I have a confession – I am an angry gamer. I absolutely haaate to lose. I’m sure you’re thinking: Huh, who likes to lose anyway? You’re right, no one does. But many gamers can take a loss in their stride. I might not be one of them. I have fun, yes, a lot of fun but sometimes that’s also accompanied by me starting to swear like a sailor. Due to this, online matches have always managed to make me feel a combination of rage-fun. Well, until Fall Guys came around. And now, I don’t mind losing (???).
Losing Games in Fall Guys has Changed Me
Before diving into my life-changing experience, here’s some info about Fall Guys in case you don’t know what I am talking about. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is inspired by the TV shows we have watched growing up: Takeshi’s Castle, Wipeout, American Ninja Warrior, you name it. The concept is simple: complete mini-games where you need to dodge obstacles, race to the finish line etc. and emerge as the only winner. You keep qualifying for rounds until you are crowned (literally crowned) the last Fall Guy standing.
What makes this game stand out? Everything. The colors, the funny animations, the cute graphic style, all contribute towards making this an attractive game. If you see a video of it on your timeline, you won’t be able to look away. It’s a silly game overall but at the same time, it is incredibly tough. You need skill as well as some luck to win shows.
So, how to win shows? I can’t tell you. I am constantly losing all games of Fall Guys. Every. Single. One. Sometimes right at the beginning, sometimes just before reaching the finish line. Sometimes I grab another player and take them down with me. And sometimes, Karma does its thing and my jelly bean gets pulled back by another player. They weren’t wrong when they said ‘Revenge is Sweet’. Sigh.
Why is Fall Guys Different?
With so many losses, I would have already rage quit any other game at this point. But surprisingly, I’ve realized that I actually love to lose at Fall Guys. That’s because if everything goes according to plan then there’s a lesser chance of seeing my character hilariously bounce off a wall and fall into the abyss face down. But when I fail…let’s just say that I’ve never chuckled so much seeing my failure right in front of my eyes. Every time my little jelly bean character shakes his little hands, stumbles, tries to jump over the ledge and then gets thrown off the platform due to an incoming pole – the happiness is worth all the embarrassing eliminations I have been through.
I feel like the reason why Fall Guys is blowing up is because it took the serious Battle Royale genre and turned it on its head. Considering the current situation the entire world is in with the pandemic and everything else, Fall Guys has given us a dose of happiness even in a ridiculously competitive format. Things are rough right now and Fall Guys has managed to help us drown out the sadness, even for a little while. It’s what we absolutely needed.
In all seriousness, Fall Guys has given me a new perspective on games, life and everything in between. Don’t take everything so seriously, I tell myself, because the Fall Guys certainly don’t and look how happy they are! Just get up, dress up and show up. Have fun with friends, fall together, get up together. Overcome obstacles, but if you fail, laugh it off and try again. You might clumsily walk through life, making mistakes along the way with a million failures. But the real fun lies in the journey, not the destination.
