Review copy provided by Mediatonic and Devolver Digital.
Introduction
Hello, my name is Victor and I am a gamer with degenerative myopia since I was born. To give some context I had to start using glasses when I was 2 years and as of today, I have lost more than 90% of my vision. I haven’t been to read any text for more than 10 years without using the Windows magnifier at 700% in all games, and more recently the narrator has become my favorite accessibility tool. This is my feedback on Fall Guys from a Low Vision perspective.
Settings

In the Audio category, we have three settings, Master, Music and Effects volume sliders. We can increase/decrease between zero and one hundred.
I didn’t change any of them because they don’t make any difference to me in this particular game, so I have all of them at maximum.
In Graphics Settings we can set up the Graphic preset witch you can change from Low, Medium, High and Custom. I always choose Custom to be able to configure some of the settings.
We have the usual Resolution, V-Sync on /off and Windowed mode on / off.
Next, we have other common options such as Texture Details, Shadow Details, Ambient Occlusion, Antialiasing. I have all of those settings on the maximum value to make everything sharper. Sometimes I set Bloom to off because it adds extra light that doesn’t give me any benefits, but in this game, it works well for me. I also have Screen Space Reflections to off. This option always makes it harder for me to see when its raining or it has blood effects on the screen. In this case, I am not sure what it does but since I noticed no improvements from it, I prefer to leave it off.

In Controller settings, the only thing that is useful for me is the Rumble. I have it on to have Vibration cues. I prefer to play this type of game with the controller.
Gameplay

When a level is about to start, a message is displayed explaining what we have to do on that specific track. Unfortunately, I can’t read anything because this message is white over a bright blue background. When I say I can’t read I mean I can’t read even using Windows magnifier. There is not enough time for me to open it, go to the proper position and focus my vision.

The same text appears after that, this time on a black background. It has better contrast but it is even smaller and there is very little time again. I wish there was an option to have it read to me, either as pre-recorded voice or Text-to-Speech.

The first rounds are usually pretty easy to understand, just get to the end of the level. However, on other levels, we have to do something with eggs but initially, I thought they were balls. The first time I play that I simply didn’t know what to do at all so I was throwing those eggs everywhere randomly. Then someone told me that I had to put the eggs on my base which has the same color as my team.

There is one level that has some images on the floor appearing and disappearing. I have no idea how to play that because I can’t see those images. I was so confused about what I had to do. I was told, again, that apparently I have to memorize those images and go to the right one but there is no chance for me to get it right since I can’t distinguish each one. Also, it has a countdown that I didn’t notice either. It’s hard to get it right. The best I could do on that one is following everyone and hope for the best.
Contrast

Overall the contrast in the game is great, I can see almost everything fine. The track colors are good, the obstacles have good colors and size. Knowing where to go is also relatively easy thanks to the big arrows on the ground. These arrows are big and thick. The only thing that doesn’t have a good contrast is the initial level explanation.
Audio

There is not much in terms of audio. We have the initial countdown sound, the sound effects when a cannon fires a ball, and little more. I would like to have some audio cues before a platform falls, like in Tip Toe or Hex-A-Gone, levels which I didn’t understand by myself because I couldn’t see what was happening with the floor tiles. Also some obstacles could have some extra sound, but aside from that, I can understand visually the rest.
Final Thoughts
Fall Guys is an overall accessible game but with some problems. The vibrant colors and large size obstacles help to understand what to do most of the time. The most negative part of this game is the lack of audio cues which could make the game more accessible and more alive. Also, some levels like the matching fruits one, where good vision is needed are simply impossible. Having to rely on others is not a good option. The vibration is also limited to the initial level countdown and when you land after a jump, making it very limited in how much information it provides. I really hope the developers can improve in these areas to make the game a better experience.
Blind / Low Vision Game Review - Fall Guys
Overall Score - 7.2
7.2
Victor is a gamer with very low vision who is passionate about game accessibility. When he is not glued to the PC, he spends his days with his dog on long walks in green and beautiful places. Trying to improve every day in order to contribute as much as possible with the accessibility community. You can contact him on Twitter at @VictorAndre87