When I was growing up, I never had a fascination with golf. However, that all changed two years ago, when a friend dragged me to a mini-golf night. The sport clicked into place for me, and I absolutely loved it. I think what got me hooked was the realisation that golf is a strange hybrid of physical and mental exercise, as you’re constantly theorizing how to execute the perfect shot. Since then, I’ve tried the traditional version of golf, and although I was by no means any good, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience.
But because I’ve never really found the sport appealing until recently, I haven’t touched the Everybody’s Golf games—a terrible gaming sin, I know. However, with my newfound interest in the sport, I thought this review would be an excellent opportunity to check out the latest entry to the Everybody’s Golf series, especially since this is the first title not to be developed by Clap Hanz since 1999, so I have no preconceived notions of what to expect.
If you’re scratching your head and thinking to yourself that you’ve never heard of the Everybody’s Golf franchise before, there may be a reason for that, as it was previously known as Hot Shots Golf in the West. Interestingly, this is the first title in the franchise’s long legacy not to be published by Sony Interactive Entertainment and is instead published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. This is why the announcement of Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots came as a complete surprise earlier this year, as the title was unveiled at a Nintendo Direct event. As mentioned before, the developers have also changed hands this time around, with Hyde Inc. at the helm, the team behind Digimon Survive and Tamagotchi Plaza.
Hit Down On The Golf Ball
The entire experience is best described as an arcade golf game, as the matches are short and sweet, and by no means realistic. The way you swing for the ball remains the same regardless of the selected mode, and it’s achieved through a simple three-button press system. Press X to initiate the swing, press it again to decide its power, and then one more time to determine its accuracy. It’s super easy to learn regardless of your skill level, and within a few moments, you’ll be sending your golf ball flying across the course. I guess its title name is warranted, eh?
When you finally reach the green, which is the golfing term for the grassy area near the hole, this is when you want to try to capitalize on the final stroke. However, the green will often have an incline, so you will want to pivot the direction of your strike. Luckily, there is a grid with moving lights that indicate which way the ground is leaning. It’s really straightforward, but it’s still easy to make a mistake. The number of times I narrowly missed the hole because I didn’t aim the ball in a specific direction is too many to count.
Most games (although not all) have nine holes in total, and you aim to either reach the top of the leaderboard or beat your opponent(s). Although it may be a repetitive gameplay loop, there is a quaint charm to it all. In fact, it feels rather therapeutic at times. It reminds me a lot of Wii Sports Golf and Mario Golf, as it’s easy to jump into a match and get lost in the simplicity of it all. Sometimes, all a game needs to be successful is a decent gameplay hook, and the core components are definitely here.
It’s Club-berin’ Time
If you want to get nerdy with it, there are also more advanced techniques you can implement to improve your shots. One of these is using spins to help the ball travel across the course more effectively. A topspin will allow you to cover more distance, a backspin will slow down the pace at which the ball moves when it hits the ground, and a sidespin curves the ball in a particular direction. Using these spins can also be beneficial in certain wind conditions, as they will affect the trajectory of your ball’s movement in the air.
The way the ball lies will also impact how far it will go. In the bottom right-hand corner, there is a percentage that will indicate how much power you will have behind your shot due to the terrain. If it’s on the lower side, you may want to add additional force to your next hit, so it has a better chance of travelling further. There are also different forms of swings you can take, but you have a limited amount available to you during each game. The main one you’ll probably find yourself using is the power-swing, which adds an additional 10 yards to your putt. Again, you don’t have to apply these techniques to play, but if you want to take on the higher difficulty levels, it will be imperative to master these skills.
The direction you send the ball will also heavily impact a round. If the ball lands in an out-of-bounds area, it will result in additional strokes being added to your score as a penalty. As your goal is to get the ball in the hole with the least amount of strikes possible, it’s imperative to avoid these areas, as this can quite literally define games. You will also want to stay away from bunkers, which are areas engulfed by sand, as they require you to put more power behind your swing. I lost more matches than I would like to admit because I got stuck in a hazardous bunker area, so make sure to always check the map to the side before you start hitting the ball.
