OK Golf
2017 video game
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OK Golf is a 2017 golf video game developed and published by Okidokico Entertainment. Gameplay follows the player shooting a golf ball to a hole through a golf course in the least amount of shots, similar to actual golf. It was released for iOS in February 2017, followed by a port for Android—published by Playdigious—in May 2017, and a tvOS version in June 2017. OK Golf was met with a mixed reception, with praise for its graphics but criticism for its gameplay and controls.
- iOS
- February 9, 2017
- Android
- May 9, 2017
- tvOS
- June 28, 2017
Gameplay
Set in Aberdeen, Scotland,[1] OK Golf tasks the player to hit a golf ball across four different courses with nine holes each in the least amount of shots.[2][3] To make a shot, the player pulls back on the screen;[3] pulling farther will result in a stronger super shot.[4] The player must evade hazards such as trees and sand,[5] and they are given no golf clubs.[3] Each course contains a secret hole that is situated at a hidden point.[3]
OK Golf has three modes: championship, time trial, and freeplay. Time trial mode requires the player to complete all courses in the least amount of time,[3] and freeplay mode allows the player to go through each hole of the course at their own pace.[2]
Release
OK Golf was developed by the Canadian studio Okidokico Entertainment.[6] It was released for iOS on February 9, 2017,[7][8] and for Android by Playdigious on May 9, 2017.[9][10][11] A port for tvOS was released on June 28, 2017.[12]
A new golf course named Miami Palms and two new modes—online and pass and play multiplayer—were added in May 2017.[9][13] New England and Paris courses were added in June and August 2017 respectively,[12][14] along with another course titled Lapland and iPhone X compatibility in December 2017.[15] Another course, commemorating its first anniversary, was added in February 2018.[16]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 65/100[17] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Gamezebo | 60/100[18] |
| Pocket Gamer | 3.5/5[4] |
| TouchArcade | 3.5/5[3] |
| 148Apps | 3/5[2] |
On the review aggregation website Metacritic, OK Golf has a "mixed or average" score of 65 based on six critics.[17]
The gameplay received mixed opinions. While some critics found OK Golf relaxing,[4][19] others felt negative towards its oversimplified style of gameplay.[2][3][4] 148Apps writer Campbell Bird and Nik Ives-Allison of Gamezebo criticized the limited amount of shot capabilities,[2][18] the latter of whom thought it had "unrealistic" par ratings and inaccurate golf clubs.[18] Additionally, TouchArcade's Carter Dotson noted its "rather punishing" hazards but praised the time trial mode.[3]
Conversely, the graphics were praised; reviewers appreciated OK Golf's minimalist art style.[19][18] Dotson described the graphics as "immediately striking" and stated that its choice to be set in a "sterile abyss" was "rather cool".[3] Bird highlighted that the variety in finding a solution to complete a course helped to increase replayability.[2]
OK Golf's controls were negatively received for their poor performance. While most reviewers found them simple and easy to learn,[4][19] others found them imprecise,[3][18] pointing out issues in rotating the camera.[4][19] Ives-Allison remarked that the controls were "sticky", drawing attention to the inconsistent speed at which the screen and projection lines move.[18] Additionally, Dotson criticized its "annoying" shaking effect, the "imperfect" shot controls, and the "random" super shot.[3]