It’s official: I’ve fallen for Fall Guys.
Summer is almost over. I’ve spent most of it taking on writing projects, biding my time until I’m called back to work.
My drive to be a contributing member of society had caused me skirt the fringes of writing burnout, so I’ve eased up on my hustle in August to try this addictive new game on the PS4.
What is Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout?
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is a battle royale online game that pits you against 59 other opponents in a series of minigames akin to what you might see in Mario Party. After every round, a certain number of players are eliminated, until the final few duke it out for ultimate dominance, the coveted winning crown, or “The Dub”, if you will.
All us other losers (or L’s) are forced to smash the exit button as fast as possible so we can restart another game. It’s addictive, it’s frustrating…and it’s honestly the most fun I’ve had in this COVID-19 social distancing world.
I’ve been trying to pinpoint what makes Fall Guys so popular. Is it the chubby little customizable bean-shaped guys that resemble deformed versions of Nintendo’s Shy Guys? Or perhaps it’s the catchy, upbeat music that accompanies each stage? Maybe it’s the stages themselves, each candy-coated level oh-so-simple to play but balls-to-the-wall difficult to master?
No, I don’t think it’s any of those things. Well, actually, I believe it’s a combination of all of those factors, but I think the real reason Fall Guys has taken off to become the surprise hit of the summer is that it allows people to express all their pent up frustrations about the massive L that is the year 2020.
Many of us have spent months cooped up inside, hungry for any form of interaction (yes, even the introverts). We crave the sensation of a virtual crowd, one that we can be a part of without subjecting ourselves to the dreaded ‘rona.
At the same time, we also want to express our rage on the situation in a healthy manner. What better way to vent our pent-up emotions than to push and shove an anonymous jelly-bean shaped victim into an enormous pit of pink slime.
You are not social distancing! Where is your mask? Don’t give me that garbage that you can’t breathe properly or that you’ve “done your time” with wearing a face covering! Stay home and stop breathing on me!!
All this comes out in a slightly modified diatribe where I am yet again eliminated, although my rage quits often distill into something that would make the Angry Video Game Nerd blush.
And that’s honestly what I think the success of Fall Guys boils down to. People simultaneously sick of crowds but also nostalgic for being a part of one without fearing for one’s life.
Perhaps someday we will be able to attend a concert or an outdoor festival and enjoy each other’s company beyond the cold computer screen of a Zoom meeting.
Until then, I’m going to continue to chase that Fall Guys crown and scream at the next bastard in a wolf suit that tries to shove me as I try to qualify for the next round.
What do you think? Have you played Fall Guys: Ultimate Showdown yet? What is your favourite mini-game? And how the heck do you travel across those foam columns in Slime Climb? Seriously, I’ve died like a million times on this cursed level.
Leave your comments below!