Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots Review – FORE!
Everybody’s Golf is back! Eight years after the release of Everybody’s Golf on the PS4 in 2017, the popular arcade golf game has returned, but this time things are different. With a new developer and publisher, can the fun the series is known for be captured by a different team?
Read our Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots review to see why it might be a decent first attempt, but perhaps a bit more polish could’ve been applied so this new entry could have hit a hole-in-one.
More Platforms, More Problems
Everybody’s Golf has been exclusively on PlayStation consoles since its inception. This time around, however, Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots has expanded the series’ reach beyond Sony’s platforms. A new development studio, Hyde, has been hired, and they have developed the game for PS5, Switch, and Windows. Notably absent from the list of console support are the Xbox Series and Switch 2 platforms, neither of which is supported (though you can boot up the Switch version on Nintendo’s latest console, naturally).
Presentation-wise, Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots might actually look worse than the previous entry, Everybody’s Golf on the PS4. This might have to do with the fact that it had to run on the Nintendo Switch’s rather limited hardware. While the game supports HDR, 120 Hz panels, and even VRR, I’m unsure why these features were included in the PS5 version, given that the game doesn’t look particularly fancy to begin with. While performance is fine, with only a few stutters that mostly occur when any CPU-controlled opponent is taking their turn, overall, I’d expect a higher level of fidelity on the latest generation of consoles.
Deceptively Simple Controls
Gameplay is easy to grasp and a decent challenge to master. There are three control schemes to choose from. Players who are new to the series, or those who haven’t played in a while, will probably want to stick to the classic control scheme. With this control method, you can choose a club (though the game does usually recommend a decent option for your current shot), decide on a ball to use, and if it’s your tee shot on a hole, you may also choose where to tee off from. Once you’re set on the angle and other properties of your shot, you simply press X to start your backswing, which starts a power meter – press X again to lock in your swing’s level of power. This will cause an indicator on the meter to start moving back towards the right, where your swing began. A third press of the X button will dictate how much curve, if any, will be added to your hit, with a perfect timing of the button resulting in a perfectly straight shot. That is, until things such as wind speed and direction, as well as the slope and type of terrain your ball rests on, are factored in. Other control methods offered include a curved control meter and more advanced controls, which require more precise timing of button presses and releases.
As the options mentioned make clear, don’t let the cutesy presentation of Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots lead you into a false sense of security. The game has some serious golf chops, though this won’t come as a surprise to veterans of the franchise. It’s not a simulation, to be clear; the physics in this game aren’t really too accurate. But there are a lot of things that can affect your ball in various ways, and it’s definitely something to pay attention to.
Unlockables Galore
For instance, you can unlock different golf balls, each with various attributes. The precision ball, for example, helps land shots closer to their initial impact spot when they fall back down to the earth. Other balls may increase spin, at the cost of some other aspect such as impact. You can also unlock or purchase from the shop various consumable food items, which have effects on your playstyle for the next round of golf. These staples of the Hot Shots franchise were nailed down correctly.
To borrow a phrase from baseball, if you’re looking for something out of left field, then you’ll want to check out the new Wacky Golf options. This includes four modes: Colorful, Scramble, Survival Golf, and Boom Golf, each with its own set of rules that can drastically and often comically alter the way the game is played. This can be something as minor as granting your character an extra power shot, to something bizarre such as a stampede of wild animals knocking your opponent’s ball in a random direction. These modes feel fitting for a game that is so arcade-like, and can definitely turn Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots into a party game as it supports up to four players.
Enjoyable Story Mode
One other nice inclusion is a story mode. You can play through a graphic-novel-like story for several characters, where you learn more about them, and tee up against other characters through multiple chapters of each story. It is entertaining, though the story is not voiced aside from occasional phrases spoken by characters. Speaking of voice work, most characters have a few lines they speak throughout rounds, but unfortunately, they say them far too often, and there are so few lines that it gets extremely repetitive, extremely quickly. It doesn’t help that there are also an equally limited number of music tracks. After just a couple of rounds of golf, you’ll be tired of the audio in no time flat. As with many aspects of Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots, it feels like a general continuation of previous entries, but not quite as well done as before.
Some odd quirks were also seen during our time with Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots. The initial camera angle at the start of each round is this weird, off-to-the-side shot that doesn’t really show you where your shot is currently aimed. I’m not sure what this angle was supposed to accomplish, other than focusing on your character model a bit more intensely. A simple press of the d-pad changes to a more traditional, shot-centric angle, and then you’re off to the fairway. The CPU also seems quite unforgiving, even at Normal difficulty. I have hundreds of hours of experience in prior entries in the series, and even I occasionally struggled to keep pace with the accuracy of Normal-level opponents. Once you unlock more advanced shot options, balls, and other equipment, the challenge can subside, but it’s not the friendliest of introductions.
An Okay Start, Room for Improvement
Finally, Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots may surprise players unfamiliar with the series in its style of progression. From the start, almost everything is locked – there are only two characters to choose from, and no extra club sets, clothing, food, balls, or anything else to choose from. You have to unlock almost everything by playing the single-player mode. Unlocking absolutely everything the game has to offer will no doubt take most players dozens of hours. There are at least ten golf courses and 25 characters to unlock, so at least the sheer amount of content will be worth the effort to some. This is really nothing new for the Hot Shots golf franchise, and it feels like older arcade sports games, where if you saw someone had a full roster of characters, you knew they had done well at the game, if not outright mastered it. But it’s something to keep in mind if you’re a gamer not used to seeing an entire screen of blank character slots. Even fighting games start you out with a dozen or so characters from the jump!
Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots is a fun yet flawed return to a casual golf franchise. As a first offering from Hyde, it does feel like a continuation of the storied Everybody’s Golf series, although there are some areas in need of improvement. It might not be the best-looking golf game out there, and the list of things locked out at the start can feel overwhelming, but few other games in this genre sport the ease of play that Hot Shots offers. Yet the controls and nuanced ball movement offer a surprising amount of depth in a cute-looking arcade golf game. Grab a friend or three, hit the links, and most importantly, have fun whether you’re landing on the green, stuck in a bunker, or firing shots through the trees. Just, maybe don’t zoom in on any screenshots you may capture.
Score: 6/10
Pros
- Familiar, brightly-colored, arcade golf, the series is known for
- Over ten courses, dozens of characters to unlock – a good chunk of content on offer
- Wider availability with Steam and Switch versions
Cons
- Almost everything is locked by default
- Graphics might be worse than the PS4 version from eight years ago
- Very, very, very, very, very, VERY repetitive audio (both voicework and music)
- Odd default camera angle
- No native Switch 2 port
Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots was provided by the publisher. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.
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