Cloudland’s VR Minigolf is one of the best mini golf games you can get inside of virtual reality. The game itself is a flawless idea inside of virtual reality, but the execution is spotty. It was a good game overall, but there was times throughout the game where it would feel like an unfinished product. The game is simple enough. Put the ball to the hole in as little strokes as possible to maintain the lowest score possible. There is a lot that could’ve been done with this game, but Cloudlands kept it more simple than ever.
In this game review of VR Minigolf we will be diving into each aspect of this game that is important to know about. From the way you get to the ball to the best techniques to play the game, we will have it all inside of this in-depth review. For a game that is $19.99, we will make sure you know what you are getting into before you buy this game. If you are uninterested in buying this game for full price, it is a part of the Viveport Infinity subscription as of the beginning of October.
Getting Up and Running
This game is only 1 GB, so downloading it shouldn’t ever take more than half of an hour. If you get the game inside of Oculus or Viveport, it will be located inside of those apps on your PC. If you buy the game through Steam, you will have to choose where the file saves. It is a quick process and one that shouldn’t take too long to download and get started. This game likely won’t be one you keep on your computer for too long, but it is worth clearing up a little memory for it.
There are 18 different holes on this game, an online experience, and even a level creator. The game isn’t a story styled game, but it is worth the download. To come back to this game and not delete it after the first few plays, you really have to love mini golf. Although the level creator can keep you in the game for some time, you won’t be seeing anyone in the online lobby. This is a game that will have a short lived life in your library, but is still worth the download if you aren’t paying full price for it.
Type of Game
This is a casual sports game. Sport games inside of virtual reality usually have some sort of twist to it. Look at racket NX, a game like ping pong and tennis, but incredibly different as it harnesses the full powers of virtual reality and the ability to throw you into the future. This game stick with the basics though, as it is simple mini golf from start to finish. You will run into some obstacles, but nothing that you wouldn’t see on a mini golf course today. The most outlandish part of the game was likely the hills you would have to climb. You’d likely just give up on a real course if you couldn’t teleport in real life when you see some of these hills.
There are plenty of games like this on iPhone and Android, so getting used to the idea isn’t too far out. Regular mini golf also is the same as this game, so we hope you have some experience in that as well, even though it is not essential to playing the game. You won’t have to walk, which is a step up from real mini golf, but we aren’t convinced it is worth giving up the putters for this game. You won’t be so immersed in this game that you don’t want to do anything else, and that is one of the downfalls of this game.
Player Perspective
Just like most virtual reality games, you will be in first-person. It might be a little different than most games, but the idea is still the same. You cant see your hands, feet, or even body, but you know that you are in the first-person perspective. There is no other way you would want to play any title that has to do with gold, as accuracy and timing are everything when trying to cut your strokes down. Depending on your height in real life, you will be able to select the putting that will help you reach the ball best. We suggest going for the longest club, as it is easier to hit out of reach shots.
Theme and Story – Score: 6/10
There is not a story mode in this game, something you would expect from a game in the $20 range. With that being said, there is a story editor and creator mode, which we found to be much more entertaining than living the life of Tiger Woods ever could be. The story mode would have gotten a terrible score, but the level creator came to save the day. Although this doesn’t completely fill the void, it puts a score on the board that is respectable to its competing games.
Controls – Score: 7/10
The controls in this game are surprisingly good for a simple golf game. Pull the trigger and you will be teleported to the ball. Grab the grip and your scorecard will appear. Use the touchpad or joystick and choose your teleportation spot. There are a lot of controls for this simple game, and they each are incredibly useful. This doesn’t mean they helped us golf any better, as that is only the flick of the wrist, but it did help us know the score and our surroundings much better.
Music and Sound – Score: 7/10
If you have played golf in real life, it is nice to have some background music playing while you take chops at the ball. If you have ever competitively played golf, you want complete silence. This game offers both options inside of settings, but we found the music to be more immersive and fun. For each hole on the course, you will be introduced to some new jolly instrumentals. They aren’t anything that you will want to download, but they are enough to hold you over while you painfully try to not triple bogey.
Player Movement – Score: 2/10
This is by far the worst aspect of the game. It doesn’t make you feel incredibly motion sick while playing, but getting around the course has to be the most painful thing we have done in recent years. You can not choose which way you are facing, just the place you go. This makes you do plenty of turns inside of your PC VR headset, making it a nice wrap around your neck. If you choose to keep your feet planted. You will find yourself bending backward to hit the ball a few times a hole. On top of all of that, it never felt like a had a real putter in my hand, and the contact with the ball was often exaggerated. None of the player movement in this game ever felt natural or even bearable at some points.
Kinetosis – Score: 6/10
Cloudland’s Minigolf didn’t have any glaring motion sickness problems, but their movement engine was a nightmare. Luckily for us, it didn’t cause sickness, just large amounts of frustration. The sickness was managed pretty well in this game, and their score in this area is going to reflect that.
Environment and Immersion – Score: 4/10
This mini golf game wasn’t anything spectacular, but it still felt like you were on the course. The sound and graphics were up to par, but the bad moments of movement and bad putter mechanics made it hard to ever be fully immersed inside of this game. You ca have the best picture in the world, but if your game never feels good, you won’t be convince that you were ever on a real course.
Overall – Score: 5.3/10
This game was a fun download for an hour, but it wasn’t anything we would eagerly jump back into. The game does a fantastic job at keeping one foot in and one foot out of reality, and that isn’t a good thing. You always see your guardian on the floor (which helps), but it doesn’t immerse you enough to want to come back and struggle to hit the ball for a full 18 holes on a predictable course.
