Let’s Golf Review
I’m just going to come out and say it. Let’s Golf is hands down the best money that you can spend on a game in the App Store Today.
I should probably end the review right here. Book it, fanito, endo reviewo, I’ve already told you my thoughts. However for those of you wanting to know more or might be on the fence about this one I’m going to spell it out as to why you should happily give Gameloft your lunch money even if it means you have to starve for just one day.
Let’s Golf is well a Golf Game, but it’s unlike anything on the iPhone today, in fact it’s the most console like golfing
experience your going to find. From the gorgeous graphics, to the spot on controls, musical score and sound effects, and user customization. Let’s Golf is easily the Premier golfing game on the iPhone and iTouch.
Lets put it this way. If the rumors of a premium App Store turn out to be true, I fell sorry for EA and it’s upcoming Tiger woods game as I feel it’s already been topped in the fun, graphics and cost department before it’s ever been released.
So lets dive into what actually makes this game so good. It all starts with controls, and lets golf has not one but two PERFECT sets of controls.
When you first line up to Tee it up you will have a few choices to make before teeing off, but let me explain the layout as it’s a thing of beauty.
The entire screen is laid out in a very clean and useful manner. On the top left is a box with the Hole number, the current golfers name, and your current course score. Directly under that is your current shot number and the Par for the current hole, with the current wind speed and direction underneath.
The bottom Left of the screen showcases your club selections. The game does an Excellent job of picking the best club for the current distance to the hole, but if you want to chance the club you simply slide your finger up and down over the current club to select a new one.
The Right side of the screen shows a top down overview of the course with a directional arrow of your current projected shot as well as the hole’s distance.
However this overview does more than just look pretty. Clicking on the overview will change the display and show you the ending point for your shot and allow you to fine tune the intended ball trajectory by tapping or dragging you finger around the screen. This also could be used when putting to view the slope and project how you should handle the hole. Once you have your shot lined up you press the flashing yellow circle on the bottom right this will begin the swing gauge.
Anyone who has played any of the EA sports franchises or Hotshots golfing games will be instantly familiar with the classic controls.
In Classic control mode you are presented with a half moon arc which is split in two. Half used for the swing force and the other half used for the direction the ball is hit. After you press the swing button the gauge will begin to fill up and down. You do not have to hit it immediately like some other games you can watch it swing up and down and when you find the right percentage of swing for your stroke you press the flashing swing button once again. This takes you into the directional swing section of the arch and functions just like the power meter except the sweet spot or straight shot target is much smaller. Hitting the ball left or right of the green section will either shank the ball or drive the shot left or right of your intended target.
Once the Ball is in flight a replica of the ball will be displayed on the screen with 4 adjusters on it. You can spin this ball to help control how the ball will react when it hits the ground. Think you hit it too hard? Put some heavy backspin on the shot to keep from overrunning the tee. Or spin it right or left to help alleviate your bad shots. These little touch are a really nice and useful addition to the game.
For those who find the Classic control easy there is the Advanced mode which can be turned on and off at your will by simply double tapping the pause button on the top left of the screen and clicking on the options.
In Advanced mode the arced meter is replaced by an arced arrow with the power gauge moved to the top right of the screen. You simply slide you finger back and forward just like you would a real club to adjust the power and swing required. When your ready to putt a different arrow appears where you simply slide your finger up and down to aim and fire of your shot.
Both methods of control are excellent and it really comes down to a matter of taste, but once you get to familiar with the Classic interface you may wish to try these settings and see how much more challenging the game becomes.
With 62 holes of golf spread across 4 different locals, and 4 different fully customizable characters via unlockable, and 3 different difficulty gameplay levels with their own starting tee colors and distances.
Add in 4 modes of gameplay ranging from 3 hole instant play, to tournament, or full blow multi-player hotseat (one iPhone) or local WIFI Wireless (Not online multi-player) and you’ll find plenty of ways to spend a few minutes or hours on the links in Let’s Golf.
