So I Tried... Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

Each edition of So I Tried… I will try a game that I have never tried before. Will I find something new to love? Will I find something new to despise? I'll take a full half hour, no matter how bad it gets or how badly I do, to see if this is the game for me. This time I went for the PlayStation 4 version of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout.

What I thought it was

A silly party game in which I would easily stroll to victory. I have heard not to judge a book by its cover but that’s exactly what I did with Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. With its sugary aesthetic and cute characters I thought this would be an adorable and easy game. After trying hard in prevalent Battle Royale games such as Call of Duty: Warzone and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds I looked forward to sitting back and enjoying an easy-going experience in Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout.

What it actually is

A chaotic free-for-all sure to induce rage if you’re known to have a competitive streak. Between junky jumps, being pushed off ledges, slipping off see-saws, and a whole manner of bullshit I soon realised how deceiving the sugary aesthetic is. In spite of this, it’s also the most fun I’ve had gaming online with my friends in 2020. Fall Guys will have you euphoric and bursting with laughter one minute and then in a fit of rage the next.  

Alas, the rage is very short-lived. Fall Guys is far more competitive than I anticipated but I couldn’t help but have so much damn fun playing it. It’s a game that had me bursting out laughing as my friends and I traversed through the varied courses in the game. 

Will I keep playing

Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout successfully blends together a competitive Battle Royale with fun party games akin to those seen in TV shows like Ninja Warrior and Total Wipeout. In a year plagued by the bleakness brought about by COVID-19, Fall Guys has provided me with welcome relief with its competitive yet extremely fun gameplay and the laughter it induces. With regular updates planned, I can see myself playing Fall Guys quite regularly for the foreseeable future.