Winning Putt

This multiplayer online sports game is a beautiful golf simulator, but it only works best in small doses. The courses are very well done, each providing their own unique challenges while keeping the spirit of golfing alive. Its role-playing game (RPG) elements enhance the experience by allowing you to develop your golfer to suit your particular golfing style. With plenty of courses to play, you're never without new challenges, and the number of challenging ways to play either solo or competitively with friends or random strangers will keep you busy. While there's a microtransaction system, gameplay is balanced enough that players who just want the free experience never have to rely upon buying gear. With daily quests and challenges, someone can take their time and earn most of the items available to be purchased. But there's a real issue when you're playing against other gamers on the same level as you who have clearly thrown down lots more cash to gain an advantage for a round or a tournament; it cuts down on how much fun you'll have in a match.

In some ways, this feeds into one of the worst elements of play, which is the constant grind of matches in the pursuit of newer, better gear. Since this is a sports game, it can be argued that you'd be doing this anyway, but it's this singular gameplay element that makes the action feel a bit shallow. The same can be said about the skill required to make shots on the green: The three-click mechanic, while nothing new for golf games, feels a bit more simplistic than in other titles. As a result, once you're used to it, making shots becomes extremely easy to do. Winning Putt is an enjoyable game and is fun as far as free-to-play games go, but it's best only in short sessions.