Vertiginous Golf Preview

Vertiginous Golf is a crazy golf game with the slight difference of being set in steampunk surroundings, high above the clouds. It is available through Early Access on Steam and it immediately piqued my interest when I came across it.

When you first load the game, you are given a choice of video settings: Simple, Satisfactory, Reasonable, Pleasing and Splendid. Of course, I opted for “Splendid”! After choosing the appropriate video setting (if you didn’t choose “Splendid” then what the hell were you thinking?) the game loads and you could be forgiven for momentarily thinking that you’d somehow loaded BioShock by accident. The game starts with you in first person, stood outside in the pouring rain with the Vertiginous Golf shop in front of you. The slogans above the door read “Forsake the eternal rain” and “Your dose of sun and leisure”. Count me in!

Upon entering the Vertiginous Golf shop, there are rows of seats to your left and your right, whilst a centre-console awaits you at the other end of the shop. This is where you choose to begin your game, as well as seek guidance, check the leaderboards or participate in a local multiplayer game. Once you have chosen the “play” option, you are directed towards one of these seats. Once you sit down, your mind is instantly transported to the first of many golf courses amongst the clouds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My initial impressions of Vertiginous Golf were that it looked fantastic. For what I assumed to just be another crazy golf game with the addition of some steampunk elements, I was actually pleasantly surprised by how nice the game both looked and sounded. Sat atop the clouds on these floating islands full of ramps, bumps, moving platforms and other obstacles whilst being soothed by the dulcet tones of a piano, added an almost peaceful element to the game. Almost. After approximately three strokes, any inner-peace that I had felt was soon washed away, instantly replaced with sentences comprising of nothing more than a mess of swear words and hand gestures.

Trying to navigate my way through the courses felt like what I’d imagine being on Takeshi’s Castle might feel like: confusing, high-risk and at times, just plain nonsensical. You do have the option to switch to your metallic hummingbird mascot to fly around the course and aid you as to where your next shot should be aimed; however it was hit or miss as to whether I found this helpful or not as the controls (at least on a keyboard) weren’t particularly intuitive and felt awkward and clunky.

As well as the hummingbird, there are some other tools available in order to help you in your quest to get that elusive hole-in-one, such as the rewind function. This can be invaluable to you when a decent run is seemingly spoiled by a misplaced shot. Use it sparingly though as it isn’t unlimited and you only regain rewind power by using your putter. Rewind aside, you are also given the choice of two clubs, with the pitching wedge in addition to that “ol’ faithful” putter. Add to this the ability to use “aftertouch” to make adjustments to the ball’s path after you’ve made your shot and your arsenal is far better equipped than most of your standard crazy golf games.

I’ll openly admit that I’ve not played many games of this genre but the ones I have played are so straightforward and linear that I grew bored of them very quickly. In Vertiginous Golf, you have a crazy golf game that actually has some longevity to it. In addition, the game supports a gamepad as well as the traditional keyboard and mouse which is definitely a big plus. Although it can be frustrating at times (nearly all the time!), Vertiginous Golf always leaves you wanting to persevere so that you can make that final putt and have that almost euphoric sense of victory.

Overall, I’d say that Vertiginous Golf is one of those games that is easy to play but extremely difficult to master. Knowing which club to use, how much power is needed for each shot and applying just the right amount of aftertouch are skills that only countless hours of gameplay and perseverance will give you. I don’t see that being a problem though, as when you sink that first hole-in-one, you’re bound to be crazy for more.