Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout may not be the sensation it was the summer it first launched, but don’t count it out yet. The unique battle royale game made its name known again when it went free-to-play last year and a third wind might be in order soon. That’s thanks to its upcoming creative mode, which I’ve already had the chance to tinker around with.
Taking a page out of its Epic Games sibling, Fortnite, Fall Guys is introducing a mode where players are able to create, test, and share their own levels with friends and — if you’re like me — foes alike. And just like Fortnite‘s creative mode or something like Super Mario Maker, I can already see the chaos that is bound to unfold when more players like me get their hands on it.
Creativity creates chaos
Fall Guys puts the battle royale and platformer genres into a blender to create one wild elimination experience. In the main game, players compete in “Rounds,” which take place via different minigames that slowly eliminate players in the style of a game show. Think Wipeou,t but with a bunch of bean-like aliens that tend to cosplay as Godzilla, Hatsune Miku, Sonic, and a bunch of other IPs.
The new Creative mode takes this idea and places it in the hands of the players. Now, everyone will have the power to create their own chaotic minigames. As soon as I got my turn at making a round, I realized that the old quote “absolute power corrupts absolutely” is still true, even in a game as cute as this.
Before going into the actual level creator, players are given the ability to choose an aesthetic for their round. For now, the selection isn’t too wide with the choices being between the classic Fall Guys style and a retro-coren digital-designed look. But thanks to the options in the actual creator, developer Mediatonic isn’t losing any points for this one in my book.
When initially booting into Creative, the mode seemed bare at first. The background isn’t very customizable, you can only build as much as a budget meter allows, and the items are all pre-created. However, when I started getting into it, I began losing myself in the creativity the mode allows for.
I’ve played my fair share of Fall Guys , along with a variety of platformers, and got to work creating a devious level. Multiple pathways with failure and shortcut trials lead to a slower venture, instant death, or a potential speed reward. I even created a part where players on these branching pathways meet once more before the finish line. There was a particularly funny moment when I was building this level and my girlfriend came up and asked what I was doing. All I could respond with is: “Making an evil level in Fall Guys.”
I just couldn’t help myself because the tools presented in this new Creative mode allow me to do that and a lot more. Not only is the customization interface supreme, but I can edit sizes, angles, and much more in it. For example, with the air fans that can be used to disrupt or create an extra way to move, I can change how much air comes out, the pressure, and how characters float up on them. With hammers, I can change timing, size, and swinging direction. Those are only two of the many items you have tons of access to customize and use however you want.
As with Fortnite‘s Creative mode, I’m impressed with the implementation of level-designing tools in Fall Guys. And like its shooter battle royale sibling, I can’t wait to see all the zany and mind-blowing levels the player base creates. I can already see the many Mario and Sonic levels translated into Fall Guys now, and I can’t wait to load up and try them all . I’m just scared to see what chaotic players like myself come up with to frustrate the unsuspecting masses.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout‘s creative mode launches on May 10 alongside the release of Season 4: Creative Construction.
