checking the step location ahead of time would allow you to take that higher step to go over it while reacting to something already underneath you ,wouldn’t give you the same effect. granted you can do something like this with normal IK implementation but wouldn’t the math for hip correction , ‘‘ball’’ bone and toes rotation be lot?
stumbling and falling is just about the animations isn’t it or you want it procedural with a physics set up that’s be cool as hell. the prediction of the step is for a natural ‘‘step over’’ which is exactly the opposite lol. still the use of control rig becomes attractive when you start thinking about other precaudal stuff. simulating a pivot for example can be done in control rig is an elegant way. how ALSv4 did it but in another level. adding a slight center of mass pull down a foot lock and a shift towards acceleration can certainly be done with regular IK but control rig can be easier to work with and can give great results. i just think if you are a familiar with procedural stuff which you clearly are control rig has potential to allow you to make even cooler stuff.
As a bonus , imagine playing a survival game and you trip and fall on a rock and you break a leg hahahah