of the moment and one of the best titles to be released in 2020.

Is there a better alternative?

There are certainly plenty of other battle royale games out there, none of which are as accessible to such a large number of players as Fall Guys. Super Mario Party is another fun mini-game collection that has the advantage of being on the Switch but is a lackluster experience compared to almost any other type.

How long it will take?

The nice thing about Fall Guys is: how long should it take? I sat down for a game or two or played several hours at a time. The game is still just as much fun, if not more, than my first few rounds. Given the new cosmetics and levels, as well as the growing community surrounding the game, I can confidently say that Fall Guys will stay here.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The nice thing is that if you have PS Plus that you need to play on PS4 anyway, the game will be free until the end of August. The $ 40 price tag on Steam will bring you hours of fun, and the DLC packs that are optional come with some great cosmetics. Do not miss this game.

Editor's recommendations




02 Apr
Blog

Call of Duty: Warzone Review: The Definitive Battle Royale

Call of Duty Warzone Duos squads leaked trio

Call of Duty: Warzone Review: Looting the Competition

"Call of Duty: Warzone is the final Battle Royale experience right now."

  • Enough unique aspects to stand out from the crowd

  • Decades of foundation ensure a solid experience

  • The looting mode is a welcome surprise

  • Position audio is somewhat overblown

  • Existing players may have a small charging advantage

After an embarrassing number of rumors and leaks, Call of Duty reentered the Battle Royale scene with Warzone for the second time. a free portion of the larger 2019 release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

The first attempt to get on the train with the heavily marketed blackout was largely forgotten in the weeks after it started. Activision, probably worried about trying again, then sold its next annual shooter release without mentioning the mode that would eventually fill the empty space in its main menu.

However, Warzone doesn't just refer to the game's belated Battle Royale experience. A separate mode called Plunder is also available and could turn out to be the next big thing.

Since the advent of PUBG and Fortnite, the industry has been practically floating in Battle Royale variants. I wouldn't blame you for having all Battle Royale titles created equally, but the industry knows that blatant imitators don't float. Not if you need large numbers of players to get a single game going. Those who survive stick to the defining characteristics of the genre: around a hundred players struggle to be the last to be on a battlefield that is gradually shrinking to the size of your average community allocation.

Warzone sticks to that, but brings decades of industrial polish and a few new ideas to the table.

Good morning Verdansk!

In the Warzone version of Battle Royale, the usual limit of 100 people is increased to 150 to allow the three-man team to line up. Just like EA's response with Apex Legends, Activision seems to be pushing for longevity through social interaction. The more the better and all of that. Camping is not a good spectator sport, and the bigger the squad, the more likely a hot-headed soldier will go against the grain. Pressing a forced group scenario won't help the scared lone wolf, but a "Mute All" button is clearly visible to rule out all of this potential negative energy.

CoD Warzone fall

Solo mode was introduced in a post-release patch, but since it can be removed at any time, get ready to roll the dice in a squad queue at some point in your career. After all, you can't expect every player to want their time to be at the command of a predetermined team. Form a ready-made strategy if you are looking for a maritime strategy and fraternal pats on the back and are concerned only with the fact that games are for some entertainment. no job.

What will help the conscious player, however, are the numerous respawn options that are available after taking a few too many on the chest. Squads can take seriously injured teammates, but even if you succumb to your injuries, it doesn't mean you're not in the game. Step into the bucket and you'll be taken to the Gulag – a card that current Modern Warfare players are undoubtedly aware of – to win their freedom in a one-on-one game. The loadouts are chosen randomly each time. So you have to change your usual duel tactics to have a chance of winning. Live and you get a second chance on the field. Waste your chances or fall again, and surviving allies can throw some cash into a local donor box to bring you back again.

Competition creates innovation

The battle royale genre secured a place in the video game's hall of fame through its survival aspect at a time when sandbox survival simulations were making decent numbers. The idea that death means death resonated with those tired of the running and weapon tactics of most online shooters. It is interesting to see that competitors are gradually deciding to upset the delicate balance of the genre, but this second chance mechanic should make a huge contribution to promoting player loyalty.

CoD Warzone Bullet Trails

Without a ranking season, top players will always mix with the less experienced and relative newcomers, so the 99% have little hope of ending a game. Where is it fun to step into the bucket faster than is required to load a lobby? What Call of Duty has done here doesn't seem to be in the best interests of the professionals, but in reality it's a way to give the less competitive people a reason to stay with them. Big esports players don't rely on respawns to get to the top. The only thing that should do this is to give more people the chance to enjoy the action while filling up the champions' points.

