Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds for Playstation 3: Hands-on Preview

The Hot Shots Golf franchise is the most popular name in golf video games, spawning many coy cats. It is also the latest Sony franchise to make the jump into the next-generation with the Playstation 3. How does Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds compare to previous titles of the franchise? Find out in this hands-on preview.

Graphics
Even though Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds has been out for awhile in Japan, it is still by far the best looking golf game on the market. While the super deformed anime character models may not appeal to everyone, they are extremely detailed. In addition, the golf courses are lush and atmospheric.

Sound
The music in the game has the same style as previous games. Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds compose of upbeat music that is simple and catchy. Anime-like voices also return in the latest game.

Gameplay
What makes the Hot Shots Golf franchise so successful is the simple yet addicting gameplay. Fortunately, Out of Bounds doesn't stray far from the tried-and-true formula.

The game of golf has been simplified in Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds in order to maximize the enjoyment. The game will automatically set the club and the distance you needed to drive for you. In addition, you will be directly facing the hole every time. All you really have to do is to hit the X button at the right time for the power and accuracy of your swing.

If need be, you can choose your own club, distance and direction. Most of the time, however, you only need to change the direction of your swing to adjust to the wind when driving and to the height of the green when putting.

New to the series is the advanced swing mode, which ditches the timing bars for a more realistic feel. Instead of relying on bars, you will need to pay attention to your backswing for power and the ball for accuracy. Once you got the timing down, you will end up preferring advance mode over the traditional one since the gorgeous graphics in Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds truly shines without all the bars blocking the view.