Now introducing the most devastating, merciless, and cutthroat battle royale title ever devised from the creators of… No, wait. This must be a typo. It isn’t? Alright. *Ahem* From the creators of Hatoful Boyfriend. For real though, Fall Guys is a new online multiplayer game that distills Takeshi’s Castle and American Ninja Warrior into a cute, cuddly, and absolutely delightful experience.
I had a chance to chat with the Fall Guys team and try out the game at Devolver Digital’s infamous Airstream lot at E3, and I adore it.
Part Fusion Frenzy, part Gang Beasts, all good times. Fall Guys is about silly, low stakes fun that still encourages friendly competition and self expression. The final game is set to include a plethora of customization options including untold numbers of crazy hats and outfits, so your Fall Guy can be just as unique as you. After kitting out my Guy with sweet blue lightning bolt pyjamas, we entered the fray with a classic slam into this door that might locked game. Even though there were only and few humans in the match, the lighthearted atmosphere amongst groans of despair was super refreshing. I felt pressure to win, certainly, but falling behind felt a-ok too. I could see this game generating a really supportive and friendly community thanks that ‘we’re all in this together’ tone.
Subsequent mini games had players stealing tails from one another in an arena full of moving platforms and spinning hammers. The controls are exceedingly simple, but effective – it feels a bit like Little Big Planet, with cuddly jellybean people bouncing around. The physics are far from realistic, and well into painfully cute territory.
No word on modes and numbers of games at this point, but I’d bet on a strong variety of both online and couch friendly options. I mean, the stated genre of the game on press materials is Online Multiplayer Fiesta. How could that be anything but fun?
I love gritty, realistic drama at least as much as the next guy, but spending a few short minutes in the Fall Guys playground (sitting in a beanbag I might add) felt fantastic. From nowhere, it’s finding its way onto my list of must play games next year.
