It’s possible that you may not be familiar with the word vertiginous. Much like myself then, apart from it having something to do with golf you probably don’t understand the concept behind Vertiginous Golf. Without getting any deeper into this we probably need to define this mysterious word because, according to Google Chrome’s spell check, vertiginous is actually a word.
ver·tig·i·nousvərˈtijənəsadjective
- causing vertigo, esp. by being extremely high or steep.“vertiginous drops to the valleys below”
Great! Now that we’re reading at a 6th grade level we can continue on. Once you understand what vertiginous means you probably have a much better idea of what the game might entail. Vertiginous Golf is a unique “dystopian steampunk golf adventure” set high atop the clouds of a unique world. Vertigo inducing indeed, you actually are playing golf on floating steam powered islands in the sky! At the very least you’ve got to give Surprise Attack Games credit for dreaming something like this up.
A search for golf games on Steam reveals a shocking lack of titles on Steam. As such, it may have been a while since you’ve played a miniature golf type game on the PC. Taking into account an almost total lack of golf games on Steam, Surprise Attack Games probably could have just created any old golf game and virtually cornered the market on Steam. That simple fact makes Vertiginous Golf even more impressive because it’s so much more than any old golf game.
Upon loading up Vertiginous Golf the player is transported to a rain soaked steampunk city street. As I walk into a dimly lit shop I realize that I’m actually just in the games interactive menu system! Once I chose my objective, a strange electric chair-type thing transported me into the cloud world of Vertiginous Golf. The game itself is unlike any golf game I’ve ever played before, miniature included. A thorough player tutorial gives me a much needed walkthrough to all of the tools at my disposal. A robot hummingbird literally gives me a bird’s eye view of the unique courses, my mechanical golf ball has a tiny booster rocket on the top that allows a small degree of player control as to its final destination. As much as being able to control your ball midair might sound like cheating, believe me in Vertiginous Golf you’ll come to appreciate it.
You might be familiar with golf games, but Vertiginous Golf is a totally different breed. Miniature golf fans will be familiar with the basic idea of hitting a ball with a club to get it into a hole. Where Vertiginous Golf really sets itself apart are the multi-tiered levels and steampunk inspired traps that force the player to more closely examine their shots. Like traditional golf, each hole in Vertiginous Golf has a par that you are expected to meet or beat. Wildly swinging your club can get you into some pretty tough situations. Many times I found myself trying to brute force the ball over an obstacle only to witness my ball flying off the course entirely and dropping into the clouds below. In my attempts at various holes I did manage to improve my play enough to beat a par once. Vertiginous Golf rewards a skilled player who analyzes their shots and figured out the puzzle-like course. Players looking for a challenge will love the leaderboards and the upcoming daily challenges planned for the future.
Currently available on Steam Early Access, Vertiginous Golf features leaderboards, 1-4 player local multiplayer,and 18 holes. Future updates are planned to include Steam Workshop support, a full storyline, online multiplayer, controller support, and 45+ holes. Additionally, Surprise Attack Games have taken an active stance on wanting to build the type of game their audience desires. Their willingness to hear feedback from fans and take suggestions for ways to evolve the game is a refreshing thing to see and something more Early Access developers should consider.
Despite the fact that the game is an Early Access title, during my playthrough I only encountered a single bug that made my ball unable to move when hit with either club. A fairly serious and strange bug for sure, but for the most part Vertiginous Golf could be on full release now and I’d says it’s a good deal. The fact that there’s a ton of additional content planned and Steam Workshop support coming makes the game a must watch for people looking for a unique puzzle-like challenge, golf fan or not.
