Golf Rival
Get on Play Store"Golf Rival" is a sport game that offers a good plot and stellar game mechanics, along with ingenious visuals and the chance to compete with millions of players. However, it features lots of grinding, numerous ads, and some bugs that can affect the gameplay experience. In essence, it's a fun and humorous golf game that challenges you to master your skills and outplay your opponents.
Phone
Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- The game is fun and addictive, with great graphics and engaging gameplay.
- Players can progress without spending money, although spending can speed up the process.
- The variety of courses and challenges keeps the gameplay interesting.
- The game often disconnects during matches, causing players to lose their turns and points.
- Matchmaking is unfair, frequently pairing players with significantly higher-level clubs.
- Recent updates have introduced frustrating mechanics, such as starting from bunkers or rough instead of the tee.
- monetization706 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 77 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over the excessive and often malfunctioning ads that promise rewards but frequently fail to deliver. While some users appreciate the option to watch ads for bonuses without being forced to do so, others criticize the high costs of in-app purchases, labeling the game as a "cash grab" that heavily favors players willing to spend money. Overall, the game is seen as having a significant pay-to-win element, with many players feeling that progress is hindered without financial investment.
“Best golf game I've found, no ads, voluntary upgrades and gameplay is excellent.”
“Overall great game... quick games, no real need to spend money in-game, in-game purchases do not guarantee wins, skill is needed on all levels to win, many play modes and ways to earn beneficial prizes.”
“Amazing game, no ads. In-app purchases are a little expensive, but you can enjoy the game without spending money.”
“The amount of in-app purchases you will need to upgrade your clubs to compete with the best players and advance to later rounds is in the hundreds of dollars.”
“The non-stop ads along with the never-ending prompts trying to get you to spend money get old real quick.”
“The ads for this game are a complete lie!”
- graphics490 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising their quality, vibrant scenery, and smooth animations. However, some users express disappointment, noting that the graphics do not match the promotional materials and can appear cartoonish or outdated. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good and enhance the gameplay experience, there are calls for improvements and consistency across different aspects of the game.
“The graphics are great, the scenery is awesome.”
“Excellent graphics.”
“Great graphics, smooth playing, and loads of gifts.”
“The graphics are terrible, the physics are too basic and there's a few network issues, but it's easy to play, controls well and has a relaxing, yet competitive aura about it.”
“What you have shown in the commercials and what is really in the game is a completely different scenario. You are cheating people with ads; the game is completely boring and the graphics are so low quality. Do not waste your time.”
“Graphics are cheesy and it's a knock-off of Golf Clash, which is 10x better.”
- gameplay407 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
Gameplay in this golf game is generally praised for its fun mechanics and smooth controls, making it engaging and addictive. However, many players express frustration with the pay-to-win model, inconsistent wind mechanics, and matchmaking that often pits them against opponents with superior clubs, leading to a sense of unfairness. While the graphics and overall design are well-received, issues like slow gameplay due to waiting for opponents and glitches detract from the experience.
“Gameplay is bar none the best arcade golf game out there.”
“The gameplay itself is a lot of fun!”
“Great gameplay and graphics.”
“The wind mechanics are inconsistent.”
“Gameplay is inconsistent.”
“The gameplay is decent, the courses are varied, and tournaments are fun.”
- stability377 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The game's stability has significantly deteriorated following recent updates, with users reporting frequent glitches, crashes, and connectivity issues that render it nearly unplayable. Many players express frustration over losing matches and in-game currency due to these technical problems, leading to a general consensus that the game is currently plagued by instability. While some users still enjoy the gameplay, the overwhelming number of complaints about glitches has resulted in a decline in overall satisfaction.
“Love playing Golf Rival! I have preferred this golf game as it seems to be more polished and bug-free compared to most games out there.”
“No glitches, smooth and accurate.”
“I've played more than one of these golf apps and have found that Golf Rival does not have the glitches of Golf Master or Ultimate Golf.”
“The game was running smooth until the past couple of updates which has made the game almost unplayable due to glitches and crashes.”
“I would not recommend this game to anybody after 3 games it freezes or it keeps saying reconnecting when you have a perfect signal. Not worth 1 star.”
“The game freezes and I either lose my turn or I lose the game.”
- story76 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 86 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is marred by frustrating quest mechanics and a perceived pay-to-win structure, leading to player dissatisfaction. Many users express that the quests often require specific clubs they do not own, making progression difficult without spending money. While the game features enjoyable graphics and gameplay, the quest system's complexity and frequent updates that alter rewards have detracted from the overall experience, leaving players feeling overwhelmed and frustrated.
“I'm a novice at golf games, this one is my first, I'm having a wonderful time, the graphics are superb, the way the course is designed, meaning you have to plot a way around obstacles is incredible!”
“New updates and quests keep it challenging!”
“Having played Golf Clash which is set up so you fail, which is another story, anyway about Rivals regardless of what some strange people have said I found Rivals to be really smooth after the update, decent courses, clubs, balls, better in-game perks than Clash, loads of different modes to keep you amused tournaments, albatross arena, kingdom one vs one matches, daily quests, and the big key they don't charge in-game currency for one vs one matches in one vs one mode or tournaments like Clash.”
