Originally released in February 2020, Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout was given to PlayStation Plus members for free as a monthly gift but is now free to play for everyone. At first, its bright colors and fun theme make you think that this game is probably just another kids’ game. However, this game has garnered a lot of attention on social media, and people have been raving about it ever since.
The game is a 60-player battle royale. You’ll participate in multiple random minigames against other players to see who can make it to the end of each level first.
Further reading
Menu options
When first booting up the game, you’ll notice that it sort of just throws you in. There are a few pages of tutorial info, but it’s also easy to just skip through and head straight in. The main menu provides a lot of options that become more apparent as the game goes on. You can press R1 to toggle between different menus.
Of course, the first button you run across on the main menu is Play. Here, you can press Triangle to invite your friends to play and X to begin. The next page is clothing, where you can see what your character has in his closet. This way, you can dress them as ridiculously as possible.
There’s also the accomplishments menu. As you win games and keep playing, your character will be awarded purple kudos. Each time your character gets to a new level, you’ll be awarded either clothing, colors, or patterns to change up what your character looks like.
The kudos and crowns you win per game and leveling up can be spent in the shop. There’s a time limit as to how long items stay in the shop. So if you see something in there that you like, and you have the kudos and crowns to get it, be sure to pick that item up!
Know your buttons
The buttons are a little odd to get used to in this game for two reasons. The first is that there are shockingly few buttons to press. You might expect there to be more buttons than there are, but you will be surprised that there are only three. The second is because it can be easy to forget which buttons to press for what. You might keep pressing Circle to try to dive, for example. Although you can change the buttons in settings, they are simple enough to get used to quickly.
The jump button is pretty easy; simply press X to jump. To dive, hit Square, and to grab other players, press R2 or the equivalent based on your platform.
Grabbing other players is a great way to get them to slow down or to throw them off of levels. Throwing characters is a great way to ensure your own victory. It’s also a great way to stop other players from winning when you know you won’t be able to as well.
Dive can also be an essential button that you shouldn’t forget. You can dive over obstacles or opponents or make a final rush for the finish line.
Different levels require different approaches
There are quite a few games Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout will cycle through. A majority of these games so far are single-player race games, but there are a few games where you’ll have to work with a handful of other characters as a team. In total, the game initially had 24 levels when first launched, with a new level added over its many seasons.
Race levels
In total, this game offers 12 different racing games. This allows players to work individually and run toward a finish line. Although each level requires different amounts of focus and tact on your part, each one has a plethora of obstacles and challenges you’ll face. Some races will let you respawn on the map, such as Gate Crash or See Saw. However, there are a few that will not let you return if you fall, so be mindful of that.
These are the race levels:
- Dizzy Heights
- Door Dash
- Fruit Chute
- Gate Crash
- Hit Parade
- Knight Fever
- Jump Club
- See Saw
- Slime Climb
- The Whirlygig
- Tip Toe
- Wall Guys
Survival
Four of the games are survival-based, meaning you just have to survive longer than everyone else. This is a free-for-all that encourages players to ensure everyone around them is at a disadvantage. It’s the perfect time to practice throwing other players off of the edge.
These are the current survival games available:
- Block Party
- Roll Out
- Tail Tag
- Hoopsie Legends
Hunt
These rounds involve, well, hunting for a specific goal, mostly grabbing and holding tails. These events can be both solo or team-based.
These are the two current Hunt games:
Team
Arguably, team games are the most difficult in Fall Guys. The irony is that these games aren’t difficult because they’re tricky. Instead, they’re difficult because you have to work with a team that you have no communication with. You have to be mindful of what other players are doing and watch out for them.
In Fall Ball, for example, it’s important that there is a goalie and two defenders while everyone else can play offense. This is in case a stray soccer ball comes rolling back toward your goal — someone has to be there to stop it. So, keep an eye on your surroundings.
These are the current Team games:
- Egg Scramble
- Egg wins
- Fall Ball
- Hoarders
- Hoopsie Daisy
- Jinx
- Rock ‘N’ Roll
- Team Tail Tag
Final
These levels signify the very end of the series of matches. There are currently only three of them, so it’ll be easy to keep track of when you’re at the end. These levels are made specifically to weed out everyone except the very last player.
- Fall Mountain
- Hex-A-Gone
- Jump Showdown
- Royal Fumble
Be careful of hidden falls
This was probably the hardest part of the game: remembering where the gaps are in every level. It’s easy to get lost in the running of things. Unfortunately, blindly running through levels, such as Hit Parade, will lead your little character straight into a giant fall.
Slow yourself down while playing, and don’t rush. Although you do want to cross the finish line, unless you’re in the final stages, getting to the end first doesn’t much matter. It’s better to actually make it across the finish line for the first couple of rounds than to be the first one to cross the finish line. Take your time, especially with the first handful of rounds. You’ll get to the end if you pace yourself and keep an eye open on your surroundings.
Avoid large groups to win
One of the biggest struggles with this game is the number of people. In a lot of battle royale games, players are scattered across a map. This gives you room to explore and run toward the objective without much hassle. Unfortunately, Fall Guys isn’t like that.
One of the best ways to ensure that you make it to the end of each round is to avoid large clusters of people. It can be difficult to jump over and dive past large groups. Oftentimes, you’ll try to pass these large groups but end up falling. Because of how the characters are made, a small fall can lead to a large tumble off of a cliff and your disqualification.
Be sure to give large groups of players lots of space, and try to find another way around obstacles that avoids these large groups. In fact, you can even use groups to your advantage by letting them rush ahead and letting them make mistakes and take wrong turns so that you can breeze by safely.
Beware of babysitters
On every level played, there seemed to be a few babysitters who just waited. Be careful of these guys and as you approach the finish line, don’t get too close.
Some of them either have friends they want to see cross the finish line or are there to just disappoint you by crossing as the last person available to win. Many will have unfortunate experience of almost crossing a finish line when another player grabs them and lets someone else cross first. Sure, the upside is that the guy who grabs you also didn’t qualify for the next race. But on the other hand, you probably won’t be happy to have ended a good race this way. So be sure to watch out for these guys.
Side note: Don’t become a babysitter yourself unless you want to be considered a jerk by everyone else playing with you.
Don’t give up
This seems like a given, but it feels like it should be said anyway. The most important part of this game is to make every loss mean something. Every time you fail, be sure to stand back up and go for it again! Figure out why you didn’t qualify for the next race or why you fell off the platform.
You can, and should, spectate early on as well. Not only will you get some joy by watching others make silly mistakes, but you can also learn some very useful strategies that players who’ve been around longer employ.
In order to really succeed in this game, you have to just keep trying. Getting discouraged and quitting is the only way you’ll really lose. Pushing your way through small, enclosed spaces while 59 other fools are trying to jump through the same door can be difficult, but if you keep trying, eventually, you’ll get through the door!
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