This is something a little different, a video review! Here is my review of Golf With Your Friends, a Steam Game based on Crazy Golf that has a retro twist.
Golf with Your Friends is out now for the PC and Mac via Steam for £4.79. You can purchase Golf With Your Friends here.
Transcript
Golf with Friends is a Steam Powered Indie Game based on that classic seaside pastime – Crazy Golf. The “With Friends” part of the name is crucial, as it is a multiplayer only game. Golf is one of those sports that doesn’t transfer well to Online Multiplayer, but this game does manage it. How does it do it? Well simply it allows all players to play each hole simultaneously imposing short time limit, similar to when you used to run around crazy golf courses with your brothers and sisters as a kid. Unlike then, you do play to traditional rules, you need to get around in the least shots possible. Your prize is simply kudos amongst your fellow players.
Currently the game is in early access alpha and right now there are two courses – Forest and Oasis. Both these courses are designed to be simple to play with a number of tricks and obstacles to overcome. These range from your traditional bunkers, windmills and chutes to conveyor belts, circular saws and even a sphinx on one course. To begin with you can only see from behind your ball so it does take at least a round or two to learn the course, but skilled players can use the course to their advantage with jumps possible. Whilst the courses do need to be learned the controls don’t – it’s very easy to learn with a one button and mouse control system meaning anybody can pick it up and play.
Right now the majority of the game customisation is taken up with the rules. You can change the shape of the ball to shapes such as a cube or an ice hockey puck, and you can even introduce a bounce feature to the ball allowing jumps to be made midway through shots. There’s also more traditional rules such as choosing where to tee off and the penalty for going out of bounds but the real friendship breaker is collision mode – which introduces real world collision physics to the game allowing balls to be hit off each others paths. This changes the game from golf with friends to golf with enemies. Personal customisation is limited to right now changing the ball colour.
As mentioned this game is in early access alpha, and it shows. It does have glitches but it doesn’t affect the game play on the whole. So I’ll try and list things that can easily be improved upon.
Firstly the main lobby needs work as it can be frustrating to find games at times. You cannot join a game in progress, but the most frustrating thing is people who set up games and are away meaning lobbies get full but the games don’t start. You do have a practice course to knock balls around but when you’re raring to go it can lead to angry players in full lobbies with no way to start. There is also no filter for games you cannot join such as password protected games. Generally the result is games of 3 to 4 players usually with little or no interaction with the players.
One of the other frustrating things right now as well is the lack of sound. There is a music loop for each course but it’s pretty repetitive, and there are no sound effects. I also had problems with my Mac fan going crazy whenever I play, meaning that I could only play for a short time before switching the game off, or plugging it into the mains.
The full version does promise a range of courses, with a level editor and better ball customisation. There’s also talk of AI players as well which would be a welcome boost.
Overall this is a pretty fun way to spend a weekend or two and is a great game to pick up and play with friends online. It’s simple to play and once you’ve learned the courses there is a level playing field. I could certainly see myself playing a few games when the final version is out early next year. If they can sort out the issues mentioned, then I would become more of a fan of it as I am now.
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