Putt Down

[h1]Shotguns and Mini Golf! Together at last![/h1] [b]This review contains no story spoilers[/b] Icehelm has a knack for intriguing short horror games, and for [i]Putt Down[/i], they're revisiting the same ground as one of their previous titles, [i]Gone Golfing[/i], and have added elements from other horror titles, such as [i]Silent Hill[/i] and [i]Five Nights at Freddy's[/i]. Then they've made the excellent creative choice of giving you a shotgun instead of a golf club. You play as John Walker, a gambling addict and all-round ♥♥♥♥ up who has racked up some serious debts with some dangerous people. Rather than wait around to see what it's like to get buried alive with two broken knees, John decides to run. He's then kidnapped by a lunatic wearing a golf ball and told that he'd like John to play a game; in return, he'd have his debts wiped clean. The game in [i]Putt Down[/i] is mini-golf. With a shotgun. Each level has you explore for various items, shoot or avoid monsters, and complete three holes before the exit door opens. The controls are straightforward: you can shoot, move, crouch, and smoke. There is no inventory; you have only one weapon and a limited number of shells. You can buy more at vending machines throughout each level, but cash is limited. You also need cash to purchase cigarettes to lower stress and to save your game between levels. The gameplay is simple mini-golf games with an added layer of survival horror. Over the course of each level, you'll have to contend with a number of hazards. Some levels have motorised shotguns rigged to lasers lined throughout the hole, meaning you'll have to perfectly time each hit and run, or you'll be shot down. Others see you stalked by one of two invincible monsters. One is Mr Golfy, a psychotic walking golf ball and another has you being hunted down by a giant Furby called Penguu, who slowly pursues you only when you aren't looking, weeping angel style. On top of all this, all the levels have their generic suited, heavily bandaged, murderous zombies to deal with, too, so you're never at risk of getting bored. Paranoia is the chief tension in[i]Putt Down[/i]. You'll never be comfortable taking a few seconds to line up a shot, and you'll never be certain that you'll make it to the ball after, which is the point. [i]Putt Down[/i] keeps you on tenterhooks with its' sparse lighting, lack of soundtrack and moody sound effects. The game is cleverly designed so that you'll have to listen for danger before each shot, and this makes you more vulnerable to the jump scares. The various traps around the levels are all quite clever, too, including a great mimic trap that literally made me shout out loud. This atmosphere is enhanced by the worn, decrepit architecture, which gives the game an oppressive feel and serves to highlight the absurdity of playing lethal mini-golf with a shotgun in a building that looks and feels like it's rotting. With two unsettling endings to serve as a capstone to this unsettling game, [i]Putt Down[/i] is a short, fun, incredibly tense and spooky indie that should be in every horror fan's library.

Gone golfing sequel, yeah.

Really enjoying this game so far! I went in not knowing what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised. It's a great mix of golf, horror, and humor. I have not tried the multiplayer portion yet, so I am speaking solely from the perspective of single player.

I knew I shouldn't have taken that loan

Mit nicht geringem Erstaunen, ja gar mit einer gewissen aristokratischen Fassungslosigkeit, sah ich mich genötigt, dieses sonderbare Machwerk zur Kenntnis zu nehmen. Was sich mir darbot, war kein Spiel im eigentlichen Sinne, sondern vielmehr ein unerquicklich zusammengeflicktes Kuriosum, dessen Daseinszweck sich selbst dem wohlwollendsten Betrachter hartnäckig entzieht. Man stelle sich vor: Mit einer Schrotflinte bewaffnet, wird der Spieler dazu angehalten, eine groteske Form des Golfspiels zu betreiben, während er zugleich von offenbar unbezwingbaren, unerquicklich aufdringlichen Kreaturen in Gestalt von Golfbällen verfolgt wird. Diese bizarren Entitäten entziehen sich jeglicher Logik, geschweige denn jeder Möglichkeit der Gegenwehr, was das gesamte Unterfangen zu einer unerquicklich frustrierenden Farce degradiert. Kaum versieht man sich, so findet man sich in rätselhaft anmutenden, sogenannten „Backrooms“ wieder – einem Sammelsurium lieblos gestalteter Räume, die weder Ziel noch Richtung erkennen lassen. Ein Entkommen scheint mehr dem Zufall als irgendeiner spielerischen Raffinesse geschuldet zu sein. Die Ressourcenknappheit, insbesondere die geradezu beleidigend spärlich bemessene Munition, wirkt weniger wie ein durchdachtes Designelement, sondern vielmehr wie das Resultat einer gewissen schöpferischen Trägheit. Hinzu gesellen sich technische Unzulänglichkeiten in Form von Einbrüchen der Bildrate, welche das ohnehin schon unerquicklich holprige Erlebnis vollends zur Geduldsprobe machen. Gestatten Sie mir, in aller gebotenen Höflichkeit anzumerken: Dieses Werk wirkt, als sei es von Personen ersonnen worden, deren Verhältnis zur Kunst des Spieldesigns bestenfalls flüchtiger Natur ist. Man könnte beinahe den Eindruck gewinnen, es handle sich um ein Projekt, das mit bemerkenswerter Gleichgültigkeit gegenüber Qualität und Kohärenz in die Welt entlassen wurde. Zusammenfassend bleibt zu sagen: Wer ein strukturiertes, durchdachtes Spielerlebnis sucht, wird hier nichts als Verwirrung, Frustration und technische Unzulänglichkeiten vorfinden. Es ist ein Titel, der weniger durch seine Inhalte als vielmehr durch seine Mängel in Erinnerung bleibt. Ich kann mich daher nicht dazu durchringen, eine Empfehlung auszusprechen – es sei denn, man hegt eine ausgesprochene Vorliebe für das Absurde und Unvollendete. -- Review by: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561199557161743/

There's a premise here that I can get behind, but unfortunately it hits a point very quickly where the enemies become more of an annoyance than a scare factor. For the baseball man you just have to get his attention and then hide between puts. For the furby you just keep slapping the music box between putts. It does nothing but add extra time that you wish you could be playing the game, instead spent trying to wrangle cats. That, and when you do actually get to play golf, it's inconsistent and downright confusing. Why advertise and balance around shotgun shells, when putting is more accurate, just as effective, and doesn't cost a resource? Why make so many of the courses reliant on jumps that can't possibly be predicted, when losing a course is so punishing? Good atmosphere, solid enemy designs, decent sound design. But still far from a recommendable game.

1시간 정도 플레이 해 본 결과 공포감과 게임성은 좋습니다. 하지만 scp-173 같은 몹이 있는 난이도에서 그 몹이 지형에 끼이는 버그 같은 게 조금 존재하는 것 같습니다. 그리고 의도한 거인진 모르겠지만 스트레스가 많을 때 골프를 치면 총이 발사되어 죽는 게 있는데 의도한 것인지 아닌지 조금 헷갈립니다. 공포 게임을 좋아하시는 분에게 추천 드립니다.