Well, it would almost seem my duty to give an early review for another golf game. What can I say? I like Golf.....
Gameplay ------- 9/10
Coming fresh off of some heavy sessions with Tiger Woods 2002, changing back to the 3 click swing system was a brief, albeit expected letdown. It should be noted that this isn\'t the EA-type circular 3 click circle. It reminds me of the old SNES PGA games with the flat bar where the line moves from right to left then back to the right. I like the circular path better, at least it somewhat imitates a natural swing arc. But, those points are trivial and can be overcome after adjusting to it. As I\'m sure you\'ve seen in the other 20 reviews out there, there are several different modes within single-player mode. The best to me being Tournament and National Tournament mode.
Tournament mode is basically the meat of this game. You start out with a limited selection of characters to choose from (3), each with their own strengths and weaknesses. There\'s 4 attributes for skills to be had in, and each one is graded with a grade much like school. Of course you can build these attributes up by rising in the rank system they have. You start out as a beginner, then after completing a high enough place in any of 4 tourneys, you move up to amateur, etc. You also unlock certain items and caddies by winning tourneys and earning Hot Shot points. These points can then be spent in the shop to upgrade things like clubs, balls, wallpaper, a wind measuring device, and lots of other little tools. You can unlock extra golfers by beating them in VS. mode. This is basically akin to the Tiger Challenge mode of TW2002 where you go up against the golfer in match play format. One thing I like better about this version is once you get 4UP the match ends. Of course this is bad if you get 4DOWN. But it takes the monotony out of literally plastering a golfer who simply can\'t compete with your greatness. The National Tournament idea seems like a very promising one. Basically, you register with the HSG3 website and you get a password to enter, you enter this and the course pops up with conditions already set, etc. Another nice thing about this mode is the fact that all golfers are unlocked and available when playing in this mode, so you could literally play it straight out of the box and have the same chance as someone who\'s had it for 6 months to score a 64. Beware though! The conditions for the national tournament are very very tough. I was +8 after 14 holes and hit the reset button. Of course that was also partly due to the fact that Survivor was coming on and I\'ll keep watching that show until Jugs (Sarah) gets voted off.
Now that I\'ve tried to cover up my love for Survivor with the typical "there\'s a hot babe" defense let me explain some things about the game that really annoy me. First off, yes the caddie speeding to your ball and leaving a trail of smoke behind them is a nice touch.....at first. It quickly becomes annoying as hell though. Secondly, since when does a golf course have so many freaking Out of Bounds? I\'ve never seen a game more strict on OB. I have omre complaints but they\'re trivial and you\'ll probably see them in the other sections of my review.
Graphics ------- 6/10
At first glance, the graphics appear sharp. At second glance, they appear blah. There\'s absolutely nothing about the graphics that impress me. The character animations are decent, but nothing more. The fairways look like the old fairways on the SNES PGA game. The sand just looks like a circle filled with a pallete of white-yellow. There\'s no texture there. I expected way more than this when I plopped my $52 down. The different camera angles are a plus, as you can replay your shot over from approximately 6 different angles. I still miss the ball-cam though. The lens flare is a good touch during sun shots, but other than that, the graphics are very average, not poor mind you, just average.
Sound ------- 5/10
This is the worst part of the game to me. If I hear "Take your time" one more time while putting, I\'m going to chuck my fat african american caddie chick into the drink at 16. Every time you get ready to putt there\'s like a chorus of 4 people saying different things, and they say the same freaking thing every time!! ANNOYING....The ambient sounds are trash, birds are never that loud unless holding small megaphones. Just pray the wind isn\'t blowing hard when you tee off, it gets so very annoying when you hear 3 people say "Ahhhh, the wind!!", "Ewwww, my hair!!"...ICK
Overall ------- 8.5/10
As much as I\'ve trashed this game in this review, I would still recommend at least renting it. If you\'re a golf fan, buy it. Why do I say this? Quite simple. It has this weird way of sucking you in just to get all the upgrades and see what the characters will do in certain situations. Not to mention the National Tournament mode has some potential.
Ins
Topic: Hot Shots Golf 3....First Impressions (Read 1003 times)