Game Reviews

Fore!

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Fore!
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Golfers shout it to warn spectators of an errant ball, but yelling 'fore!' to a group of iPhone gamers ought to make them scurry away with equal haste. Horribly imprecise controls chip away at this game of golf already mired in the rough with bland, limited courses. Only its local multiplayer modes save Fore! from complete disqualification.

Instead of teeing up at ground level, Fore! opts for a bird's eye view of the action. From this perspective you're able to slide a finger across the screen to swing at the ball, driving it toward the hole and putting on the green.

Despite the intuitive concept, poor execution yields one of the worst control schemes of any iPhone and iPod touch golf game to date.

The power of a swing corresponds to the force with which you slide a finger across the screen, yet gross inaccuracy renders the relationship between gesture and power null. Quick flicks don't always result in a powerful shot and slower slides don't universally yield gentle swings.

The game is frustratingly inconsistent when it comes to translating gestures into shots. Too often a hearty slide meant to trigger a powerful fairway drive ends up as a pathetic 50-yard swing into the rough.

At least the controls function properly when it comes to aiming, the ball's trajectory responding accurately to the angle at which you slide a finger. Yet even here there are problems, as the game's use of the accelerometer acts as a gopher on the green. Tilting your handset influences your ball mid-flight, though the effect is greatly exaggerated.

Unlike the nuance of adding spin to a shot which has been unwisely replaced by this tilt mechanic, you can watch a ball curve several yards from a slight tip. While it can be to your benefit, the lack of sensitivity and calibration options prevent any means of combating its potency. There should be an option to toggle the feature off.

Things hardly get any better once you're on the green. Instead of your putting power being determined by the speed of your gesture as with other swings, the distance you draw your finger across the screen sets the shot. It's less problematic in terms of power and gauging distance, but fiddly when it comes to angling your putts.

On short putts, you may not be able to see the hole because your finger covers it up during the shot. Even when you have a clear view of the hole, a seemingly straight putt can end up being a hair off the mark. Without the ability to zoom in closer, these sort of errors are unavoidable.

When it comes down to it, Fore! doesn't possess the controls necessary for a fun game of golf. That alone handicaps it, and still other shortcomings keep it from teeing up an enjoyable game: limited zoom capability, lack of variety in course design, and the complete absence of topography as a consideration (each of the 54 holes are flat).

Local multiplayer - Bluetooth and single handset pass around - break through the clouds and cast a sliver of sunshine upon Fore!, yet even this effort is only par: without online play, it can't one-up other App Store golf games also offering local multiplayer.

In spite of its drive to innovation, Fore! needs to stay back at the clubhouse. Its ill-suited control scheme is more of a hazard than any sand trap or pond, all of which you should avoid.

Fore!

As you would an errant golf ball, avoid Fore! and its troubled controls and bland gameplay
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Tracy Erickson
Tracy Erickson
Manning our editorial outpost in America, Tracy comes with years of expertise at mashing a keyboard. When he's not out painting the town red, he jets across the home of the brave, covering press events under the Pocket Gamer banner.