The Let's Golf series from Gameloft has come to represent the casual, fun side of golfing - giving players some sense of realism paired with cute avatars, fantastic and unreal locations, and plenty of unlockables to make competitive play against friends all the more exciting. The third and latest iteration of the title doesn't change its basic tune all that much, pairing all the same elements together, but with one major twist - it's now a Freemium title.

This seriously changes the fun that can be had with a casual game such as this as you're now held to ransom by your literal purse-strings as to how good your character can be and how often you get to play. Want to belt out a few holes on your lunch break? Better make sure you didn't use up all your 'energy' in the morning 'cause you might still be waiting on the timer to tick over. Of course you can pay money for additional energy or in-game cash to exchange for items with huge stat bonuses, but no options for a permanent unlock are currently available.

Aside from the frustrations of having your gameplay limited, Let's Golf 3 remains a polished title in the arcade-sport genre. Almost everything can be left on an autopilot, giving you a rough estimate of where to play the ball, where to stop the power-meter for the best shot and angle and plenty of indicators on the putting green to let you know where to aim. That isn't to say there's no room for improvement and veteran players will be able to override the defaults to better position their shots against or with the wind to set up easy under-par finishes.

Frustratingly, the real meat of the game can't be unlocked without repetitive play, with courses being locked by the experience level of your player (which is increased by playing matches). Multiple modes are available once you're in a course, ranging from traditional stroke play to duel play, but the Challenge mode with all of its juicy game variations won't unlock until you've played at least 9 holes in stroke or duel and each attempt requires a lot of spare energy.

Items are also underwhelming in their variety with most players beyond a certain level looking almost identical as they wear the unappealing combination of glasses, laurel and caveman outfits to remain competitive.

Aside from being free, Let's Golf 3 doesn't bring a lot to the table that's appealing. Even compared to its predecessor the game feels stripped down, which is a real shame when it's declared as a numbered sequel. Sadly not everyone has the right to complain as it's hard to argue with 'free' as a price-point, so if you don't mind trading deeper content for the occasional 'time out', by all means download this title.