Definitely a neutral but I really don't think I would've played it as completely without a Steam Deck.
I've definitely given a lot of games a pass because they play well with the Steam Deck. On top of that two of my favorite video game genres are puzzles and golf. This was very much up my alley and I put my hours in getting all the "stars" and "blue things". But it really wasn't a ton of fun. At all...
The golfing is very, very lackluster. The puzzles, when collecting all the stars, are paint-by-numbers at best. There's no mystery to the solutions. There's no grey area. No flexibility. No wiggle room. There's one way to get all the stars on every hole. You know exactly how many strokes it takes. You get to see exactly where all your shots are going, even with wind. There's TONS of environmental clues. It's just plain straightforward. In the last few worlds there's some timing added in, but it adds nothing really.
In fact, I would argue the later worlds with their timing events highlight how tedious, tiring, and unenjoyable the game actually is. World 8 with its low gravity and shots that take 3x longer to see the result of is especially painful. And I won't even begin to speak of the finale hole. I couldn't wait that one out, I was done. I had been worn down too much and so I will uninstall and leave that last "blue thing" floating out there in the digital ether. Which speaks volumes that I'm content just walking away after 14hrs with just one collectable left.
It's a pretty game though. Great visuals and styles in each world. Right down to the menus, the artists are talented and then some. But I only played as much as I did because of the Steam Deck and getting in and out. And then it still broke me in the end. I can't speak to how it would've played without going for all the collectables, so I don't outright recommend against it. But it isn't a satisfying "completionist" if you ask me.
[copied from my Steam review]
I've definitely given a lot of games a pass because they play well with the Steam Deck. On top of that two of my favorite video game genres are puzzles and golf. This was very much up my alley and I put my hours in getting all the "stars" and "blue things". But it really wasn't a ton of fun. At all...
The golfing is very, very lackluster. The puzzles, when collecting all the stars, are paint-by-numbers at best. There's no mystery to the solutions. There's no grey area. No flexibility. No wiggle room. There's one way to get all the stars on every hole. You know exactly how many strokes it takes. You get to see exactly where all your shots are going, even with wind. There's TONS of environmental clues. It's just plain straightforward. In the last few worlds there's some timing added in, but it adds nothing really.
In fact, I would argue the later worlds with their timing events highlight how tedious, tiring, and unenjoyable the game actually is. World 8 with its low gravity and shots that take 3x longer to see the result of is especially painful. And I won't even begin to speak of the finale hole. I couldn't wait that one out, I was done. I had been worn down too much and so I will uninstall and leave that last "blue thing" floating out there in the digital ether. Which speaks volumes that I'm content just walking away after 14hrs with just one collectable left.
It's a pretty game though. Great visuals and styles in each world. Right down to the menus, the artists are talented and then some. But I only played as much as I did because of the Steam Deck and getting in and out. And then it still broke me in the end. I can't speak to how it would've played without going for all the collectables, so I don't outright recommend against it. But it isn't a satisfying "completionist" if you ask me.
[copied from my Steam review]