Welcome to DT Debates, where we wrestle with the hottest issues in tech! This time, we have a very serious topic — the second season of breakout hit Fall Guys. Freelance writers Tom Caswell and Giovanni Colantonio have both played hours of the new season, but have very different opinions. Lets dig in.
Matthew S. Smith: Alright, folks! Fall Guys was the surprise hit of the summer. Now, the game’s second season has hit, and players are debating whether it does enough to keep the game fresh. Let’s start with Tom. You seem to be optimistic about its chances. What makes the new season stand out?
Tom Caswell: The new season has some of the game’s best levels. They are some of the more challenging ones in the game, closer to the brilliant Slime Climb than the somewhat boring Perfect Match. There’s also a bigger and better version of Egg Scramble that ratchets up the difficulty.
The [quality-of-life] improvements, though, are the thing that make the update for me. There’s been a subtle graphics overhaul across the board. The Fame Pass includes more Crowns, and more of the best gear can be purchased with the standard Kudos currency. They’ve also added nicknames and visual tags, plus the ability to randomize your outfit.
Matt: Hmm … but I understand that Giovanni has been having some issues with the new levels.
Giovanni Colantonio: The quality-of-life improvements are stellar, but I don’t think there’s enough new content to make that matter. Season 2 has four new stages, two of which are variants on current minigames. Only one of the games, Wall Guys, really adds anything new mechanically, [and] is the clear stand-out among the batch. It doesn’t help that the levels appear so infrequently, too. After five hours, I still haven’t gotten to play one of the minigames at all.
Matt: Five hours and you still haven’t had the chance to play one of the minigames? That seems like. .. a very long time. Particularly for people who might jump in and play for just a couple hours a week.
Giovanni: That’s where my issue lies. I played for a good two hours today, and only got a new level once. If I was playing this game casually, I don’t think I’d even know that a new season was happening.
I played for a good two hours today, and only got a new level once.
Tom: I haven’t run into an issue with the levels. I tend to get a new level once per Show. I think the core of Fall Guys is so strong that I didn’t need tons of new content for it be worth my time. Season 2 strikes a nice balance between new levels and not doing too much as to set unrealistic expectations. There’s only so much they can add at a time, and I’m impressed with what they’ve accomplished since August, considering they’re such a small team.
And on the note that you don’t think people could even know there was a new season happening, I think it’s very obvious from the jump with the new music. Plus, they’ve promised more levels as the season progresses.
Giovanni: I think there’s a lot of pressure on Mediatonic to deliver wacky, unexpected experiences, but a small team can’t press the momentum as much as fans demand. They were never going to deliver a full minigame refresh. But part of me wishes they’d at least unified the new season’s aesthetic with the old minigames. Switch the color palette, replace some of the old obstacles with the new ones, or do anything to give those stages the same medieval flair.
Matt: I guess my question would be, as the guy here who hasn’t played the game yet, how does the new season change things for me coming in? Seasons can be difficult to grasp as a new player, and can make it feel like I’m missing out if I don’t try to purchase new season content immediately.
Giovanni: Season 2 does make the game better. It feels cleaner, some of the mechanics are fine-tuned, and you’ll have more stages right off the bat. It’s a great time to hop in. As Tom said, quality of life is really what this update brings to the table, and that’s crucial for new players. For anyone who’s been playing for months, though, it feels more like a map pack.
Tom: The new season doesn’t cost anything. The only thing that costs money in the game is Kudos, which is the standard currency. The items in the store rotate every day, so there’s an incentive to jump in and check what new cosmetics you can get with Kudos. The best items require crowns, which are obtained through levels on the fame pass, or for every Show you win. Season 2 has added a ton more crowns to the fame pass, I think a total of 10, where as season 1 only had 3.
The new season doesn’t cost anything.
Matt: Alright! Closing thoughts. If you had to write a headline for your review of Fall Guys’ Season 2, what would it be?
Tom: Fall Guys’ Season 2 builds upon and improves strong foundations
Giovanni: Egg Scramble is still bad and no amount of drawbridges can convince me otherwise
Matt: OK, that’ll wrap up this debate. Thank you Tom and Giovanni!
