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Cursed to Golf
Cover artwork depicting the player and a golf ball in midair
Developer(s)Chuhai Labs
Publisher(s)Thunderful Publishing
Director(s)Liam Edwards
Programmer(s)Sean Fisher
Artist(s)
  • Jon Davies
  • Nathan Scott
  • Shiino Hiroco
Composer(s)Mark Sparling
Platform(s)
ReleaseAugust 18, 2022
Genre(s)Roguelike,sports
Mode(s)Single-player

Cursed to Golfis a 2022roguelikevideo gamedeveloped by Chuhai Labs and published byThunderful Publishing.Based on anitch.iodemo created two years earlier, it was released forWindows,PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5,Xbox One,Xbox Series X/S,andNintendo Switch.The player plays as agolferin Golf Purgatory, which they have to escape by completing eighteen randomly-selected holes in a specific number of strokes, with the aid of statues that grant extra shots when broken and powerups known as Ace Cards.Cursed to Golfreceived praise for its mechanics and art, though reviews were mixed on the game's difficulty.

Plot

[edit]

The player, a professional golfer killed by lightning right before the end of a tournament, is sent to Golf Purgatory, where they are greeted by a giant ghost named The Scotsman.[1]The Scotsman informs them that they must complete an eighteen-hole course in order to be resurrected, but will die if they use too many strokes on any hole, needing to return to the very beginning.[1][2]

Gameplay

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A screenshot of the game, showing the player and a midair ball in front of a purple backdrop. The interface displays the player's remaining shots and cards.
The game has a pixel art aesthetic

The holes, randomly selected from approximately 70 predesigned levels, are viewed from a two-dimensionalside-scrollingperspective and form themed biomes, each with specific features and obstacles.[1][2][3]In addition, "cursed" holes that are usually optional occasionally handicap the player; for example, they may temporarily restrict the player's aim to a specific direction.[1][4]There are alsoBoss battlesat the end of each biome, which have players competing against an opponent; they feature special statues that stun the Boss when broken.[3]The Boss es include The Scotsman, The Explorer, and The Forgotten.[4]

The player has access to three clubs, adriver,aniron,and awedge,and aims each shot by timing button presses to select power and direction.[1]A moving arc, showing the ball's flight path, is displayed while aiming, and the player can redo a shot's power during this time, allowing them to precisely avoid obstacles.[1]The player starts with five shots on each hole, but can gain more by smashing gold and silver statues that yield four or two more shots, respectively.[3]The player can also spin the ball when it lands to slightly change its direction.[3]In addition, single-use Ace Cards, which are received after defeating cursed levels or purchased from shops using cash earned for having excess shots, provide the player temporary upgrades or abilities.[3][4]Examples of cards include amulligan,which can be used to retry a shot, and a U-Turn card, allowing players to reaim the ball in midair.[1]When the player dies, their cash and Ace Cards are lost (unless the cards are stored at a shop), but they receive permanent rewards from the Boss es and do not have to fight them again.[4]The game is considered to be part of theroguelikegenre due to itspermanent deathmechanic, randomness arising from the variety of holes, and rewards from defeating Boss es.[1][4]

Development and release

[edit]

Cursed to Golfwas developed byKyoto-basedindie studioChuhai Labs and published byThunderful Publishing.[1][5]It was directed by Liam Edwards, with Sean Fisher as the lead programmer and Jon Davies as the art director.[1]The soundtrack was composed by Mark Sparling, who also wrote the music forA Short Hike.[4]Edwards, who previously worked atRockstar Games,created the original version of the game onitch.ioin 2020.[5][6][7][8]He listedphysics gamesand apodcastabout roguelikes as inspiration for the game, stating that the golf aspect came from an initial prototype of a bouncing ball in a dungeon.[5][6]

Cursed to Golfwas first announced forWindowsandNintendo Switchon Thunderful'sYouTubechannel on August 30, 2021, with a then-undetermined release date in 2022.[7][9][10]It was further showcased at the ID@Xbox Showcase and Future Games Show in March 2022, with a release scheduled for summer 2022 onXbox Series X/SandXbox Onein addition to PC and Switch, and a limited-timeSteamdemobecame available that month.[11]On July 7, 2022, the exact release date of August 18 was announced, in addition to its availability onPlayStation 4and5.[12][13][14]The game was released on that date, becoming available on Steam,GOG,and theEpic Games Storefor PC in addition to the console systems.[15]

Reception

[edit]

Cursed to Golfreceived "generally favorable" reviews for most platforms according toreview aggregatorMetacritic;[16][18][19]the PlayStation 5 version received "mixed or average" reviews.[17]

Prior to its launch,Cursed to Golfhad been described as "theDark Soulsof golf "due to its difficulty.[2][26][27]Critics universally noted this difficulty, though viewed it differently: some, like Graham Banas ofPush Square,found the difficulty curve to be "satisfying", while others, likeEurogamerItaly's Simone Cantini, thought the game to be unnecessarily frustrating.[23][28]Polygonreviewer Russ Frushtick likened the game's intensity to other roguelikes such asSpelunky HDandSlay the Spire,though he specifically highlighted frustrations arising from limited vision and guesswork.[2]In addition, Rachel Watts ofRock Paper Shotgunand Juan Rubio of theSpanish-language siteVandalcriticized the game's replayability as a roguelike and its slow pace.[15][25]However, several reviewers, includingGameSpot'sSteven Petite, praised the simplicity of the game's controls, and individual mechanics like Ace Cards and spinning the ball were commended by Watts and Alan Wen ofNME,respectively.[3][4][15]