Tournament mode is the heart of the game. You begin with the choice of 2 course selections and two characters choices. You than select the front 9, back 9 or the entire 18 holes or a 9 hole shuffle against four other computer controlled opponents competing for the golden trophies and unlockable equipment.
The one negative I found in the game and it’s not really a problem is that in tournament mode you can “cheat” You see in a normal game of golf you can’t endless give yourself a mulligan but in Let’s Golf you can. Simply press the pause button and select restart.
This will only restart you current hole and will not affect your scoring at all. Knowing this remove any of the pressures of the game like being 3 strokes down with 2 holes to go and you just drop on in the river. This can be overruled by simply restarting the level giving you an out.
I found it takes a real restraint from doing this on hole 17 down by 2, and honestly I was unable to do it. I replayed that hole 5 times trying to get a birdie to close the gap and win my first Gold Trophy.
I honestly hope this is fixed or at least adds a stroke to your score in future versions. Something to keep you honest as It’s going to be really hard to stop using this once you know it exists.
Graphically the game is gorgeous. Bright Cartoon but realistic looking animations, and visual effects help bring console quality to the palm of your hand. This is one of those titles you can show to any of your friends who own a PSP or DS and instantly have them enamored with your iPhone or iTouch device.
All the menus are excellent they flow menu to in game perfectly.
Audio Wise the game is fantastic as well. Each Character has a distinct voice, the crow claps, oohs, awws and voice overs for like “Nice Shot” or “Double Boogie” are represented perfectly. If you let the game sit there your character will start to whistle. Each locality has its own distinctive theme music that fits the location very well.
Overall I came away more than impressed with Gamelofts current offering. I really didn’t expect to like the game this much. On all accounts from graphics to controls the game oozes of quality and easily showcases the leaps and bounds the iPhone and iTouch devices have made in 1 year.
If your a fan of golf games, or even if you hate them give Lets Golf a try. It’s currently listed at $5.99 the price of a single fast food dinner and exactly$14.00 cheaper than the closely resembled greatest hits edition of HOT SHOTS GOLF for the PSP. With the exact presentation quality and gameplay your expect from a console or PSP game.
Do yourself and me a favor stop reading this and go get the game. Support Developer who are willing to sell their applications for an extremely fair market value.
I’m not a fan of this proposed premium App Store idea, but if there was one single game on the iPhone today that should be in that 19.99 price point I couldn’t think of a better one today than Let’s Golf.
The Good
Graphics
Controls, and gameplay
Fun, fun, fun
The Bad
No online multiplayer
Ability to cheat in tournament mode
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Category: Editors Choice Awards, Games
Oh, man, I hope I’m not too late for the promo code contest. This is the game that I’ve been wanting most, but my wife would kill me if I bought it. The graphics and gameplay look amazing and the youtube vids make the controls and gameflow look terrific. Gotta get this game somehow!
Wow! the graphics are amazing.
the graphics look amazing and the customizables. how abouth the trailer. big fan of hot shotz
this is definitely the most polished and fun-looking game on the appstore and maybe even on the PSP. it has lots of personality and i like the use of little kids instead of adults. the tournaments are cool and the graphics are great!
I remember loving Mario Golf, and this looks just as great.
Gameloft has been churning out some good quality.
I think that this marks the death knell for the premium section…
Whoah looks awesome. Good graphics and just plain fun to play.
This game looks SO good. I’m right on the edge of purchasing it, but it would wipe out my current iTunes balance. I’m not a big golf fan, but I’ve always liked playing Golf video games. I have an itchy trigger finger and this review is making it twitch some more. I might just have to pull the trigger on this one.
this game looks amazing. Unfortunately, im broke right now so i cant get any games, but this is at the top of my list. I love the polish and the great graphics.