Constantly supplying the grinder with meat is not the only thing Warzone does to mix up the well-known formula. Do you feel selfish or don't you have a buddy who brings you back to life? With this money, you can collect your favorite killstreaks, extra ammo, or even extra armor if you expect a big brawl. The unpredictable nature of long-range killstreaks, drawn from nowhere, will prove to be just as annoying as any regular match, but it's hard to deny that gameplay spices that buy killstreaks can add to the otherwise predictable experience. Battle Royale fanatics have worked out a carefully orchestrated script for success over the years, and anything that shakes the status quo will give Warzone a definite reason to coexist with the established titles over time. And there is more to it than that.

CoD Warzone weapons

Loadouts that come into play regularly reward a high-risk play style. They are similar to airdrops in the well-known Battle Royale titles, but they do not offer random, high-quality loot that everyone can argue about, but a selection of predefined loadouts, complete kits with combat-ready tools and equipment to get you back in the fight. Warzone, like the others, also offers tiered loot. It is not immediately clear what rarity one weapon has over another, but expect those found in caches scattered around the site to have more accessories than the average assault rifle.

Finally, there are contracts and missions that you can find on site and that can be completed for a bit more money on the road. These mark targets (such as loot caches or even enemy squads) on the map and give the teams even more reasons to risk life and limb outdoors and actively look for ways to start a fight. Exploration is a big part of the Battle Royale experience, and Warzone is doing everything in its power to facilitate and promote the outbreak of violence. It sounds stressful, but it's another reason why I see it as an advantage over the competition when it comes to engaging players and viewers. It is rarely boring.

Looting is not a mistake

Aside from the Battle Royale aspect, there is another 50% of the Warzone experience – and that's the best part. At a time when we can't take two steps without falling from a plane into a life or death battle over a desert island, Plunder is here to offer something completely unique. The best parts of modes like Kill Confirmed and Search & Destroy are required to offer a huge cat and mouse game in the same expansive environment as its older siblings.

CoD Warzone locations

You won't find that many players in this mode, but it's the best. Groups of three players fall on the island (with their full loads) and sprint to get cash and deposit it for safe keeping. This is done by expensive balloons or by risking everything with a helicopter pickup. If you die in cash on yourself, a substantial amount will be deducted with the aim of securing the best before the long timer expires. Respawns are activated here. While you don't want to die and drop your money for the most part, it isn't the end of the world if you have some gross spawns.

It's like The Weakest Link, only Anne Robinson has a gun.

Just like in Battle Royale mode, there is a lot going on to advance the match. Contracts are everywhere, helicopters can be shot for big splashes of money, you can raid your enemies' wallets, and there is huge amounts of money stowed in caches scattered around the map. To improve competitiveness, top earners pinged their locations on the map throughout the game, resulting in a messy pursuit that will undoubtedly result in the types of montages you'll only see in a hype trailer before release . Rather than fear for your own life at every step, fear for the money you couldn't throw into a helicopter or fancy balloon. It's like The Weakest Link, only Anne Robinson has a gun.

Like it or not, the Battle Royale "madness" is unlikely to go anywhere. Each. The good news here, at least, is that Activision's second try is currently one of the best – not only because of what it adds to the genre, but also because of the foundation on which it is based. PUBG, the one who triggered this whole gold mine rush, is still struggling with groundbreaking errors and inconsistent spatial audio cues three years after its release. Warzone has largely avoided these audio problems with the exception of a few thundering steps in a skyscraper.

With nearly two decades of releases, Call of Duty had the foundation for the perfect Battle Royale experience long before the idea became mainstream – Activision just had to show it some love. There is a reason why the series attracts the trigger-minded player type. It just nailed the feeling of firing a round. It's not quite as authentic as Battlefield, but it's clear that Activision's rotating developer teams have developed an addictive sense of shooting over the years that ensures that most players know what to expect before they do take the plunge. It's tense, but fair and oh so rewarding.

Conclusion

Our opinion

I'm inclined to say Call of Duty: Warzone is currently the final Battle Royale experience. I'm not afraid to say that Activision used the best of Call of Duty's extensive history to create a more complete Battle Royale experience, but Plunder is currently the standout piece of the package, and I'm a firm believer in it is convinced that in the near future it will not only become a popular pastime for fans, but also an integral part of the Twitch and Mixer websites.

Is there a better alternative out there?

It won't appeal to the Fortnite builders out there. Neither will it reach those who enjoy the slower pace and survival-oriented practicality of something like PUBG. But if you are looking for a serious shooter with a real shine, this is the one for you.

How long it will take?

Hopefully as long as the other big names in the game right now. Both modes appear to be specifically designed for spectator sports where the money should flow into development. Given the experience that existing Call of Duty weapons and maps are used to flesh this out, we can't be sure how much new content will come, but since Activision is always working hard on the next iteration of the series we hope that Warzone will borrow from his brothers in the coming years.

Should you buy it

It's free. Its value as a product cannot be compared. Given that trying the closest competitor (PUBG) still costs a penny or two, this is a no-brainer for those who want to take part in the latest and greatest role. The only thing that stands in your way is a long download.

Editor's recommendations