With the meteoric success and popularity of Rocket League, it was only a matter of time until a new iteration of the racing-sport genre would come along. Turbo Golf Racing is projected to be exactly that kind of game, with its distinctive style and gameplay reminiscent of its forebear. Developed by Halfcalf Studios and expected to release later this year across PC and Xbox platforms with Xbox Game Pass availability, Turbo Golf Racing could well be a contender on the esports scene with its engaging formula and high-octane action.
At first glance, the game seems like the spitting image of Rocket League, leading many online to draw comparisons between the two, but while Rocket League follows season releases of new content and focuses on player competition, Turbo Golf Racing is set to deliver an altogether different racing experience. Incorporating actual racing gameplay with course hazards and power-ups familiar to the karting subgenre of racing, it would actually be more fitting to describe Turbo Golf Racing as the lovechild of Mario Kart and Rocket League, all tied up in the bow of the sport of crazy golf.
When Rocket League Meets Mario Kart
As mentioned, Turbo Golf Racing has many similarities in overall game design and the basic game mechanics compared to Rocket League. For instance, both games share the same futuristic cyber aesthetic that became synonymous with Rocket League‘s overall design. Additionally, both games have similar control schemes, including boosts, aerial maneuvers, “jumps” and more, with vehicle control central to successful Rocket League gameplay. It’s not an unusual decision, as attempting to inject realism into a game about vehicular sports while colliding with opponents and careening through the air would be a hard task for any game developer. Despite this imitation, fans are in agreement that Turbo Golf Racing is doing its best to emulate that Rocket League feel without infringing too much on anyone’s intellectual property.
This might be why Turbo Golf Racing ventures to include a broader mix of gameplay elements to move beyond Rocket League’s more traditionalist approach. Typical of the karting style of games like Mario Kart, Turbo Golf Racing also includes a range of “power-ups” for players to collect that will help themselves or hinder others. In the game’s announcement trailer, for example, a rocket-like weapon is used to stun a player mid-race, akin to how green, red and blue shells function to stall players. It’s not only these power-ups where the Mario Kart comparison is made, but also in its courses, as true to its golfing namesake Turbo Golf Racing uses exclusively point-to-point “tracks” or sprints. Mario Kart has a range of courses with varying degrees of environmental hazards and sprints that have a similar style to Turbo Golf Racing’s own, making it an ideal blend of Nintendo’s and Psyonix’s two respective titles.
Turbo Golf Racing’s Independence
Despite these comparisons being drawn by fans, this doesn’t stop Turbo Golf Racing from bringing its own unique flair and identity to the table. Unlike Rocket League which focuses on soccer, Turbo Golf Racing will unsurprisingly utilize golfing. More accurately though, it would be better to say Turbo Golf Racing will use crazy golf instead, as traditional golfing in games would not have all players competing to score a hole-in-one fastest at the same time, nor would it pit players against another other with power-ups and rocket-powered cars. Moreover, unlike ordinary crazy golf, the courses have been designed in such a way to best suit vehicular play, with welcome additions such as rings that will boost balls towards the goal.
To that end, Turbo Golf Racing also makes a number of improvements to help with the quality of life gameplay that perhaps Rocket League should pay attention to. For example, Turbo Golf Racing allows players to have a visual aid of where the ball will go when hit, and the game demonstrates a better approach to aerial control of both player and ball to keep the game more accessible to play. The game, therefore, could provide gameplay that is easy to enjoy but a challenge to master, and could put Turbo Golf Racing in the running for a new possible esport alongside the likes of Rocket League. Already Turbo Golf Racing seems to be anticipating this model, as Halfcalf Studios has been holding open betas via Xbox, but it will remain to be seen just what kind of impact the game’s official launch will have.
Turbo Golf Racing is set to be released on August 4 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
