Rating of
3/5
Putt Your Steampunk Troubles Away
Chris Kavan - wrote on 12/18/17
Who knew you could combine alternate-history steampunk with mini-golf and actually come up with a fun experience? While Vertiginous Golf isn't flashy, it is solid fun. Plus, it's hard to find decent sports games our group is willing to play, so by default this is probably the highest-rated sports game among the Melted Joystick core crew.
Presentation: Pleasant, if unspectacular, Vertiginous Golf is, after all, a mini-golf game. The level designs are quite varied, from easy to hair-pulling complicated. Granted, both skill and luck come into play with the later levels. The game features some decent design, with the steampunk aesthetic really coming across well. You can also dress your avatar and change your club, but it really only affects the money you earn, plus, that one character design is pretty damn ugly, so I can see why most people would just gloss over that (we kind of just cheated and entered a code to give us a mountain of cash). The clothes and clubs have not affect on gameplay. The game is actually fully-voiced in the story mode and while they didn't have any big-name talent, it was a good effort and the music, likewise, fit the setting. It's decent all around, but nothing that made me sit up and take notice.
Story: Indeed, there is a story here and it's surprisingly good, you know, for a min-golf game. It seems in this alternate reality, scientists have developed a way for cities to float, and the upper-class have abandoned the overly-polluted land to live a life of clean air, education and the arts - this is New Lun-Donne. But, worry not, the pollution-ridden working-class Scudborough can get taste of the good life by utilizing technology that projects their consciousness into avatars - avatars that can enjoy a thrilling round of mini-golf in the sky. While the radio spews propaganda fed by Auntie A.N.N., a rebellion is forming, and soon a story forms of the haves and have-nots and as you get closer to the truth, revelations come to light. The writing combines British and Steampunk slang in equal measure. It's bit off-the-wall, but quite fun - and the end even promises more... we'll see.
Gameplay: Mini gold is often a game of control and at least Vertiginous Golf gives you options. While you only have two clubs (a putter and, a bit later, a wedge for chip shots), that's all you need. I don't think the physics are exactly well done, but if you're looking for a mini-golf game that is going to mimic reality, you're playing the wrong game. In any case, the game gives you a few options - as you hit the ball, you have a meter that fills that lets you either rewind a shot to take it again or a nice little bug that gives you control to nudge your ball. Course include features like holes that will reduce your strokes, as well as plenty of hazards to avoid. There is plenty of variation, and often trial and error can be involved. You have a golden hummingbird that acts a camera to hopefully help plot your course, but the camera angle can often be terrible, so sometimes it doesn't help at all. Also, one thing I hated was that when using your wedge, the game automatically changed back to your putter, so if you hit a bad shot and need to chip again, most of the time I forgot to switch clubs and weakly putted two inches. The gameplay has as many problems as it does innovative holes, but it was still fun to pass around the holes and see who was on point and who was going to get a +26 (I did a bit of both).
Replayability: If you are really a stickler for getting those achievements, you better get really good as most revolve around perfecting levels. Of course, our small group was content with playing through the practice and story modes, nothing more. There is also user-generated content available, though we also didn't pursue that aspect, either.
Overall: Vertiginous Golf is certainly good for a few playthroughs - alone or with friends, but it is nothing spectacular, nor is it a complete waste. It's decent but forgettable.
Presentation: 3/5
Story: 3.5/5
Gameplay: 3.5/5
Replayability: 3/5
Overall (not an average): 3/5
