Golf With Your Friends (Nintendo Switch) Review

As with many a golfing title, Golf With Your Friends focuses purely on the sport, or namely its crazy spin-off; Drivers, Irons and Wedges are nay to be found here, with only the Putter as the club of choice, and just the player's aim and timing determining the scorecard number for each course hole. An easy to understand control scheme compliments this structure via a third-person perspective; a time limited scrolling camera allows full view of the course, and lack of any avatar animation present ensures quick and simple round duration. Just Aim with the Right Stick, determine power with the left stick, and Hit with the A Button. Occasional slight frame-rate hiccups aside, this game's design layout and soothing background melodies is a great starting point for those new to golfing titles in general. Even if this simple setup is too daunting at first, the Tips and Tutorial sections, as well as the advice given in the loading screen transitions is very helpful.

This features a huge array of course types and play styles to mess around with, whether in solo or multiplayer modes. Ranging from expected Greenland and Oasis Fairways, to abstract offerings like a Volcano Course, or even a Haunted Mansion and Space-station, there's plenty of variety. The Worms and Escapists franchises also make a cameo with their own courses, complete with custom items. Speaking of which, certain courses and toggle-able options allow for item pickups and usage like a Jetpack, or instant ball-stopping abilities, making for a drastic level of diversity in golfing compared to conventional video games of the sport. Players can even alter the ball into other shapes like cubes and stars to truly invoke the crazy part of the recreational activity.

Taking to heart its title, Golf With Your Friends offers many modes of play in Two to Four participant play just as much as for the solo golfer. Hockey Mode replaces the ball with a puck, and the flagpole hole with a net complete with a cardboard moving goalie. Dunk Mode has a Basketball net as the end goal, and a mandatory use of the jumping function to get the golf ball in there. Explore Mode is a more free-form experience that removes the level timer and limited level exploration function restrictions. Party Mode is the Mario Kart of this game, littering each course with item boxes that provide many beneficial and detrimental effects upon breaking.

With plenty of couch-multiplayer content on offer, Golf With Your Friends also takes the experience online, giving all of the same modes an additional worldwide flavour. Though the game lacks a compelling single-player narrative hook besides the enjoyment of tee-ing off and the need to see the wacky elements at hand, and likely won't be attracting naysayers of the sport, it excels at its namesake and delivers a fun, and fresh golfing experience.