My first foray into golf video games is Mario Golf 64 way back in the 90’s and over the years I developed a secret soft spot for golf. In fact, just recently I enjoyed watching golf during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. To be frank, I enjoyed watching it more than all of the Olympic sports because thanks to over 20 years of golf video game experience, I understood how golf is scored, the golf rules and its lingo such as the golf glossary. And who says video games can’t teach you anything? Despite playing tennis video games for over 20 years, I still don’t get the gist of tennis, its rules and its lingo. When I’m not playing platformers (platformers are my bread and butter), I do play a golf video game every now and then. Golf video games have always been relaxing but frustrating at the same time because the golf ball doesn’t go where you want it to go. Visiting the Treetop Adventure Golf in Manchester is on my bucket list of things to do. I’ve been meaning to go to it for the longest time but I never got the chance.
Without music, it makes the experience disturbing. The silence is loud and jarring. Plus, silence isn’t always golden. You only have the sound effects and your caddie to keep you company. Music can make or break a game but it depends on the quality of the in-game soundtrack.
Unlike the previous instalment, you don’t get the chance to create and customise your character or pick a character from a roster of golfers. Instead, you’re introduced to the receptionist of the clubhouse before you’re given the opportunity to fiddle with the settings before hitting the links. Before you’re able to tee off, you’re able to select from a wide range of golf clubs (for instance, choosing the 1W club is ideal for hitting the ball from the inside of the tee box) and practise your swings as well as listen to advice from your caddie and strategise how to hit the ball and take the wind speed into account. Once you’ve set the power and the impact, coupled with applying backspin or topspin to the shot, you’re ready to swing at the ball within the tee box. The PlayStation 4 controller, the PlayStation VR headset, the PlayStation 4 camera and the PlayStation Move controller are the tools of the trade. It’s nice to know Sony hasn’t abandoned the PlayStation Move controller and it’s not a one-and-done gimmick.
Similar to all of the previous Everybody’s Golf games, there is no story and you’re immediately plopped into the game.
Unfortunately, there are no tournaments (most likely due to the fact this game is single player) to participate in. Sure, you’re able to play a round of 18 or a round of fewer holes but it’s not the same without tourneys. Tournaments are what makes golf… erm… golf, if you know what I’m talking about. The lack of tournaments breaks the immersion.
Unlike America, the franchise has always been called Everybody’s Golf in my country (UK), Europe and Japan. So, I’m already used to the name. Americans may not be used to the “sudden name change” (and I use these words very loosely) but they have to deal with it whether they like it or not.
Unlike the Everybody’s Golf games that came before it, I can’t help but feel like it’s bare bones compared to the previous instalments, especially when there isn’t any music accompanying the gameplay. Not to mention, there are no spectators and no golfers to play with or against. Just like Everybody’s Golf for the PlayStation 4, the charm is definitely lacking, especially when there are no PlayStation characters making cameos. Can you imagine the likes of Sly Cooper and Bentley or Murray (someone’s got to be the caddie out of the two other members of the Cooper Gang) hitting the links just like Ratchet and Clank and Jak and Daxter that came before them? Murray could drive the golf cart around a golf course with Sly Cooper sitting in the passenger seat. Unlike the past games, Everybody’s Golf VR isn’t a multiplayer game and you can’t play locally offline or online which can turn off a lot of players. I’m just in the minority, seeing as I reckon I’ve played much better Everybody’s Golf games.
Do you know what else is missing? A sportscaster. Even Mario Golf: Super Rush (the latest instalment in the long-running Mario Golf series) finally has one. Including a sportscaster in a golf video game will make the golf experience more authentic akin to real-life golf matches.
I don’t see the point in using the PlayStation 4 camera when the game doesn’t utilise it properly. In other words, when you smack the ball, the camera doesn’t follow it. This means you won’t know where the ball is going to land. You’ll only know where it is via replays and when the screen shows whether said ball has touched down in the bunker, in the water or somewhere else.
Over the course of the game, you’re given the chance to establish a bond with your caddie such as sitting on a bench next to you as he/she offers you a piece of chocolate from a chocolate packet/box. I don’t think that’s a viable replacement for driving a golf cart around a golf course (as evident in Everybody’s Golf for PlayStation 4), which is an opportunity Mario Golf: Super Rush dropped the ball (excuse the unintentional pun) on.
Overall, Everybody’s Golf VR just feels generic, watered down/dumbed down and lacklustre just like Everybody’s Golf for the PlayStation 4 and dare I say it? Mario Golf: Super Rush and Mario Golf: World Tour. I don’t know what the future holds for the series but I hope there will be a new Everybody’s Golf game for the PlayStation 5.
Everybody's Golf VR: Compared to Everybody's Golf for PS4 and the previous Everybody's Golf instalments, Everybody's Golf VR is generic, boring, watered down and bare bones. To make matters worse, there is no replayability to this lacklustre game. This is a downgrade in comparison to the previous Everybody's Golf games. It's an experience you should steer clear of. – WingSeeLi