Mediatonic has finally made the decision to make Fall Guys a free-to-play game, and this has caused a resurgence of popularity for the title. Gamers are once again running through obstacle courses and collecting eggs in Mediatonic's colorful battle royale. It has provided hours of entertainment for those who just want to have some wild fun with their friends online, but it does not offer much outside of that.
Fall Guys is a mini-game focused battle royale that takes inspiration from game shows and playground games. These mini-games range from variations of tag to large obstacle courses that see players battle it out to get to the end. The gameplay is a lot of fun, and feels like a great blend of the party game and battle royale genres. This combination of genres makes it feel like the perfect fit for classic couch co-op gameplay, but Mediatonic emphasizes online play instead. Not including a way to play a wild game such as this locally feels like a huge missed opportunity, and the developers should rectify this.
Fall Guys is a Great Party Game
Fall Guys is a battle royale like no other. Instead of throwing 100 players into a slowly shrinking map to battle it out for supremacy, the game has players progress through rounds of mini-games to see who can be the last one standing. It feels like a video game version of game shows like Wipeout, and that gives it the classic party game feel that games like Mario Party are known for. This gameplay is also accompanied by some colorful graphics that really help to set the title apart from the rest of the battle royale genre.
The mini-games on offer in Fall Guys cover a variety of different types. There are many variations of obstacle courses that see players race to the finish line while dodging giant hammers and falling balls. There are also various team-focused mini-games like Egg Scramble, Team Tail Tag, and Fall Ball. There are even more mini-games like Perfect Match, Hex-A-Gone, and Jump Showdown that offer even more unique gameplay; and that barely scratches the surface. Currently, there are more than 60 different mini-games present in the game and Mediatonic seems to be adding more with almost every season.
The way that the Fall Guys plays, and the amount of mini-games present inside of it, makes it a great party game to play with friends. Fall Guys is not too serious, and the gameplay is simple and approachable. People who have played the game know the thrill of making it to the finish line of an obstacle course at the last minute, holding on tight to another player as the ground vanishes underneath them, and holding their breath as the game tries to knock them from the platform.
Couch Co-Op Could Make Fall Guys Even Better
The concept of Fall Guys is strong, but adding couch co-op to the offerings could make it even more fun. Games like Mario Party benefit heavily from the inclusion of couch co-op because there is something special about playing a game like that on the same couch. Tension builds in the room and the players all feel the same energy as they compete for first place. This is exactly the kind of feeling that Fall Guys was built for.
Fall Guys is essentially a party game thanks to the gameplay and the amount of mini-games on offer. It is fun to compete against friends online, but it would be even more fun to do it in-person. A group of friends booting up Fall Guys on the same console could lead to all sorts of crazy moments. There would be shouting, laughing, and cheering as they fought through the courses to get the gold. Players could also bring their families through the game and create even wilder moments.
Couch co-op gives players a feeling like no other, and Fall Guys was built to take advantage of that. While it may not be in the cards currently, Mediatonic should really consider adding the feature in a future season. It has the potential to change the game and give players a reason to boot it up during family game night.
Fall Guys is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.