PlayStation Move and golf games. Surely a good match, yes? Well, keep saving up for those real golf clubs because we’re not quite there yet. This may be the best golf game that uses the Move, but that’s only because the competition is the half-assed implementations of existing titles like Tiger Woods and Planet Minigolf. This is very much a case of being the best of a bad bunch.

The first-person view of the ball during the swinging of the golf club is meant to be innovative, but apart from seeing the ball as you hit it, it’s a hindrance because you can’t see where it’s actually going to go without pressing various camera buttons and then aiming by holding the trigger as the aim marker goes nuts. It’s a clunky set-up that never quite gels. Why there’s no option to use the standard third-person viewpoint for aiming and throughout the swinging motion is just baffling.

Smashing the ball down a straight fairway isn’t too bad, although it’s prone to random slices. Fortunately the chip shots from just off the green or from bunkers work pretty well, better than general driver-work to be honest. The putting is terrible though and ruins all your good approach play.

The power gauge is a complete swine for all shots, as it’s unclear as to how much power you need to put in. Even when it looks simple after you work out the rough percentage you need, the results can be wild. Get ready to spend a lot of time firing a ball all around the green, which appears to be made of concrete as the ball picks up speed at a ridiculous rate.

It can be awkward getting 100% power on your swing too because as soon as you raise your club (the Move controller) so high that it goes behind your head, the game gets upset because the Eye cannot see the ball on the controller. Club rotation is twitchy and certainly doesn’t turn in real-time as the game claims.

An early tutorial shows how adjusting your weight on your feet during the swing can give you a boost, but it never really works. Probably because these hopeless tutorials at one unannounced point decide to merge the controls for the pad and the motion controller together.

So don’t bother looking for the little power bars near the feet picture in the corner, they’re not coming unless you use a pad. The game doesn’t fare much better when played with a pad and if you’ve got a Tiger Woods game on your shelf you can’t help thinking ‘what’s the point?’

A Rough Season

The Career mode is a series of infuriating challenges against John Daly. Seeing as most elements of the game are broken, you’re less likely to forgive them in this mode. Things are made worse by Daly’s relentless flow of bullshit comments which will have you scrambling for the mute button.

The game’s presentation is lacking on all fronts. The golf courses are awash with bland textures and the character models are vague interpretations of people. Daly himself looks nothing like his photo that’s on the menu screen. He looks more like political buffoon, Boris Johnson.

The commentary is awful, with the same line often getting repeated shot after shot. Making a bad day at the course even worse. The unsightly menus are casually thrown up onto the screen and it’s a challenge just using the Move controller to select the tiny menu icons.

There are 12 courses to choose from, despite the menus doing their best to stop you selecting them with the tiny icons the cursor seems to be avoiding and then ignoring when you finally get near it. It’s almost like it’s trying to warn you about the awful game behind them.

To be honest though I can only recommend this title if you’re a huge golf fan and are barred from all your local clubs, meaning this is the only place you can get a game. Otherwise I’d advise playing a Tiger Woods title with a pad or trying a bit of real golf.

Pros

• 12 courses
• Cheaper than real golf
• You don’t have to dress like an idiot

Cons

• First-person swinging makes aiming a chore
• Too prone to slicing
• Presentation fails in all areas

The Short Version: Dodgy controls, poor design ideas and the unloved presentation make this a game that’s hard to recommend. One for the sales or a rental if you really want to play golf with the PlayStation Move.

5/10

Platform: PS3
Developer: Gusto Games
Publisher: O-Games