If it’s ultra-realistic golf you’re looking for, you may not find it in Everybody’s Golf but as the title suggests, there really is something for everyone here.
By Leo Stiles
Golf, like most sports, is perfectly suited to video games, so it comes as no surprise that Sony has chosen to release Everybody’s Golf for the launch of the Playstation Vita and what’s even less surprising is that the game is a competent as it is predictable.
What the game isn’t, however, is EA’s Tiger Woods PGA Tour so you can forget about intricately modeled real-life courses and Rory McIlroy. Instead you get super deformed cartoony characters and fantasy courses that you wish were real.
At first glance the game looks a lot like its PSP predecessor with middling level of detail both in the characters and the environments making it seem like a lazy port, done on the cheap to bulk up the launch title numbers.
Which is exactly what it is to be honest, so it’s just as well that the Everybody’s Golf formula is so solid that I enjoyed the game in spite of it all.
This comes down to the fact that there is a decent game of golf to be had once you get past all the cute designs and comedy outfits. In fact, the game is pretty hardcore and should give even seasoned virtual golfers a stiff challenge.
Things start out mild with open trap-free courses and timid competition but once you get past the beginner and amateur tournaments, the difficulty ramps up fast and competitions are won and lost on a single stroke. Later tournaments are so tough that the seem a little unfair and you can feel a Mario Kart style interference as your rivals manage to keep pace with you no matter how well you play.
Controls are fully customisable, right down to the HUD and although the game tries to shoehorn a few horrible touch controls into the mix, they remain entirely optional. This customisation is so flexible that you could come off virtually any other golfing game and quickly feel at home. Animations and ball cam scenes can be a little on the elaborate side but most of this is skippable so they aren’t too annoying.
If the driving and putting doesn’t do enough to keep you hooked then the additional points system will keep you playing, with very shot generating points that at the end of every match are turned in to cash. You can use this cash to customise your characters, buy new clubs and balls and even HUD designs.
The points system also comes into play on the more advanced tournaments, giving you an even greater challenge as here it is not only enough to beat a rival on stroke but you have to beat them on points as well with scoring based on stylish play.
If have played even one other game in the series then you will know what to expect with its familiarity nearly breeding contempt. What can’t be argued against however is that it is a very playable game and coupled with its budget price should give most golfers a decent fix until Tiger Woods comes along later this month. The only problem is that you might want to hold onto the comedy hats by then…
Format: Playstation Vita
Developer: Clap Hanz; Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
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