Not to blow my own trumpet, but when Fall Guys released on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, members of TheXboxHub looked to me to guide them to victory. Having been playing it sporadically since it first released on PlayStation 4, I had a lot more experience than others. Turns out though, that experience in Fall Guys counts for precisely nought. Those that I took under my wings – my padawans you could say – have all gone on to win games and claim crowns. I however, after over two years, still sit here winless.
Having been a cultural phenomenon since that PlayStation 4 release in 2020, Fall Guys arrives on Xbox, fully revamped. Transitioning to a free-to-play title – complete with microtransactions and Season Passes – it has had a second wind and is rightfully having players fall in love, and back in love, with its addictive premise.
In Fall Guys, you play as a six-foot tall cartoon bean in a gameshow that is an equal mixture of It’s a Knockout, Takeshi’s Castle, Total Wipeout and all those other physical game shows that existed before the health and safety fun police arrived. You progress through rounds in order to reach the final round, claim victory and earn yourself a shiny crown.
At least, in theory.
Unless in a themed event, there is you and fifty-nine others in this party game battle royale. But unlike other battle royales, there are no guns, shrinking arenas or building mechanics. Each round will whittle down this number of beans using races, survival, logic or the dreaded team games until only a few remain to take on the final round. Be the fastest, longest, smartest or luckiest bean and you will claim the victory.
Fall Guys is a very simple game to pick up and play. Each round can be easily described with just a few words on screen, and if you are still struggling, follow the bean crowd and you should be alright. Aside from having a button to jump and another to dive, there is one other button needed and that is for grabbing items, including other beans when necessary. It’s easy to learn, putting you straight in with a chance of winning. And this elevates it way above other, more demanding battle royale games.
Winning a crown is the icing on the cake though. As frustrating as Fall Guys can be at times when you get caught on an obstacle or take one too many watermelons to the face, it is never not an absolute joy to play.
Each previous season brought with it some new games, and this Free For All season is no exception. Seven new rounds have been introduced across all types. New races in the form of Track Attack and Speed Circuit, survival rounds like The Swiveller and Hex-a-Ring alongside others including a new final round called Blast Ball. A further new round has been announced for later on in the season, could this be the rumoured Sonic the Hedgehog stage?
Fret not though, all the old favourites are still present. Events from all previous seasons are included, in varying degrees of frequency. You can see how things have progressed too: When starting out on original rounds such as Door Dash and Gate Crash these arenas just appear to be in a void. Later seasons bring more adventurous level designs such as ice or jungle themes, right up to these new levels that have you performing in front of huge bean crowds. That’s not to say the original levels aren’t still classics – they are – but they could do with a bit of a touch up.
And for a game so silly and fun, the soundtrack absolutely slaps. With each new season, new tracks are composed by Jukio Kallio and Daniel Hagström, and they have knocked it out of the park again. The main theme this time around features the same audio motifs but comes complete with an organ breakdown section and honestly, it has no right being this epic.
Veteran players will notice the changes made to the Fall Guys infrastructure and economy. For many new players though, it looks exactly as most free-to-play titles do nowadays. Battle Passes, various currencies, in-game shop; it is all here. Prices are in-line with what you would expect also; microtransaction prices currently range from £3.19 to £63.99.
Fall Guys is unlike anything you will play. It is highly addictive, the beans are cute, but the game is incredibly intense – particularly if you manage to make it to a final round. It is also a blast with friends. It is equal parts infuriating and hilarious, annoying and exhilarating, and will likely be one of the factors for my early death. It’s the most fun you can have without taking your clothes off.
Do I love Fall Guys? Yes. Do I hate Fall Guys? Yes. Am I ever going to win a crown? Unlikely, but I’ll keep trying, to the detriment of my health. If you have yet to try Fall Guys, I thoroughly recommend that you do. But when it becomes the most stressful yet fun game you’ve ever played, well, I did warn you.
Be the last bean standing in Fall Guys on Xbox
