The game of Golf was invented in the XIV century Scottish shepherds, who entertained themselves by driving sticks round stones into rabbit holes. Nowadays Golf has become incredibly popular in a number of countries, among which can be singled out Japan. In the land of the rising sun Golf brought in the XV century, and since then it is there unchangeable love of people. The Japanese love Golf, no less than the Brazilians football. Not surprisingly, virtual Golf simulators in this country are also very popular. Today I’d like to tell you about the new video game of the famous series Everybody’s Golf, released for the PlayStation 4.
Game: Everybody’s Golf
Platform: PlayStation 4
Genre: Sports
Release date: 30 Aug 2017
Developer: Clap Hanz, SIE Japan Studio
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
First game of the series Everybody’s Golf was released for the console Sony PlayStation 20 years ago in 1997. It is noteworthy that in Japan it’s called Minna no Golf in the USA, Hot Shots Golf. Amazing beginners in this sport, the game quickly became a bestseller and got a huge army of fans. The rights to the series are owned by Sony, so all the subsequent games, which, to date, there are about a dozen, came out exclusively for consoles family PlayStation. The first game for current-gen consoles have been dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the series Everybody’s Golf. The developers of the Japanese Studio Clap Hanz has decided to abandon the numbering of the games and start with a clean slate.
Personally, my interest in Golf woke up after watching the American youth Comedy “happy Gilmore” (1996) with Adam Sandler. The plot of the film is about a young man who dreamed of becoming a hockey player, but he could not stand on skates. By chance he was on a Golf course, where the joke hit the stick on the ball. It turned out that he’s just an incredible shock. Fortunately, he noticed an elderly coach, volunteered to prepare the main character to participate in the prestigious championship. I am very impressed with the fact that a serious game with a long history and is not very clear for me personally rules the Director has shown through the prism of humor.
About in the same way went and the developers of the game Everybody’s Golf. They decided to not do another “serious simulator” with sheets of lyrics and strange figures, and the bright, slightly crazy game with colorful cartoon characters and a low barrier to entry for beginners with the sport are not familiar, the word “generally”. I must say that this formula worked just perfect. In Everybody’s Golf really will be interesting to play as novice gamers, and serious professionals. Everyone will find in the game something interesting for himself and will not remain offended.
The game begins with an introduction to some key characters. The player is greeted by the Chairman of Everybody’s Golf Association Mr. Suzuki. He talks about how everything works here and the assistant asks Hikari to help you with creating your virtual avatar. Editor in the game allows the player to start editing on the basis of a model of a character or create a unique look with a clean slate. After the character is created, you find yourself on the main square of the island, Golf Island, where events unfold the game.
The game offers you to move freely around the island, chat with NPCs, visit shops where you can buy new accessories for your character for in-game currency or real money, participate in various mini-games and activities (e.g. fishing or Golf carts) and just explore the environment. Somehow it all reminds of the popular Japanese role-playing games, but we should not forget that we are primarily a sports simulator. Just very Japanese, and the most welcoming to newcomers.
The game makes it clear that the line between online and ofline it is very thin. To access online at any time directly from the same virtual world in which your character travels. And it’s very cool, as there are no dull lobby with counters. Everything happens quite naturally and seamless. Another thing is that to go in online competitions without proper training should not be. First of all you need to understand the rules of the game, then get used to running and quite confusing terminology. Only then should rush headlong in multiplayer modes.
Without exception, all players start with the first rank (equivalent to the level of the character), which grows as their successful participation in tournaments, challenges and even fights against the bosses. However, participation in such events, it is first necessary to unlock access to multiplayer content. Before the game is fully revealed before you, will have to grindith. And this is probably the main drawback of Everybody’s Golf. Increasing rank, the player gets new abilities. However, previously they need to find in the virtual world, examining the environment, so from time to time the game turns into a quest.
In Everybody’s Golf is developing not only the character, but his Golf clubs. Everything is very simple. If you frequently make the most powerful beats, increasing the power of your putter. If you are very accurate, it increases setting control shot. Each putter has its own parameters for pumping, so you have to regularly use them all to maintain your equipment in great shape. A new set of Golf clubs can be purchased from the special merchant. Here you can repair your clubs, improve them, change the sound of blows, or not disposed if they are no longer needed.
The basic game mechanics of the series for 20 years virtually unchanged. It’s all the same classic “three towers” when hitting the ball you need to click the “X” on the DualShock 4 controller three times. The first time you push it to start the runner the force of impact. The second time – to set the required force. And third times the button should be pressed when the slider is as close as possible to a special mark on the scale of strength, symbolizing the perfect moment to strike. If you press the button early, your kick will mark the symbol of the hare, and if you linger you’ll see a turtle. The ball will fly is if you have correctly set the direction of the calculated force and stopped the runner in the right place. Everything is intuitive and accessible.
It should not, however, to believe that this game is like a walk through a summer garden. Despite the availability of for beginners, Everybody’s Golf sample 2017 fraught with much more complex gameplay than it might seem at first glance. Professionals can activate for a complex mode, when the holes for the balls are tiny, intricate landscape of fields, the wind strong, and the virtual opponents experienced. So try to win if everything including nature is against you. But I’m sure there will be people, which do not feed bread, but give only the testing more difficult.
If you do not understand the terminology – no problem! In the game you will meet Professor KOENJI, which has been studying the history of Golf and will ask you to participate in a fascinating quiz on knowledge of the sport. Do not worry, for wrong answers you will not be abuse. But in the process the Professor will be simple and accessible language to tell you what “par”, “boggy”, “birdie”, “chip-in”, “drive”, “putting green”, “fairway”, “green” and other words, obscure unfamiliar with Golf man. Personally, I learned a lot, for which I am sincerely grateful to the developers. To teach Golf in such a relaxed form of a game can not every.
Golf courses are located in different locations. Here to you and a green and fragrant Needles city, and a spacious Alpine forest, and a sun-drenched beach, Kanaloa, and rocky valley Vortex and many other picturesque places. And landscapes done in a realistic style that some do not fit in with the highly stylized anime characters. This dissonance is very evident, but so in this series it opened with the late 90s. NPCs and player avatars must first be friendly. Whether they are realistic, lost the spirit of the series lying in her Foundation. And it developers to go was not ready.
Pros:
- The most fun and affordable Golf simulator for today.
- Many exciting game modes and ways to entertain themselves.
- A huge number of unlockable in-game content.
- Tremendous opportunity for personalization of the character.
- The game will be enjoyed, as Golf fans and beginners alike.
- A very beautiful and picturesque game locations.
- The opportunity to learn a lot about this sport.
Cons:
- To access the new content a grind.
- A strange combination of Japanese cartoon and realism.
- Very long loading quickly begin to strain.
Everybody’s Golf – without a doubt the most attractive and affordable Golf simulator for today. And even if there is no one serious bombast that usually flaunt professional simulators, but the game has something much more important – the soul. The new part of the series is huge, like the vast ocean, it is possible to get bogged down in hundreds of hours, forgetting about work and family. But most importantly, Everybody’s Golf doesn’t make you feel yourself a fool in Golf, and clearly and lucidly explains the rules, terms and immediately encourages your every achievement. I put the game score of 8 out of 10.
A review of the game Everybody’s Golf
Sergey Grey