We got to play a couple holes with two of the games creators - don't ask the score (remember, they created the game). There are several options for standard modes, including pro tournaments, a mirrored-course mode and standard stroke play. There are also some twists on a standard day on the links, such as closest to the pin, targeted golf or ring shot mode, which forces you to hit the ball through delightful rainbow rings to win. We decided to try one of the more time-honored matches, and played a skins game on the front nine of one of the eight traditional courses.
In addition to the regular courses, there are three pitch 'n' putt courses, made up of par three holes and one wacky putting course. When playing multiplayer games on a single system, everything is customizable, right down to moving the tee boxes forwards or back and how much (if any) of the trajectory of the ball is shown, without factoring in wind or our lack of an ability to hit unlimited perfect shots in a row. On the easier settings, the game will even show you if you're about to hit a tree.
Online, there are only two ways to play the game, so as to ensure quick matchmaking. Beginner Rules shows the entire trajectory of each shot, but Master Rules only shows the very beginning. Both modes are always played as nine-hole shuffles to keep thing interesting without letting anyone play their home course over and over. In a match, two golfers will play each other at a time and the winner will get a badge with the loser's face, golfer strength and number of wins to put in their win record page. If you can win enough, you'll unlock something, but don't ask us what; we need to play quite a few more rounds before we'll know the answer.
There are a whole lot of things to unlock in the game, but what's more important is how fun the core game is. Camelot's track record for good golf games, their focus on simple swing-based controls and the addition of Wi-Fi support Make it seem like We Love Golf is going to be at least on par with other golf games. However, like anytime out on the course, how much fun you have comes down to how much fun it is to swing the club when you're on the 18th hole and you've been playing all day. We'll let you know that when we get our hands on a finished copy. Look for the game in stores when it's released this summer.
Apr 1, 2008
