‘Walkabout Mini Golf VR’ Review: Simple & Addictive VR Putt-Putt
Now that’s what I call virtual mini-golf.
Available now on Oculus Rift/Rift S and Oculus Quest for $14.99, Mighty Coconut’s Walkabout Mini Golf VR offers a unique VR putt-putt experience complete with a wide range of uniquely crafted courses, tight putting controls, 5-player multiplayer functionality, and a heap of hidden collectibles to discover.
With over 70 unique holes to conquer, this arcade experience features no shortage of physics-based minigolf content to enjoy. Whether you’re a hardcore putt-putt enthusiast or simply looking for a relaxing sports experience, Walkabout Mini Golf VR features a little something for everyone.
THE ENVIRONMENTS
Walkabout Mini Golf VR features four 18-hole courses in which to complete, each centered around a different theme/environment. There’s Tourist Trap, a sun-baked beachside paradise complete with a shipwreck and torch-lit cavern; Cherry Blossom, a Japanese-inspired hideaway featuring gorgeous cherry blossom trees and Koi ponds; Seagull Stacks, a cliffside sanctuary littered with ancient architecture; and Arizona Modern, a midwestern locale surrounded by large canyons and towering cacti.
Whereas Pro Putt by Topgolf, another VR putting experience, strives to provide the most realistic putting simulation available on headsets, Walkabout Mini Golf VR focuses more on the courses themselves, much like an actual miniature golf range. Each location features its fair share of ramps, tunnels, and various other unique obstacles to overcome. Once unlocked, each locale can be played at night, offering extensive replayability.
THE GAMEPLAY
Putting in Walkabout Mini Golf VR feels incredibly tight. While the interactivity itself is fairly simple (you can teleport throughout the map, pick up hidden collectibles, and snap directly to your ball), impressive physics-based gameplay offers a realistic putting experience that’s as frustrating as it is satisfying. Unlike Pro Putt by Topgolf, however, Walkabout Mini Golf VR features little in the way of help or guidance.
Other than a simple tutorial, you’re pretty much on your own when it comes to figuring out the best angles and routes to take for each hole. So while Walkabout Mini Golf VR may feature more interesting environments and obstacles, Pro Putt by Topgolf is arguably the better option for those looking to improve their real-world putting skills.
THE COLLECTIBLES
Scattered throughout each and every hole is a unique golf ball just waiting to be collected. That’s over 70 balls to find and collect. While I found the collectible golf balls to be an overall forgettable addition at first, I quickly found myself searching high and low for every hidden ball throughout my initial playthrough. There’s just something immensely satisfying about sinking an Eagle and rewarding myself with a new ball. My personal favorite is the old-school Jolly Roger.
That being said you’ll need to keep your eyes open if you hope to collect each and every one. While the hiding spots are fairly obvious at first, the search becomes increasingly difficult as you progress further into the game; or maybe I’m just terrible at hide-and-seek, who knows.
Developed by Lucas Martell and published by Might Coconut, Walkabout Mini Golf VR is available now on Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift/Rift S for $14.99 with support for cross-buy. Plans for an official SteamVR release are currently in the works.
In the future, I’d love to see the addition of new courses and locales; perhaps even a dedicated level designer similar to the one featured in Cloudlands 2.
*This review was conducted using the Oculus Quest*
Image Credit: Mighty Coconut
https://vrscout.com/news/walkabout-mini-golf-vr-review/