“However, since a recent update, they have changed the quests, removing the chests, changing it to a payment system, and in doing so removing most of the incentive to try and complete quests at all.”
“The advert showing me this game didn't mention at all that you have to not only unlock the new maps, almost like a story mode, but also didn't mention how in order to unlock said maps, you have to also continually win trophies and losing games not only ruins your number of trophies, but also ruins any progression of unlocking new areas to play on.”
“I loved the game up until the other day I played a lot of games to get my rank up. I go to open a chest and it's less than half what I made the day before having a better rank; it was as if I had an amateur rank. So I wrote them, and they said yes, they just started that and they made more quests to compensate.”
- grinding38 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and repetitive, often leading to frustration as players feel compelled to either invest significant time or money to progress. While some enjoy the initial challenge, many find that the need to grind for better equipment becomes a chore, especially when facing opponents with superior gear. Overall, the balance between grinding and pay-to-win mechanics is a common point of contention among players, with many expressing a desire for a more rewarding progression system.
“Tedious and repetitive enough to ruin it.”
“Fun at first but becomes quite boring and tedious, especially if you make a mistake on your first shot with no chance of making a comeback. If you want better clubs, it becomes necessary to pay or wait months to build up the amount needed to get just one, so upgrading clubs also becomes almost impossible unless you pay.”
“The amount of grinding necessary to make it seem worthwhile for a chance at a club is unfathomable.”
- humor32 mentions
- 94 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players finding it both entertaining and frustrating. Many appreciate the comedic elements, such as absurd physics and quirky in-game scenarios, while others criticize the developers for exploiting players financially, leading to a sense of irony in the humor. Overall, the game's funny moments and community interactions provide enjoyment, but the underlying issues with monetization dampen the experience for some.
“The game is so funny and enjoyable.”
“It is funny when a purple chest has the same loot as a silver.”
“My relationship with this game is complicated.. on one hand I love it so much, on the other, it's a long, painful, potentially expensive journey to the top.. it's a hilarious community, and I've met many awesome people along the way.”
“That game is so fixed it's not funny.”
“My only complaint is the wind is so unrealistic it's not funny.”
- optimization23 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is inconsistent, with many users reporting issues such as stuttering, freezing, and performance drops, particularly on lower-end devices. While the game runs smoothly for some, the reliance on in-game purchases for better performance has led to frustrations regarding fairness and gameplay rewards. Additionally, players have expressed a desire for more control over gameplay mechanics, which could enhance the overall experience.
“Game performance reliability and consistency are excellent.”
“It's a well-made game, runs smoothly with very few glitches.”
“Good game, easy putting; it takes a while to build drivers, irons, woods, and wedges' performances, but when you get good side and top and bottom swings, the game becomes more interesting.”
“The performance is terrible and the developers continue to reward unfairly players paying to buy upgrades.”
“Game kept stalling, stopping, stuttering.”
“Constant freezing, stuttering, and game cutting off during shots!!!”
- music13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with players criticizing the use of inappropriate and distracting tunes, such as circus and cartoon music, which detracts from the gaming experience. Many users expressed a desire for more relaxing background music or any music at all, as the absence of quality sound contributes to a dull atmosphere. Additionally, intrusive ads that play loud music further exacerbate the issue, leading to frustration among players.
“Some relaxing background music wouldn't hurt either.”
“Maybe having some background music would be nice too.”
“The only let down is the sound and lack of good music.”
“The music is horrible!”
“You also have to completely close the app to make the music stop.”
“You have this crazy invasive Candy Crush ad that plays at full blast even when the game sound is off, and even after clicking off the ad, it still plays the music.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed, with some users praising its enjoyable mechanics and high replay value, while others criticize the pay-to-win elements and matchmaking issues that diminish long-term engagement. Overall, it appears that while the game can be fun initially, its replayability suffers due to frustrating gameplay experiences and competitive imbalances.
“Great app, awesome replay value.”
“Otherwise, fun game with great replay value.”
“Nice game short term, replayability after about two weeks is ruined by pay-to-win mechanics.”
“2 stars for replay value.”
“As you progress, the game becomes more irritating. The matchmaking system pairs you with players carrying legendary equipment, which makes it feel unbalanced. Skip it or find another app that is more enjoyable.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally engaging, often feeling a mix of inadequacy and excitement due to the game's mechanics, such as easy scoring and the presence of emotionally nuanced bots. Despite some frustrations with gameplay, the emotional involvement adds depth to the overall experience.
“You can't help getting emotionally involved.”
“The bots come with subtle emotional content to make you feel inadequate.”
“After all, it's a very nice game; it gets emotional sometimes, though.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its addictive nature and stunning visuals, which effectively create an immersive golf course atmosphere.
“An otherwise very addictive game with beautiful scenery and levels, creating a golf course-like atmosphere!”
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, making you feel like you're truly part of the environment.”
“Every level is designed with such attention to detail, enhancing the overall ambiance of the game.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players.”
“Despite the beautiful graphics, the overall atmosphere is dull and fails to engage.”
“The game has a lifeless quality that detracts from the experience, making it hard to stay invested.”