Cursed to Golf'spixel artaesthetic was praised by reviewers such as Petite, Wen, and Chris Scullion ofVideo Games Chronicle.[1][3][4]Petite and Scullion also lauded itschiptunesoundtrack, though Banas found it to become repetitive.[1][4][23]Meanwhile, the latter enjoyed the game's "witty and macabre" writing.[23]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcdefghijklmScullion, Chris (August 18, 2022)."Review: Cursed to Golf is a stroke of genius".Video Games Chronicle.RetrievedAugust 21,2022.
  2. ^abcdFrushtick, Russ (August 18, 2022)."Cursed to Golf has history's hardest video game golf course".Polygon.RetrievedAugust 21,2022.
  3. ^abcdefghWen, Alan (August 18, 2022)."'Cursed To Golf' review: fore ".NME.RetrievedAugust 22,2022.
  4. ^abcdefghijPetite, Steven (August 18, 2022)."Cursed To Golf Review - An Ace In The Hole".GameSpot.RetrievedAugust 21,2022.
  5. ^abcLow, Samantha (November 10, 2021)."10 Questions With Kyoto-based Video Game Director Liam Edwards".Tokyo Weekender.RetrievedAugust 21,2022.
  6. ^abJohnson, Ben (August 19, 2022)."From itch to Switch – the story of Cursed to Golf's development".Pocket Tactics.RetrievedAugust 21,2022.
  7. ^abMorton, Lauren (September 1, 2021)."Cursed To Golf is a" golf like "that's also a roguelike with over 80 holes".Rock Paper Shotgun.RetrievedAugust 22,2022.
  8. ^Edwards, Liam."Cursed to Golf".itch.io.RetrievedAugust 21,2022.
  9. ^Fahey, Mike (August 30, 2021)."This Is No Ordinary Golf Game".Kotaku.RetrievedAugust 22,2022.
  10. ^Thunderful Games(August 30, 2021).Cursed to Golf - Announcement Trailer(Video).RetrievedAugust 27,2022– viaYouTube.
  11. ^LeClair, Kyle (March 24, 2022)."Cursed to Golf Tees Off This Summer, Limited-Time Demo Now Available".Hardcore Gamer.RetrievedAugust 22,2022.
  12. ^Cunningham, James (July 7, 2022)."Golf Purgatory Draws Closer with Cursed to Golf Release Date Trailer".Hardcore Gamer.RetrievedAugust 22,2022.
  13. ^Edwards, Liam (July 7, 2022)."Cursed to Golf tees off on August 18 for PS5 and PS4".PlayStation Blog.RetrievedAugust 22,2022.
  14. ^Thunderful Games(July 7, 2022).Cursed to Golf | Are You Ready to Golf? | August 18th on PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch & Xbox(Video).RetrievedAugust 27,2022– viaYouTube.
  15. ^abcWatts, Rachel (August 19, 2022)."Cursed To Golf review: a charming golf sim that's stuck in roguelike purgatory".Rock Paper Shotgun.RetrievedAugust 22,2022.
  16. ^ab"Cursed to Golf for PC Reviews".Metacritic.RetrievedNovember 3,2022.
  17. ^ab"Cursed to Golf for PlayStation 5 reviews".Metacritic.RetrievedNovember 3,2022.
  18. ^ab"Cursed to Golf for Switch Reviews".Metacritic.RetrievedNovember 16,2022.
  19. ^ab"Cursed to Golf for Xbox Series X Reviews".Metacritic.Retrieved7 September2022.
  20. ^LeClair, Kyle (August 24, 2022)."Review: Cursed to Golf".Hardcore Gamer.RetrievedAugust 27,2022.
  21. ^Vogel, Mitch (August 25, 2022)."Cursed to Golf Review (Switch eShop)".Nintendo Life.RetrievedAugust 27,2022.
  22. ^Rairdin, John (September 23, 2022)."Cursed to Golf (Switch) Review Mini".Nintendo World Report.RetrievedNovember 3,2022.
  23. ^abcdBanas, Graham (August 18, 2022)."Mini Review: Cursed to Golf (PS5) - A Fun, Hilarious Spin on the Roguelike".Push Square.RetrievedAugust 22,2022.
  24. ^Musgrave, Shaun (August 23, 2022)."SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring 'Cursed to Golf' and 'Blossom Tales II', Plus the Latest Releases and Sales".TouchArcade.RetrievedAugust 27,2022.
  25. ^abRubio, Juan (August 18, 2022)."Análisis Cursed to Golf, la maldición del golfista (PC, Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One)"[Cursed to Golf review, the golfer's curse (PC, Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One)].Vandal(in Spanish).RetrievedAugust 27,2022.
  26. ^Weber, Michael (August 31, 2021)."'Cursed to Golf' Gameplay Preview: The 'Dark Souls' Of Golf ".NME.RetrievedAugust 22,2022.
  27. ^"Cursed to Golf - Official Introduction Trailer".IGN.August 30, 2021.RetrievedAugust 30,2021.
  28. ^Cantini, Simone (August 18, 2022)."Cursed to Golf, la recensione".Eurogamer.it(in Italian).RetrievedAugust 22,2022.
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