Have you ever heard of this game? It's a shame if you haven't.
But there's not much sense in playing a game you don't like, and to many people...
"Golf?"
Yeah, golf. Personally, I play golf, and if you can think of trying to get to one place to another using what you have in the quickest time possible, as a big puzzle, then you might be able to get around the stereotypical notion that golf is for old, fat men who are balding and Tiger Woods. If you like golf, you'll be all the better off for it. The game plays similarly to Mario Golf or HotShots, with a shot meter leading you to try to calculate how much power you want on the shot, and then an accuracy meter to see if you have the timing to actually get it to where you want. Sounds boring, right? It could be fun to play with friends, or at the very most, occasionally as a breather from more stressful games like your typical first person shooter with bullets and hacker accusations flying. That's, to be truthful, what I thought it would be. However, there are special shots you can perform when you get beyond the basic shot, there's being able to put for-or-backspin on the ball, to stop your ball from rolling past the hole, or to get extra distance on the drive. There are also crazy "super shots" that require you to punch in a combo and then hit a perfect shot to unleash one of two shots released so far: The Tomahawk, a shot that explodes from your club, skipping all bounce, allowing you to place a shot, going the maximum distance without bounces, allowing you to reach places on the course you usually can't: The Cobra, the other shot, is a crafty shot, going low, almost on the ground, getting awat from all pesky obstacles like the wind and trees placed on the course. The game is definitely easy to pick up, and impossible to master. If someone does, it's because they CALCULATE, as in actually use a calculator or software to know where to put the shot.
1. Wow. You're cheating on a GOLF game.
2. Do I need to say anything else?
3. No, that sums it up.
4. Good.
But other than the actual golf, the game incorporates an RPG-like leveling system, classifying people into ranks from Rookie to Pro. The game also features a growing number of items, characters, and clothing with different attributes and effects. Since the game was originally made in Korea, things have not been added to the American version, along with the fact the Ntreev Soft team is still adding new content to the game, much to the pleasure of A18's ever-growing community.
Graphically, the game isn't IMPRESSIVE, but character animations and courses are nicely animated, and there are no bugs or mishaps that I've seen or heard of. There are 6 characters in the English version (so far, and if you play or have seen the Korean version, you know there are more), numerous caddies, and numerous outfits that both look better, but do you better with many of them have stat-raising properties. There are 7 courses, all well-made with different levels of difficulty assigned to each course.
Soundwise, the game is simple. Other than the usual club-hitting sounds, there isn't much. Appropriate sounds for character animations, although the characters ARE (maybe thankfully) mute.
Value? It's FREE. There are no monthly fees, although there is a shop where you can but "cookies", a type of premium currency in the game where you can buy cooler items, clubs, caddies, and accessories for your cold, hard, cash. Hey, the guy coding this stuff at midnight's gotta make his money somehow, right?
So, if my word means anything, I highly recommend A18 as either a breather from your usual online games, or as a mainstay in your gaming library, although you might not want to admit it. Have fun.