Out of Bounds easily makes the transfer to PS3 while also introducing the Advanced Shot mechanics.
Mar 11th, 2008 -
Clap Hanz's Hot Shots Golf franchise has long given gamers a highly accessible entryway into golf games, while also leaving plenty of room for growth and depth so that players who put in the time will have a lot to gain. The studio's first PlayStation 3 take on the franchise, Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds, follows this formula fantastically, offering up a super-fun experience where newcomers and old timers alike will find tons to enjoy, and even love.Out of Bounds brings most every aspect of what we've come to know and love from the franchise to the PlayStation 3, but aside from the prettier pixels, Clap Hanz has also introduced a new way to play the game. The new Advanced Shot mechanic lets you focus more on your golfer's motions rather than staring at a horizontal meter, and helps make the experience feel just a tad more realistic (though it's still highly arcadey in nature).Instead of watching the old (Traditional) meter rise and fall as you use the three-click system, you instead press X to start your swing, then watch your golfer's backswing and hit X again at some point in his or her motion to set the power. A ghosted image of a full power backstroke helps you tell when you'll hit a full shot, but getting just a percentage of a full shot is a little more difficult to nail than when using the Traditional Shot meter. After selecting the power, a circle then encloses on the ball, and pressing X a third time when it's fully closed will give you a perfectly accurate shot.Mechanically, the system still works with three clicks and therein is very similar to playing with the old meter, but looking at your golfer (and the club) instead of a horizontal meter simply makes things feel a little more interactive. While, as I mentioned, nailing a 70% power shot or something of that sort is harder this way, I still greatly preferred the Advanced Shot setup simply because it felt more fun. Still, if you want to play it the old-school way, the Traditional Shot option is there for the choosing.As mentioned, the game is immensely accessible. You can rely on doing nothing more than lining up your shot and pressing X three times in order to have a good, and more importantly, fun round of golf. However, once you've gotten the basics down, delving into the more advanced shot options provides a great deal of reward.By coupling the D-Pad with your button presses, you can apply topspin, backspin and hook or slice the ball at will. The cool thing about the way that this is implemented is that it relies not on how precisely you line up a cursor on the ball or some such, but it's tied directly into each shot's accuracy (and your character abilities, of course). So essentially all you're doing is telling the game you want to apply some backspin, and then it takes over that part of your shot from there. It's a nice way to give you extra shot options and the ability to attack a course while also keeping the game true to its arcadey roots.
Line it up and swing away.
Your shot options will increase the more you play the game, such as how you'll eventually be able to dial back on your power mid-swing, but you'll also upgrade your character's core abilities and their equipment as well. New clubs and balls will become available, and though some are clearly better than others, there are often tradeoffs involved with each. So the most powerful club is not also the most accurate, which means that players will mix and match balls and clubs to suit their playing style and preferences.You can increase the abilities of each of the game's characters, as well. After each round, you'll increase their individual Loyalty bonus. Each new Loyalty level gives you an increase to some ability, like greater shot power, for instance. It's sort of like a very basic RPG leveling system, which is cool because it helps you to continuously improve your game in some manner.
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