My biggest gripe with the game is the graphics and the overall course design. It all feels like it belongs on a previous console generation, and not in a good way. The courses are super bland, with not many distinguishable traits between them. They all start to blend into one after a certain point, and I honestly can’t remember them all. When I cast my mind to Golf With Your Friends, one of the standout features is that every track is crammed with personality and attitude. Sure, it’s taking inspiration more from mini-golf rather than the traditional sport, but there are ways to make the tracks look more appealing through decorations, additional pathways, or bigger crowds. Heck, even more varied tree designs would have helped make some of the courses look better.
However, the characters’ designs are absolutely fantastic, as they all have this anime-esque look to them. I would say, however, that I didn’t like the voice lines. It attempts to achieve a goofy, lighthearted tone, which is initially funny, but over time grates on you. One character that particularly stands out for this is Mizuki. He shouts the most random lines, like he’s in a casting call for an anime villain. Why is he talking about an evil dragon possessing his hand? It’s just a game of golf, chill.
The mode you’ll probably spend the most time in is Challenge, where you take on cups to earn new characters, costumes, equipment, and cash. It starts relatively easy, but as you progress through the mode, some of the tourments and characters’ showdowns can become somewhat challenging. This is why you’ll want to spend cash at the shops, to give your character up-to-date equipment and food, which improves their overall stats. Every time you use a character and a caddie, their loyalty will improve, and when they level up, they will earn rewards, so it never feels redundant to play a tournament cup, even if you fail on your first try. There is almost a nice RPG grinding vibe to it all, and this is, without a doubt, my favourite mode.
There is also a glorified story mode, called World Tour, where you experience each character’s individual story. It’s not the most elaborate, as you’ll have a small cutscene before entering a golfing match. However, I do appreciate the inclusion of this mode, as it provides certain characters with a bit more background. In addition to this, there are also other modes where you can try to achieve a high score or play through a course at your own pace.
Golf-Party Shenanigans
There is also a feature called Wacky Golf. It’s basically a party game mode, where you can pick different rules and stipulations for each match. The most interesting game rule is “Colorful”, where every time your ball lands on a red or blue space, something good or bad will happen. Think of it like Mario Party. You can also land on question mark spaces, which will trigger a special event, like a power-up or the ability to downgrade fellow players. Visually, this mode appears interesting, as there is always something happening on the screen, but after a few matches, I felt like I had seen everything and was happy to move on to something else.
One of the other rules also includes “Bomb Golf”, where every time your ball lands on the ground, there is a chance an explosion will go off, and the ball will fly in a random direction. Again, it initially seems innovative, but after a match or two, you realize there’s not much there to keep your interest long term.
Unfortunately, I can’t comment on the online functionality, as I was unable to find a match, due to the nature of this review being written prior to release. I did have a few matches in couch-co-op, though, and it was a fun time. You can play with up to four players and pass the controller along when it’s someone else’s turn, so there’s no need to get additional controllers! I would say that after an hour or so, we pretty much had our fill and were ready to call it a day. I think it’s highly unlikely that a group of people would play this for hours on end unless they were massive golf fans, but it is a nice palate cleanser between games. Also, make sure you’ve made a healthy dent in the Challenge Mode before playing with friends or family, as you won’t have many characters, equipment, or courses unlocked otherwise.
The physics in Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots is executed very well, and the core gameplay loop is simple yet thoroughly entertaining. However, even though there are a lot of admirable qualities here, there was a disconnect for me. And I think it boils down to the outdated graphics and bland course designs. Instead of offering so many game modes, I think it would have been more beneficial to create better and more memorable courses, especially as the longevity of the game relies more on replayability. If you enjoy arcade golfing games, Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots might be worthwhile for you, but most players wouldn’t be missing out by skipping this one.
Disclaimer: Bandai Namco provided a PlayStation 5 copy of Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots to Final Weapon for review purposes.
