Developer: Lazy Monday Games
Publisher: Curve Games
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Golf Gang – Review
Mini-golfing is probably one of our favorite pastimes with friends. It is something that is always fun to do when it is warm outside and discovering new venues all over the world is always an adventure. Of course, it is only good weather a few months per year, so developers have tried their best to make fun mini-golf games and most of them always turned out all right. Now with Golf Gang, you get the experience of playing mini-golf, alone or with friends, in the comfort of your own home, and with a bunch of content to go with it.
Story
Golf Gang isn’t a game that comes with a big story on how all the courses were formed, it just throws you in and lets you enjoy the game in peace. A game such as this doesn’t really need a story unless there is something attached like a championship. You can just enjoy the game on your own or online with friends.
Graphics
Graphically, the game looks really cartoonish with its smooth graphics, colorful courses, and funny golf ball accessories. You can customize your “balls” with attributes purchased in the shop, and this makes the game even more whacky. There are six different venues to play at, and each venue has its own theme and really embodies this with the suitable assets, color palettes, and lighting.
Sound
While the graphical quality of the game is quite decent, it feels like the sound department could have received some more love. On the good side, you have unique music in each venue, but it can get quite repetitive when you spend some hours with the game. Nonetheless, the sound effects are actually quite good. You can enjoy whacking your ball around the course and having it sound like you are playing a real game. There is quite the attention to detail when it comes to the sound effects and that’s why it’s a bummer that the music isn’t as catchy as you’d expect.
Gameplay
Golf Gang is a golfing game that takes the classic gameplay of mini-golf and adds some new fun gameplay mechanics. What makes this game stand out from the rest is that you are allowed to hit the ball when it is still moving, albeit with a cooldown timer so you don’t abuse the mechanic. Once you take the shot you will recover energy, and once your meter is filled you can take another shot. Sometimes you will need to do this to clear some obstacles, or when you try to beat a certain time.
Golf Gang comes with three modes that can be enjoyed in both single- and multiplayer. These consist of the two standard modes Time Trial and Classic Mode. The third is a blend of both and is aptly named Golf Gang. In time Time Trial and Classic Mode you either try to score the ball in the quickest time possible, or with the least swings taken. If you are up for the challenge, then selecting the Golf Gang mode really delivers. Here you must pocket the ball in the fastest time possible with the least amount of swings. This mode is only for those who can combine accuracy with speed. Once you have played through the first venue, you will notice that the other ones need to be purchased with coins. Some might panic at this thought, but surprisingly, buying all the locations is quite cheap as you can accumulate all the needed money in a short timeframe.
Once you have gotten all the venues, then your extra money can be spent on various customization options for your ball and modifiers for online play. Each of the aforementioned modes can also be enjoyed in multi-player, even though it can be a challenge to find a server. That being said, the sheer fun of playing online makes up for the time you spend waiting to find other players. In multiplayer, the host decides what mode to play and what funny modifiers come into play. These range from exploding balls to balls growing in size after each shot but there are also modifiers to make your shots super powerful.
Controlling your movement is pretty easy, you just aim with the mouse and adjust your strength by pulling it back, just like you would do with a real golf club. Making your shots while moving might sound cumbersome, but this goes really smooth once you have done it a few times. You notice that there has been enough work put into refining the controls and mechanics, as everything feels nicely polished and works perfectly, so no there is no frustration from missing your shots.
Conclusion
Golf Gang brought us a really pleasant experience in the genre of mini-golfing. It is not just your run-of-the-mill golfing game, and it’s a fun experience that has enough content to keep you engaged for times to come. You can always practice the courses in single-player so you can be the absolute master in multiplayer, but watch out for the many modifiers that can throw a spanner in the works. The cartoonish graphics make the game enjoyable for all ages and the detailed sound effects really come to life when you are ignoring the bland music. You might not have much stuff at first, but you will be able to buy all the venues within a short amount of time.
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