Let`s play some golf. Not just a full round on TPC Sawgrass, or a game of Mini Golf around the Pirates adventure cove, no we`re going to play something different. Something that defies the rules of golf and twists them in a thrilling and dangerous way. We`re going to the extreme, and things are going to get broken. That`s right, I`m going to take you on a trip, where you are going to play some of the most dangerous golf, you have ever played in your life.
Dangerous Golf is a game developed by Three Fields Entertainment and has recently just launched for Xbox One. It takes you the player into a variety of different locations and rooms where the aim starts off quite simple and not complex. Get the ball into the hole. You`re playing Golf. But, that`s not just it. You`re playing something that you certainly won`t try at home, as it`ll defy the rules and physics of how golf should be played. You`re aim is to destruct and destroy everything you can with your shot, in order to rack up a number of points. These points will be earned by destroying things and creating combination strikes, all of which will wrap up your score massively. Using a range of techniques and a `stormbreaker` - you will need to get a certain number of points in order to progress once you`ve found your target. However, the further into the game, and the more you destruct and destroy, you start to find that you`re playing something that isn’t just that golf game. It`s something that will test you and lead you to quite a good puzzler.
There are over 100 holes within this game. You will start off with very easy strikes, just destroying everything in your path to get the ball into the hole, until further on in the game where you will then need to strategize and find out where the hole is in a limited number of shots, while of course racking up as many points as you possibly can. It adds an element of challenge to it and something that no doubt you`ll find yourself indulging and having a go at for a number of times. There aren’t loads of different locations and maps, and you`ll find yourself attempting the same venue a number of times, with just a different objective. It feels like something a bit different every time working towards something unique that you`ll need to progress to the next hole. You`ll find the game getting progressively harder, and that also offers something else to the challenge which is good. They get it just right. Many games I have seen that either make it a real challenge from the start with no build up introduction or don’t offer any challenge at all throughout, it`s great to see Three Fields get it just right.
You`ll be able to use the environment to your advantage. While in a stormbreaker you can re-adjust the camera and direct the ball to the way you want it to travel. Smashing other objects such as bottles can smash and release things that in relation will then smash other objects, i.e. a cork out of a bottle. It offers a real element of fun to the game as you`ll try to destroy everything you physically can in a short period of time. You`ll find use for each mechanisms through the game, and you`ll find something I think a bit different for each hole. You have complete control over what you feel is the best way.
You find that the game is more based towards a party vibe and feel, and there are local multiplayer options to support this. You`ll be able to sit down with your mates and see who can take the most points and cause the most havoc and detriment. For a ID game, it offers a fairly good multiplayer option, although limited, it does it well. And not many ID games around manage to do that. It also isn’t bad in terms of frame rates and smoothness throughout, and I don’t think I ever saw any lag or frame rate throughout. My recent experience with ID games hasn’t been a good one in terms of frame rate drops and lag, but Three Fields Entertainment seem to have done something and got it nailed for a ID game.
It looks pretty good for a ID game too. Remembering what ID games tend to offer in terms of their graphic capability, Three Fields offer something that looks pretty good, and unique in a way. It`s not a beautiful game, but for what they have tried to design and do, it works and looks very good.
Overall, Dangerous Golf is a game that offers quite good fun and enjoyment, for both a solo player and for a group of friends. It`ll offer you a challenging game, and something that no doubt will indulge you for a fair few hours. It`s got to be up there with one of the best ID games I have played in 2016, in a time within a year where we have seen some cracking games become part of the ID line up. But it`s well worth a shot, and a go.
A huge thank you to XCN for supplying us with a Review copy.
