‘Metagolf’ Preview – Golf Meets Platforming
As strange a concept as it may seem, Metagolf presents an enjoyable and unique game of golf, despite being a 2D sidescroller.
When you load up Metagolf the first thing you’ll notice are the bright visuals. The art style can only be described as a childish cartoon, though it’s quite pleasing for the eyes. Right away you’ll be able to change the colour of your character and give them a name. Then, you can choose the level you wish to play and edit the options to your liking. That’s all there is to the menu, simple and functional.
The idea of a sidescrolling, 2D platforming golf game may sound odd, but it is far simpler in execution. Your character can run around freely and when you choose to actually hit the ball just aim with your mouse, hold down your mouse button and release when the power bar is at a desired level. This is the simple core of Metagolf‘s gameplay. Its simplistic physics and 4-player local multiplayer make the game something easy to pick up and play.
One annoyance I found was when you start a course not knowing where the ball is. It can be frustrating and get in the way of actually playing golf. Even when you finally find it, you then have to find the pin with no tips whatsoever. It gets easier the second and third time you play a course, but could certainly be fixed.
An easy fix to this would be for developer Michaël Lievens to create more smaller-sized levels, as they were among the easiest and most pleasurable to play on. The simple golf mechanics on the small levels make multiplayer competition much like real golf, strategic and fun.
There are certain puzzle elements that have you controlling your ball through buttons that move platforms or create gravity. It’s a fun way to show off the physics, and some of the best parts of Metagolf.
While it’s currently in beta and still 7 months from seeing official release, Metagolf is already fully playable. While there were a few graphical issues and player physics feel pretty loose during platforming, the game is in surprisingly good shape for a beta.
I personally found that the default settings should not allow players to push the ball using the character. It somewhat took away from the feeling of playing golf, as did the inclusion of ball addicted animals. This is simply a personal preference and I’m thankful that Metagolf includes easily adjustable options to cater the game to anyone’s needs.
Thus far the game has 14 playable levels, a tutorial to learn how to play, and a level editor for creating your own courses. The game lacks a lot of the extras found in many games today, including online play, but does seem to be easily moddable and an overall enjoyable multiplayer romp. Of course, everything I’m saying pertains to the beta, so many improvements and extras are bound to arrive before its release. For instance, a campaign mode for unlocking courses is already in the works.
You can find out more information on Metagolf over on the official website.
