Play Station Official Magazine - UK (2020-11)

FALL GUYS

061

He also quips, “Contrary to popular

belief, we will not be removing yellow

team [reputedly the worst] from the

game just because people made a

bunch of memes about it.”

FALLING IN STYLE

The community is incredibly creative

and enthusiastic, as lead artist Rob

Jackson tells us. “We weren’t quite

ready for the huge amounts of

appreciative artists being super,

super-positive,” he begins, awkwardly

adding, “But then the direction that

some people take it in is... interesting.

Like, it’s just interesting to see that

we’ve penetrated the internet in an

exciting fashion.”

Odd choice of words aside, no, we

didn’t probe further about filthy Fall

Guys fan art. Walsh changes the

subject, saying he’s seen impressive

cakes, animations, and even crochet.

Cake’s much more enjoyable, we

reckon. Jackson says he tries to look

at as much fan art as possible and that

all the art team are always sharing

their favourites.

He tells us about his favourites. “I

particularly gravitate towards pixel art

and I love it when people demake it.

[...] To me that’s a real sign that we

succeeded because it’s instantly

recognisable – it shows that we did

well in our art direction. So that kind

of stuff is just really gratifying.”

He then reveals what inspired the

game’s visual direction, the characters

in particular: “The physicality of [a Fall

Guy] – like, the shape of them – is

designed specifically for the way we

wanted the game to play. [...] You’re

top-heavy, your arms are too big, they

kind of make you all a bit clumsy.

Your legs are too short, so when you

try and jump over things you might

catch your feet.”

He later adds, “And then we wanted

to keep their bodies as simple as

possible. So they have this pill kind of

shape, which makes them very easy to

slap colours and materials on – it

makes it very easy to customise them

any way we want to. I think it’s

interesting that people picked up on

the jelly bean aspect of it because early

on [I spent a lot of time] looking at

Instagram – like, food, and ice creams,

and things like that. And I was very

much inspired by the colours of

sweets [...] and so all of that kind of

led into the aesthetic of these guys,

especially in the colour palettes that

we chose. That’s how they formed.”

So it turns out people wondering

aloud online what a Fall Guy tastes

like is by design. As for the

environments, Jackson offers this

nugget: “We had some interesting

team excursions to some [bouncy]

castles to get a good feel for them.”

FACING LEGENDS

Walsh tells us, “One of the great

things about the Fall Guy is how

customisable they are and how well

they lend themselves to mashups.”

We asked the pair if they’d seen the

fan-made Hitman mockups going

around the internet. Walsh concedes,

“I think their egg-like head lends itself

quite well to [Agent 47].”

Walsh later adds, “You can really

throw any character at a Fall Guy and

you’ll have something funny and

ridiculous.” Beyond the Valve character

skins coming to PlayStation,

Mediatonic is tight-lipped about

future official skins. However, Walsh

tells us that there are entities

“suddenly very, very interested in

having their characters in the game,”

and he concludes, “watch this space

for more amazing things.”

“WE HAD SOME INTERESTING

TEAM EXCURSIONS TO SOME

[BOUNCY] CASTLES.”

Drawbridges and other fortifications are coming as part of Season Two’s middle-ages spread.

We love the dragon costumes,

coming as part of the

medieval update in October.

FALL GUYS

061

Healsoquips,“Contrarytopopular
belief,wewillnotberemovingyellow
team[reputedlytheworst]fromthe
gamejustbecausepeoplemadea
bunchofmemesaboutit.”

FALLINGINSTYLE
Thecommunityis incrediblycreative
andenthusiastic,asleadartistRob
Jacksontellsus.“Weweren’tquite
readyforthehugeamountsof
appreciativeartistsbeingsuper,
super-positive,”hebegins,awkwardly
adding,“Butthenthedirectionthat
somepeopletakeit inis...interesting.
Like,it’sjustinterestingtoseethat
we’vepenetratedtheinternetinan
exciting fashion.”
Odd choice of words aside, no, we
didn’t probe further about filthy Fall
Guys fan art. Walsh changes the
subject, saying he’s seen impressive
cakes, animations, and even crochet.
Cake’s much more enjoyable, we
reckon. Jackson says he tries to look
at as much fan art as possible and that
all the art team are always sharing
their favourites.

Hetellsusabouthisfavourites.“I

particularlygravitatetowardspixelart

andI loveit whenpeopledemakeit.

[...]Tomethat’sa realsignthatwe

succeededbecauseit’sinstantly

recognisable–it showsthatwedid

wellinourartdirection.Sothatkind

ofstuffis justreallygratifying.”

Hethenrevealswhatinspiredthe

game’svisualdirection,thecharacters

inparticular:“Thephysicalityof[aFall

Guy] – like, the shape of them – is

designed specifically for the way we

wanted the game to play. [...] You’re

top-heavy, your arms are too big, they

kind of make you all a bit clumsy.

Your legs are too short, so when you

try and jump over things you might

catch your feet.”

He later adds, “And then we wanted

to keep their bodies as simple as

possible. So they have this pill kind of

shape,whichmakesthemveryeasyto

slapcoloursandmaterialson–it

makesit veryeasytocustomisethem

anywaywewantto.I thinkit’s

interestingthatpeoplepickedupon

thejellybeanaspectofit becauseearly

on[I spenta lotoftime]lookingat

Instagram–like,food,andicecreams,

andthingslikethat.AndI wasvery

muchinspiredbythecoloursof

sweets[...]andsoallofthatkindof

ledintotheaestheticoftheseguys,

especiallyinthecolourpalettesthat

wechose.That’showtheyformed.”

Soit turnsoutpeoplewondering

aloudonlinewhata FallGuytastes

likeis bydesign.Asforthe

environments,Jacksonoffersthis

nugget:“Wehadsomeinteresting

teamexcursionstosome[bouncy]

castlestogeta goodfeelforthem.”

FACINGLEGENDS

Walshtellsus,“Oneofthegreat

thingsabouttheFallGuyis how

customisabletheyareandhowwell

theylendthemselvestomashups.”

Weaskedthepairif they’dseenthe

fan-madeHitmanmockupsgoing

aroundtheinternet.Walshconcedes,

“I thinktheiregg-likeheadlendsitself

quitewellto[Agent47].”

Walshlateradds,“Youcanreally

throw any character at a Fall Guy and

you’ll have something funny and

ridiculous.” Beyond the Valve character

skins coming to PlayStation,

Mediatonic is tight-lipped about

future official skins. However, Walsh

tells us that there are entities

“suddenly very, very interested in

having their characters in the game,”

and he concludes, “watch this space

for more amazing things.”

“WE HAD SOME INTERESTING

TEAM EXCURSIONS TO SOME

[BOUNCY] CASTLES.”

Drawbridges and other fortifications are coming as part of Season Two’s middle-ages spread.

We love the dragon costumes,

coming as part of the

medieval update in October.

FALL GUYS