Since its launch in February PlayStation VR2 has already seen a plethora of fantastic games that take advantage of the new headsets hardware as well as the power of PS5. Games like Pavlov VR is an extremely fun multiplayer shooter. And games like The Walking Dead Saints & Sinners Chapter 2 throw you in the middle of an immersive zombie apocalypse. And now we have Walkabout Mini Golf, a social mini-golf game from Mighty Coconut that offers hours and hours of mini-golf enjoyment across a wide range of different courses that look great and provide plenty of challenge.
Since its launch in September 2020 on PC VR and Meta VR platforms Walkabout Mini Golf has become the top-rated VR multiplayer game, enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of players all over the world. After playing it on PS VR2 I can safely say that the success the game has had will only grow and I am certain it will be played and enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of PlayStation VR2 owners.
Walkabout Mini Golf PS VR2 Review
If you’ve ever played mini golf in real life then you’ll know what Walkabout Mini Golf is all about. Except it’s like no other mini-golf experience you’ve had in real life, this is dialled up to 11.
A lot of Walkabout Mini Golf’s courses are what I would describe as extravagantly designed. Whether it’s the eight base courses or the DLC courses, each one looks fantastic on PS VR2 with everything nice and brightly coloured, crisp and crystal clear. Even though the graphics are a low-poly style everything just looks fantastic on PS VR2’s OLED screens.
Each course also has really nice ambient background music that really compliments the theme of the course. Overall the sound design is nicely done and I love the sound of the ball “plink plonking” when it bounces on different surfaces.
Each course has a different theme and they are like their own mini worlds. One of the first courses you might play first is Tourist Trap, set on a rocky island it has a shipwrecked, pirate theme going on and it looks absolutely great. There’s also Tethys Station, a sci-fi, space station-themed course that looks like something conjured up on the Holodeck of the USS Enterprise. The courses are all fully explorable too which is a great feature and you are not just confined to the putting surfaces.
There is tremendous variety between the different courses not only in terms of design but in the challenges that the holes offer. Some holes seem pretty straightforward enough, some will have a clear line of sight to the cup and others might require a well-placed bank shot. But there are some holes that are so deviously designed that they will leave you scratching your head about how to tackle it.
Practice Makes Perfect
Thankfully, Walkabout Mini Golf has a practice mode for each course so you can hop in and get some practice in before taking on the course for real. You can also choose to play either the first 9 or back 9 of a course if you don’t have time to play a full 18-hole round.
Once you have mastered and scored par or better on a course you will unlock the hard version of a course. And if you thought even the ‘easy’ versions of some of the courses were a challenge then you’d better hop back in for some more practice as some of the hard versions of courses are no joke. The hard mode for the courses will really test your mini-golf skills and will require some precise putts with the correct weight to get the lowest score.
The first time playing a course can feel daunting. But you soon get used to the holes, the angles and the best ways to play your shots. Meaning you will improve the more you play. Some holes do seem impossible at first but after much trial and error, you do soon get the hang of it and figure out the best approach.
The challenges faced in Walkabout Mini Golf are what makes it so fun. And there’s no better feeling than seeing the ball drop for a hole-in-one.
Mini Golf, Big Fun
To say you could lose yourself in Walkabout Mini Golf for hours is an understatement. With a wide variety of courses to play and two difficulties, there’s plenty on offer. In almost two weeks of playing the game, I have played the same courses over and over again just to see how low a score I can get.
But there’s even more. There’s also a driving range to hone your longer-range shots and you can partake in the driving range challenges. There’s also a putting green where you can master your putting skills.
But that’s not all. Developer Mighty Coconut also added a treasure hunt feature with a previous update to the Steam VR and Meta VR versions. Thankfully, these treasure hunts have also made it to the PS VR2 version and they are great fun. I won’t go into too much detail about them as they are really cool to find on your own and follow along with the clues.
If you enjoy a bit of friendly competition against other players then Walkabout Mini Golf also has multiplayer. You can play a quick match against a random player or team up with some friends and play a few rounds whilst having a bit of banter.
Multiplayer has crossplay enabled but you can disable this in the settings if you want. My first multiplayer match was a great experience. I paired with a guy on one of the Meta VR platforms and he showed me where to hit the ball and gave me a few tips. It was a great experience and a great first impression of Walkabout Mini Golf’s multiplayer mode. I definitely recommend giving it a go.
A Perfect Game for PS VR2
In the relatively short time since we’ve had PlayStation VR2 hooked up to our PS5s, there have been several top-notch games that made me glad I bought a PS VR2. I can wholeheartedly say that Walkabout Mini Golf is one of those games. The whole mini-golf thing is just so perfect for VR and couple that with the social aspect of multiplayer and playing with friends and Walkabout Mini Golf is a winner.
But even if you don’t have any friends to play with (like me) or you just prefer to play alone then Walkabout Mini Golf is the game for that too. There’s a fantastic amount of content just in the base game alone and with the challenging nature of the courses it offers amazing replayability. You will literally spend hours in the game just trying to beat your best score, tackling the hard difficulty courses or searching for new putters in the Foxhunts.
With its devilishly challenging courses that are very pleasing to the eye, the game mixes tough challenges with a relaxed, chilled-out atmosphere. There’s also a great player community and it looks like developer Mighty Coconut will be supporting the game for quite a while. Walkabout Mini Golf is simply, fun. And that’s what games should be at their heart, fun, and enjoyable experiences. And Walkabout Mini Golf has it in droves. I can’t recommend it enough.
Walkabout Mini Golf for PS VR2 is out this Thursday, May 11th and is available on the PlayStation Store.
Review code for Walkabout Mini Golf on PS VR2 was kindly provided by the developer.
Walkabout Mini Golf - The PSF Verdict
With its devilishly challenging courses that are very pleasing to the eye, Walkabout Mini Golf on PS VR2 mixes tough challenges with a relaxed, chilled-out atmosphere. The game provides a wide variety of courses and content and with the addition of quick-match multiplayer or a relaxed game with friends Walkabout Mini Golf has a lot to offer. Walkabout Mini Golf is simply, fun. And that's what games should be at their heart, fun, and enjoyable experiences. And Walkabout Mini Golf has it in droves
