Geek Review: Everybody’s Golf

Golf is usually not a sport everyone, but I can confidently say that Everybody’s Golf is for everyone.The long running sports series has always blended the accessibility of arcade-style golfing with the depth of real golf thrown into the mix. Having mastered the courses of previous versions, Everybody’s Golf (or Hot Shots Golf) finally makes

The long running sports series has always blended the accessibility of arcade-style golfing with the depth of real golf thrown into the mix. Having mastered the courses of previous versions, Everybody’s Golf (or Hot Shots Golf) finally makes its debut on the PlayStation 4, and carries on its proud tradition of fun and complexity.

With a newly added hub world and a large area for aspiring golfers to freely roam about and engage in activities other than golfing, this is Everybody’s Golf with a new, fresh twist.

The mechanics are as solid as they come, with your choice of clubs, the courses, the wind speed and direction playing their part in every shot. Add in the lie of the ball, where you land, and whether or not you get a perfect impact on the shot, this is a game that pulls no punches for those looking for a deep golfing experience.

Every perfect shot you make is the culmination of your effort and planning, and you will feel the rush of adrenaline for that perfect chip-shot and the agony of despair of missing a putt.

Making a shot is a simple three button press, first to start the power meter, once more to set power, and lastly to measure your accuracy. It takes practice to gain mastery over the system, as well as to hone your reflexes to get the perfect impact every time. Everybody’s Golf truly makes you learn and become a master, and you will have all the ability to show for it.

Said ability and mastery are also reflected in-game, as developers Clap Hanz has integrated a now familiar leveling system akin to a role-playing game. Every good shot gains you experience, and the more you play, the better you get. Power, backspin, control, and backdoor are the four key tenets of your golf game, and they differ from club to club.

To top it off, Everybody’s Golf rewards you for placing in the top three of every tournament you take part in, showering you with special clubs, balls, and of course, clothing and customizable items to make you stand out. The options are seemingly endless, and you will find it easier to replicate how you look in real-life into a digital golfing maestro

The difficulty in the game is definitely welcoming, especially for veterans of the series. Newcomers should be up to speed in no time, but for those of you looking for a challenge straightaway against the CPU, go ahead and toggle on Serious Mode and challenge yourself.

Special milestones will bring unique opponents, and these one-off matches provide more varied matches and certainly freshen up the experience every once in awhile. The true competition, however, lies in teeing off with your fellow golfers online.

The series staple remains with asynchronous multiplayer (play and post scores on a leaderboard), but what is most intriguing is the new Turf War mode. Two opposing teams of up to 10 golfers per side will play in a timed challenge and compete to finish as many holes as possible. Considering that this mode is carried out in the free-roaming world, the mad rush from hole-to-hole is entertaining, to say the least.

You can run, use a golf cart, or teleport to beat out your competition. Be the best and bag the MVP award, an accolade worth showing off when you are within a pool of 20 fierce competitors. This will appear as a number beside your username, so the more you have, the more you shall be feared on the greens.

The hub world does not just act as a gateway between offline and online, there are plenty of consumables to collect and places to explore. Climb the ladder of competition and you will unlock even more activities to partake in.

Beating certain bosses may grant you special privileges, such as the ability to use golf carts and unlocking the fishing activity. That is a whole other category of collectibles to consume your time, so fish away!

Adding even more charm to the world of Everybody’s Golf are the inclusion of non-playable characters around the hub world and the free-roam courses. Many will become your fans, but as opponents during tournaments, they can be a hassle when you are trying to play your game.

NPCs on the same hole as you might crowd around you, each playing their own shot, and more often than not, celebrations for a great shot can be dampened by a camera-blocking NPC. Thankfully, these annoyances are only visual, as there is no collision for both NPCs and their balls.

Aside from the occasionally meddling NPCs, there is little to fault the game. A masterful golfing experience, the refreshing new take on the hub world and courses, and enough customization options all makes for the best golf game on the PlayStation 4.

The competition, be it offline or online, never ends, and your quest to be the best golfer in the world will always reward you every step of the way. Everybody’s Golf hits a hole-in-one for every aspect it set out to achieve, and is simply pure golfing bliss.