This reminds me of hot shots golf which is really good and i loved it. That was the first time i actually enjoyed a golf game. And this is made by game loft who has made a lot of great itouch games in the past.
i saw some screenshots about tiger woods golf…
the graphics are quite better than in let’s golf but i like this style because i already have a nearly similar version of that on my psp….
but isnt it a bit boring just to touch the itouch to shoot???
i dont know but the graphics are cool…..
Yep this think is the real deal and once you start playing it you can’t put it down
amazing! Great graphics, great gameplay, and a huge fun factor! I dont care much for multiplayer as often, my friends dont have the same games and i dont care to play with random people. As for cheating, ill just choose not to.
Finally
A golf game I’m interested in and know I wont be disapponted
ive never really been into hot shots, being more of a tiger woods fan myself. But im always up for new golf games and this looks like one the best games on the app store. And apparently, it is according to your review. Well done!
looks really similar to hot shots golf, which i love. Great looking graphics, nice sounding gameplay, and lots of value! Sounds like a great game!
this looks like the best graphical game on the app store. Its a little cartoony, but i dont care. I prefer arcade golf sims versus more real ones like tiger woods anyways.
I don’t remember which golf sim it was but I remember playing one on a PC about *cough* years ago and waiting after each shot for all of the scenery to redraw starting with everything in the far distance. If someone had told me then that one day I’d be able to play Let’s Golf! on a machine that fits in the palm of my hand….? Pffft. Fuggedaboudit.
This game has some of the best graphics you’ll see on an iPhone. Keep in mind this is more arcade style when compared to the more hardcore Tiger Woods version.
yes, lets!
im not really a fan of real golf but ive always liked golf games. I dont know, maybe just the fact that you can win stuff and make lots of money if you win. Great review and it seems like an awesome game.
oh my god! !!! i want this app sooooo badd!!!!!!!
wow……..1. excellent graphics 2. fun gameplay 3. Gameloft 4. DO YOU NEED ANYMORE REASONS!?!?!?
It does look just like Hot Shots so I’m sure I’d like it.
Man this looks so awesome.
This looks so fun! I want it so badly… Gameloft sure has brought out quality stuff lately.
this game is great…got it as soon as i saw it come out under the news section…ive been addicted for days mainly for the fact i wanna win it all
Looks like a really nice Golf game, maybe I should check this one out…
This looks amazing! I have like 2 Hot Shots games so this looks great!
I have always had a soft spot for golf Being a HUGE fan of the hot shots golf series I was really looking forward to this . This game looks absolutely fantastic and the reviews have been nothing short of raving. I can’t wait to try out this out!
Reminds me so much of Hot Shots, which I loved!!
And by gameloft?!? This must be good! Just wish gameloft showed more gameplay in the trailer.
looks like a really nice game with the graphics and controls, but i really dont like golf so i wont be buying this game any time soon.
Game looks amazing, but here’s my question:
4 courses, 4 characters. Equals 16 play throughs.
Wish there was a stats/career mode to add longevity, but still looks like an awesome game.
This game is amazing. I’ve played it for hours.
This looks like an awesome arcade golf game, with two types of multiplayer and so many holes! The graphics are amazing, and the game looks like it is from a console. (Yes, I know it is similar to Hot Shots Golf)
really great graphic
in german app store 8 rezzession all 5 stars
i think so too .
great controls i think you don’t need multiplayer for golf .. how should it work ..
and gameloft also don’t make updates xD
i got this game the day it came out. it is really amazing and i cant stop playing. i definitely recommend it
I don’t really like all the recent golf games on the iPhone, but this one caught my attention. And it’s from Gameloft too…
The answer is YES and Hot Shots Golf. If you read the article I point that out
Not only will this compete with Tiger Woods I think it’s already better.
Granted this is slightly arcade and Tiger will be more of a purist’s SIM type game I would choose this any day.
This looks great. I wonder if it will compete with Tiger Woods when it comes out, or if it’ll appeal to a completely different demographic. It reminds me of a Playstation game but I can’t put my finger on it…
Duh it was hot shots LOL guess I should read more thoroughly