Perfect Parallel released update 1.3.9.0 for Perfect Golf a couple of weeks ago and the weight of what it brings seems to lost in the other two Perfect Golf threads. I'm not sure that some of the customer, and potential customer base realizes just how comprehensive this update turned out to be. The introduction of two basic real time swing interfaces, Real Time Swing Controller (RTS-C) and Real Time Swing Mouse (RTS-M) have now put Perfect Golf ahead of the pack in gameplay options and innovation. It's a 'new ball game'.
I've been involved in the Perfect Golf beta for over a year. Much of that time, Perfect Golf only offered two swing control interfaces: 3-Click and a non-real-time mouse swing called Motion Control. I'd weaned myself off 3-Click in 1998, when Headgate Studios retooled version of True Swing in PGA Championship Golf '99. Perfect Golf's 3-Click works as well as any other 3-Click interface I'd ever tried, but even when it's well implemented, 3-Click doesn't engage my senses. Perfect Golf's motion swing uses an analog mouse control action, but it consists of moving a cursor down and up on the screen in a tempo that you would think would be proportional to a good golf swing. When you're done moving the cursor, you sit back and watch the action unfold... in virtual tape delay. It was a process that I would say was challenging, yet sensually disconnected.
Perfect Parallel knew they had to answer the bell with a real time interface a long time ago, and has now stepped up to the plate with real time swing and difficulty options that are second to none! I've primarily been a thumbstick controller golfer since I tasted Links 2004 on the original Xbox. Perfect Golf's RTS-C has a chance of matching and surpassing Links 2004's swing. It definitely has a broader risk/reward component than any other controller swing to date.
If you're a thumbstick controller swing enthusiast like me, Perfect Golf's swing interface is one you must try. It is without question the the most dynamic controller swing interface I've ever laid hands on, but quite a bit of the time I find it too dynamic. Even playing in the game's second easiest (of five) diffultly level, With the XBox 360 controller, I'm doing good to hit 50% FIRs and 40% GIRs, with 75 being considered a good score. It just seems like the tuning is a little too "hot" right now, as I can stand on the practice tee and hit 50 shots, and not one of them will be reported as "on plane" by the swing feedback telemetry that's available there. OTOH, when you manage to hit a shot right, there's a greater sense of gratification because you can grasp what it was about the swing that you did right to make it happen.
There's still some considerable tuning work do be done with RTS-C right now, as the difficulty can vary wildly between an XBox 360/XBox One controller, and a Sony DS4 controller. The DS4 controller, for whatever reason, is a lot more forgiving in Perfect Golf than the XBox family. I have to ratchet the overall game difficulty up to "Pro" (the second most difficult level) to have a control challenge comparable to the XBox 360 controller. Some ask me why don't I just play with DS4 controller and go with the option that allows me to be the most competitive, but the fact is that I simply don't like the feel of the DS4 controller for golf games. I'm a left thumbstick swinger, and I like the higher position of the left thumbstick on the XBox controller's bodies. I have long thumbs and this sets up not only a more familiar feel in terms of tracking the modeled swing motion, it just seems less awkward than the most servere control angle my thumb is forced to take with the DS4.
Perfect Parallel maintains that this is a work in progress, and indeed it's still classified as "Early Access". There have been tremendous changes made to the controller interface, spanning over six weeks now (going back to the beta test period). When I see how far it's come in that amount of time, I have a high degree of confidence that the refinements needed to balance RTS-C play will come, and we'll have a scalable difficulty golf game that can put as much of a premium on your ability to model a golf swing as anyone would ever want.
I've been involved in the Perfect Golf beta for over a year. Much of that time, Perfect Golf only offered two swing control interfaces: 3-Click and a non-real-time mouse swing called Motion Control. I'd weaned myself off 3-Click in 1998, when Headgate Studios retooled version of True Swing in PGA Championship Golf '99. Perfect Golf's 3-Click works as well as any other 3-Click interface I'd ever tried, but even when it's well implemented, 3-Click doesn't engage my senses. Perfect Golf's motion swing uses an analog mouse control action, but it consists of moving a cursor down and up on the screen in a tempo that you would think would be proportional to a good golf swing. When you're done moving the cursor, you sit back and watch the action unfold... in virtual tape delay. It was a process that I would say was challenging, yet sensually disconnected.
Perfect Parallel knew they had to answer the bell with a real time interface a long time ago, and has now stepped up to the plate with real time swing and difficulty options that are second to none! I've primarily been a thumbstick controller golfer since I tasted Links 2004 on the original Xbox. Perfect Golf's RTS-C has a chance of matching and surpassing Links 2004's swing. It definitely has a broader risk/reward component than any other controller swing to date.
If you're a thumbstick controller swing enthusiast like me, Perfect Golf's swing interface is one you must try. It is without question the the most dynamic controller swing interface I've ever laid hands on, but quite a bit of the time I find it too dynamic. Even playing in the game's second easiest (of five) diffultly level, With the XBox 360 controller, I'm doing good to hit 50% FIRs and 40% GIRs, with 75 being considered a good score. It just seems like the tuning is a little too "hot" right now, as I can stand on the practice tee and hit 50 shots, and not one of them will be reported as "on plane" by the swing feedback telemetry that's available there. OTOH, when you manage to hit a shot right, there's a greater sense of gratification because you can grasp what it was about the swing that you did right to make it happen.
There's still some considerable tuning work do be done with RTS-C right now, as the difficulty can vary wildly between an XBox 360/XBox One controller, and a Sony DS4 controller. The DS4 controller, for whatever reason, is a lot more forgiving in Perfect Golf than the XBox family. I have to ratchet the overall game difficulty up to "Pro" (the second most difficult level) to have a control challenge comparable to the XBox 360 controller. Some ask me why don't I just play with DS4 controller and go with the option that allows me to be the most competitive, but the fact is that I simply don't like the feel of the DS4 controller for golf games. I'm a left thumbstick swinger, and I like the higher position of the left thumbstick on the XBox controller's bodies. I have long thumbs and this sets up not only a more familiar feel in terms of tracking the modeled swing motion, it just seems less awkward than the most servere control angle my thumb is forced to take with the DS4.
Perfect Parallel maintains that this is a work in progress, and indeed it's still classified as "Early Access". There have been tremendous changes made to the controller interface, spanning over six weeks now (going back to the beta test period). When I see how far it's come in that amount of time, I have a high degree of confidence that the refinements needed to balance RTS-C play will come, and we'll have a scalable difficulty golf game that can put as much of a premium on your ability to model a golf swing as anyone would ever want.
In the course of about 30 shots on the range, the worst I hit was an 11 degree deviation. It's like freakin' magic!!
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