Sensible Golf

Golf computer games… it's another big, big case of why. Real golf is sort of a relaxing stroll around extensive grass areas. You get to be outside in the fresh air, walk or drive one of these cool carts and from time to time, you hit a ball. You get to consider which iron to use in which situation and depending on your skills. In a computer game, the machine will do most of these things for you. Where's the fun in that?

Well, for once, you may not have a full golf course in your backyard. Second, these games are usually best enjoyed as party games, i.e. with a pack of friends gathered around the TV.

In the latter regard Sensible Golf does a very good job. Its cartoon graphics are immediately appealing. Encouraging messages and gimmicks like the ability to customize your avatar may not have any strict use in the gameplay sense, but nevertheless add to the fun. Beginners will appreciate convenience functions, like automatic alignment towards the hole (sometimes useful, sometimes actually not so much).

And the rest of it is really intuitive: select a club, aim to the right direction, stop the moving scale at the right moment to set power and spin. The courses are varied enough to keep things interesting for a while. Computer players, if needed, are there to fill in, too, and thankfully, they don't play too perfectly.

So it is really a simple game at heart with some fluff around. Though without being pretentious about it: there is no doubt that this is not a "simulation"; it doesn't try to be. That, alone, makes Sensible Golf likeable. The genre's fun potential is possibly actually maxed out with this one. So don't look further. But remember: it is still golf on the computer.