It looks like Kratos is becoming the poster boy for Sony and is making appearances everywhere he possibly can. The latest news puts Kratos the resident God of War becoming a playable character in Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds. Look for this to be some DLC today on your PS3. The voice of Kratos will be echoing on the links now as Kratos strives to become the God of the Greens.
Hit the jump for more shots of Kratos, curious if you can put accessories on him like bunny ears?
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Hot Shots Golf Open Tee 2 is the follow up to the hit PSP launch title. Adding new courses, characters, unlockables, and introducing online play, there’s a ton of new content here for both newcomers and Hot Shots veterans alike.
Not much has changed graphically or sound-wise from the first Hot Shots Golf Open Tee. The courses and characters look pretty good, but don’t expect any polygon increases. Other than different layouts for the menus and different content, this looks virtually identical to its predecessor. Sound is in the same boat, with new caddies and character voices, but using the same background sounds and effects.
If there’s one game that held my attention on the PSP for it’s first year, it was Hot Shots Golf. I must have put in 100 hours in that game (no joke). So hearing about a sequel gets my pants all tingly.
Here’s the debut trailer for the game that has been available in Japan for a little while now. Glad it’s finally making it’s way to North America.
The Hot Shots Golf franchise has been around for a while, dating back to the PS1. We’ve seen iterations on the PS2 and PSP, but now Clap Hanz brings the casual golf experience to the PS3. With prettier graphics, online play, and a brand new swing system, Out of Bounds pushes the franchise to new heights. Here is a breakdown of some of the facets of Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds for the PS3:
Presentation and Graphics: Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds sure is pretty. Characters are very highly detailed with fantastic animations. Each of the more than fifteen characters in the game has their own unique swing styles, approaches, celebrations, and sad moments. The courses are all laid out well with great detail and lighting. However, you will see a few jaggies here and there on the courses. Not the end of the world, but you’ll notice it. Menus in Out of Bounds are laid out very well as are the online lobbies, which I’ll talk about shortly. 8.5 of 10
Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds although being a cartoonish over the top golf game looks graphically very impressive. Hot Shots was tons of fun on the PSP/PS2 and should provide a good time on the PS3, perhaps we will get some remote play as well. Part of the fun of the game was trying to unlock all of the different outfits and clubs. I also never get tired of watching the caddy run after your initial drive, poor caddies, lol.
At Sony’s Media Day in NYC, we also got to play some Hot Shots Golf 5 on PS3. I’ve played the Japanese demo quite a bit, so I had something to go off when playing the US version. I was surprised to see the graphics look even better than the demo. The game runs at 720p at 60fps, which Sony had displayed on a nice Bravia XBR LCD. Just wait until you see the blades of grass on the greens as you watch your putt roll into the cup.
The biggest change to the game is a new shot mechanic. The old tried and true method of three clicks on the shot meter at the bottom of the screen is still available. But now you have the ability to set your power and accuracy by watching the swing. You still use three clicks, but instead of the shot meter at the bottom, you control your power by how far you let your backswing go. To set the accuracy, you hit X when you get come down to make contact with the ball. It takes a bit to get used to, but once you do, it’s a lot more fun than the old method. You can to watch your character more while swinging, which is always a plus. Along with the new shot meter, there are a few new camera angles you can choose from while swinging. This can make it easier to see in some cases when making your swing. The only downside is you can’t change your swing style from new to classic (or vice versa) during your round.
Hot Shots Golf is a fun series and this vesion looks crisp on the PS3, just look at the background in this video. I wouldn’t mind another PSP Hot Shots title, I played that game to death, maybe even throw in some PSP/PS3 connectivity options.
This game looks pretty sweet and if it is anything like Hot Shots Golf it should be awesome. Let’s hope for some next-gen love and a port over for the PS3 or 360.
Here’s a new trailer of some gameplay from the Japanese version, Everybody’s Golf 5. This US version, more commonly know as Hot Shots Golf 5, will hit the PS3 later this year.
The graphics are really looking crisp and the gameplay should prove terrific as the series has always provided.
Here’s your dose of HD.
