When people usually hear the words “battle royale,” they immediately think of games like Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. But Devolver Digital and the developers at Mediatonic look to change that with their wacky, all-ages competition game, Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout.
Initially introduced late last year, the game plays out like a wacky episode of the long-lost series MXC: Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, just with odd-looking characters. The goal? Make your way through a series of rounds until you have a chance to grab the crown and be the winner of the competition. It’s easier said than done, though.
Round by round
First off, Fall Guys‘ rules are different for each round, as they’re based on competitive mini-games where only the “top dogs” survive. For instance, in the first round that we tried out, we had to make our way through a series of doors before reaching the finish line. The only problem, however, is that some of the doors won’t open. Burst through the right ones, on the other hand, and you could easily score enough of a victory to move on.
The next round was an interesting take on tag. Instead of simply touching opponents to make them “it,” though, you would instead try to grab their tail to call it your own. However, by doing so, you become susceptible to them grabbing your tail, and you want to make sure you end the round with one.
It’s all about hilarious competition
In the following round, we discovered a team-based affair. Teams of Fall Guys players tried to gather as many eggs as possible for their goal. Granted, rival players could try to sabotage them and get the eggs for themselves. You could also grab the mysterious “golden eggs” for more points. The team with the most points at the end of the round moved on to the final competition.
After that, it was an all-out foot race for the crown. It’s an uphill battle – literally. You made your way up the ramp, dodging rolling obstacles that popped out of a mountain in the distance. You also had to watch out for spinning fans that could either knock us forward or backward. The one to grab the crown first was the victor.
Fall Guys works with a simple control style. You can jump, grab items (like eggs or opponents’ tails), and dive. In the end, it all comes together remarkably well, especially when 100 players enter the fray to see who will come out on top for the crown. It’s an equally skilled game, so there are no advantages for any player no matter how you design them.
Last goober standing
In addition, Mediatonic has also included a fun presentation with Fall Guys. The characters are hilarious and provide their own level of personality, even when they kind of look alike with skins. And the environments for each of the mini-games are vibrant and bubbly, especially the final chase for the crown. You can see trouble coming from a mile away and still have to work your way towards it.
The party will certainly be on when Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout arrives later this year. Fortnite it may not be, but its take on “battle royale” looks to be something worth, ahem, falling for. Watch out the trailer above, and check it out on Steam.
