Everybody's Golf Hot Shots Review, Gameplay Impressions, Videos and Features

Everybody's Golf Hot Shots from developer Hyde marks a return of a beloved arcade-like golf game to prominence on multiple platforms. 

Everybody's Golf is the first game in the series in eight years, the last coming in 2017 with a different developer. Largely known as Hot Shots Golf in North America, this game combines multiple naming conventions, helping it feel familiar in both name and stylistic gameplay. 

The popular series returns with its tried-and-true classic three-button shot input, while also weaving in new options and gameplay features to match modern console platforms and game design. 

While the game still needs to hit the links to actually prove itself, the long-ago established foundation and early glimpses suggest Everybody's Golf could be on its way to a triumphant, can't-miss return. 

Graphics and Gameplay

From an overall presentation standpoint, Everybody's Golf looks like a fully realized, modern-horsepowered version of Hot Shots. 

That might sound silly, but so many years ago, this is what players needed imagination to visualize. Now, it's here. The game is vibrant with punchy sound effects and crisp visuals. 

Eye-catching visuals well off into the background and skyboxes pepper the 10 courses. The more than 20 golfers included at launch are similar in vibe and memorable in their own unique little ways. 

It's also super nice to see the series embrace a staple of other sports games of the era with a very modern and sort-of-unexpected twist via a dynamic weather system and day-to-night transitions. 

Voice acting is stellar for the almost anime-type vibe when characters celebrate good shots or otherwise chatter on the courses. It pairs nicely with those mentioned sound effects and the overall ambient noise baked into each match.

The three-shot classic feel to the gameplay isn't the only control set available to players. There are multiple new alternatives, but the king remains the king for a reason. Clicking the timing-based meter to determine shot power within the desired range after selecting the proper club and angle of a shot remains one of the best-feeling gameplay systems in the sports genre. 

There are the fun, series staples like homing shots, of course. But there's also the careful consideration for terrain, wind and otherwise in a way that quietly can create big skill gaps. 

Skill gaps or not, though, the careful depth remains hidden behind a fantastic pick-up-and-play experience for all ages, as intended. 

World Tour and More

World Tour and Challenge modes are the headline acts in Everybody's Golf this time. 

It's no surprise that tour is the centerpiece, though, given the varied courses from around the globe so carefully put into the game here. Players travel those throughout the experience and in a nice twist, even get character-specific interactions, making each playthrough a little different. 

The Challenge mode is more traditional in a sense, yet remains fun for its leaderboard competitiveness with a nice pick-up-and-play element. There's certainly something to be said for a mode that can be paused, put down and resumed later with no strings attached these days, considering it wasn't so long ago that major sports games finally let players save a game mid-game, which was a highlighted new feature. 

Everybody's Golf embraces its arcade roots with some fun offshoot modes, too. A "Wacky Golf" mode throws out some fun challenges during matches, such as aiming for bonus points around courses or even weather obstacles. 

There's even an almost battle royale-type mode where players lose access to certain golf clubs as matches progress based on the leaderboards, so there's some fun, fresh experimenting going on here.

Customizing the many golfers and objects like outfits, clubs and balls is a big part of Hot Shots this time out, and it's a nice little layer on top of everything. 

Perhaps more interesting far beyond the visual aspect of this is a loyalty system of sorts. Investing time in one character lets players unlock super and special shots. Tweaking stats to cover a weakness or to complement a preferred play style is a fun element to add to this mix, too.

This even extends to caddies, as a similar system can lead to more support skills offered by the caddie. For those seeking depth or a competitive edge, this selection can very much matter. 

In another embrace of the modern, Everybody's Golf allows four-player matches on one console, with an online multiplayer suite, too. The game runs well, as expected, and has a nice list of options to tweak the experience in various ways. 

Conclusion

Everybody's Golf is a triumphant return for a series that continues to stand the test of time.

Layered with interesting depth below a pick-up-and-play classic, this fresh-feeling, modern offering loops in some nice modernizations to good effect.

The three-click swing system is a sturdy backbone, no doubt. But the arcade-like fun, vibes and attention to detail help the beast formerly known as Hot Shots retake the throne in its space.