Everybody’s Golf PS4 Review
Summary: If mini golf elements, playfulness were upsized and applied to full scale courses.
4.3
Maxi Golf
Golf can be a game that you either love or hate. Mini golf seems to bring most people more to the love side of the debate. Everybody’s Golf somehow manages to combine elements of both and create a golf game that is full of fun but also can be played with skill to really show off. But let me elaborate. Most people’s dislike of regular golf comes from the long winded time between shots and the extended period of time when it seems nothing is happening. Mini golf tends to draw people in because of how immediate everything seems (in comparison at least) and because of the wackiness of it all. Everybody’s Golf infuses some of that wackiness into regular golf… I mean how many golf courses have “mega holes” that make chip ins that much easier because the hole itself is about four times its regular size. Or even more unique, tornado holes… holes that will suck the ball in if it’s close enough. Not all games will feature these or other similar gimmicks but they do add a bit of extra fun to the whole golfing experience.
When you begin the game you have only a few options in terms of where/how you play. You start with 9 hole courses and play against a group of people. As you play your skill with clubs increases and you get little bonuses for breaking former shot records and so on. As you progress you unlock enough points to challenge a fellow golfer. These challenges start easy enough but as you gain skills and go up in rank you will face better and better opponents making progress more challenging, but also more rewarding. Each golfer you defeat will also provide some new items for you, clothing or clubs or even moves and voices.
But for those not traditionally entertained by golf there are those unique features of the easier holes, you can run around the course or ride a golf cart (once you unlock it) or go fishing. It’s a little bit more GTA than your average golf game shall we say.
When I first started playing I didn’t quite notice where the shot power was located and so I had a few “questionable” shots. Once I noticed my little “distance to hole/club power” details down the bottom left I was able to hone in my shots and ended up making some pretty impressive (albeit still fluky) shots. Water hazards are still a pain in the posterior, bunkers are as bad as you let them be but can result in some very satisfying chip ins. Your caddy is also always there to help with some suggestions for how to tackle your next shot and with advice as to the lie of the green.
I quite like golfing games (I don’t mind the actual sport either but prefer the highlights to watching a full days golf). I’ve been playing golf games for about as long as I can remember but they do tend to veer more towards the simulation rather than arcade fun. Everybody’s Golf I think finds a nice little middle ground of sorts… it’s certainly goofy and doesn’t take itself seriously at all… but the gameplay is still geared around making the shot the best you can, aiming for maximum power and maximum accuracy or adjusting power and adding a bit of back spin to stop the ball as close to the hole as possible. You can play it aggressively or you can aim for a bit of finesse… chances are either way you will have a lot of fun. Certainly a good game to add to the collection with that pick up and play style that can see you accidentally playing for hours when you thought you were just going to “grab a quick 9 hole game”.
About the Author
Chris O'Connor Father of four, husband of one and all round oddity. Gaming at home since about 1982 with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Moving on to the more traditional PC genre in the years that followed with the classic Jump Joe and Alley Cat. CGA, EGA, VGA and beyond PC's have been central to my gaming but I've also enjoyed consoles and hand helds along the way (who remembers the Atari Lynx?). Would have been actor/film maker, jack of many trades master of none.
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