There are only so many articles I can write about What The Golf? (about four or five). Aside from updates and previews, let’s review it on the PS5, shall we? That’s right, PlayStation bros, Triband have set a release date for the 14th of March 2024, and I have a backstage pass to the green.
Before you read further, What The Golf? is not a typical golf game. Nuh-uh. Golf is boring, and the geniuses behind this forbid any scowling, eye-rolling, or poor decisions in socks and sandal combos. Think mini golf meets WarioWare, chuck it in a blender, throw the blender out the window, and then go on a bouncy castle.
Alright, so it is mini golf, but it’s philosophical. Be one with the ball, be the ball – as you’ll tee off as the ball, then seconds later exchange it and launch your body to hit the flag, hurl a sofa, or flip a cat. Cow tipping has nothing on the latter.
What The Golf? Review (PS5) – Very Punny
The general goal in What The Golf? is to reach the green and hit the flag; it’s the way you reach the green that’s unique. Each zone is a homage to classic games such as cat flipping or bowling; there’s a fistful of video game influences, too. Super Mario Bros., SUPERHOT, You Suck At Parking (because Micro Machines would be too easy), or even Super Meatboy. Like WarioWare, it’s mildly chaotic, wacky, and so off the wall, there’s nothing else like it.
During the campaign mode, there’s a straightforward narrative of defeating a computer. Completing each zone will trigger an attack on the computer – get enough, and you’ll battle it out in some of the easiest boss battles around. They’re fun, regardless. To coincide with the mayhem of it all, there’s even a final boss battle, which is quite mental.
What The Golf? isn’t about the story, however. It’s a pick up and play experience accessible to absolutely anybody without complicated controls or instructions. That said, some games aren’t immediately intuitive, and that’s the charm! There isn’t a difficulty level, but optional challenges per hole, which will unlock a series of trophies to show off in the gardens.
Another Round?
The campaign is doable in around four or five hours, depending on whether you attempt everything. After that, you can move on to the daily course, complemented by an online leaderboard, a party mode with another player, special events, and themed episodes – of which there are currently four, including the recent Among Us-inspired Among Golf.
What The Golf? is so irrelevant, so innovative, and so bloody funny, I can’t help but recommend you play this. Even if you’re allergic to golf, scientific studies have proven that just 10 minutes a day playing What The Golf? chipping away at the campaign, partaking in one of the daily challenges, or even experiencing an episode will make you smile and remain there. Unlike actual golf.
Even the most frustrating mini-games (mine was the Portal-inspired levels) are typically over in a few minutes, with you coming away with a trophy and extended finger at the screen. Ha! Beat you, computer! What’s more, I’ve been playing this on and off on the Switch for about a year, and it never gets old. What The Golf? is one of the best comedy games, if not the best golf ‘inspired’ title on the PS5 other than Cursed To Golf.
