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GAME:
Depending on what kind of
gamer you are, you may or may not see Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee
as the most exciting of the PSP releases thus far, but for my money,
HSG is the most entertaining and deepest of gaming
experiences on the handheld system to date.
A return to the metered
shot system from earlier generations, Open Tee offers almost
innumerable options in personalizing your game…as it is set up
from more of a role-playing aspect. With multiple different shot
characteristics such as Power, Control and Impact, you can tailor
your character of choice to include or exclude any of these aspects,
and make the character you are most comfortable playing with.
The gameplay is fairly
simple…there are only a few main modes of play, and the ones
offered in single player mode are going to be your mainstay. Stroke
Play is your fairly standard open round of golf, and saves your
best scores and shots for later viewing. Challenge Mode is
really where the game is at…pitting you against computer
controlled opponents in either Tournament Games (Stroke Play,
typically 9 holes) or Match Play up 1-on-1 against the A.I. in order
to win unlockable goods and to level up your golfer. Every rank you
move up, you gain a new opponent to beat and unlock as well…and
every so often you will come up against games with special rules
(such as point decision on Match Play).
The unlockable items
include head wear, accessories, body wear, clubs and golf
balls…which give your character certain skills and level upgrades
depending on your personal taste. There are over 250 unlockable
items available…which means a lot of time practicing your swing.
A Training Mode
and Putting Challenge are also selectable options…which
both help give you some practice experience for when you’re up
against a tough challenge.
For those looking to
match their skills against human opponents, Sony has included some
network ability for up to 8 players in a tournament event. Most of
the single player options are available in multiplayer mode, and you
can even set special rules for the game as host of the LAN party.
One definite advantage in multiplayer mode is the ability to taunt
your opponents using any of the command buttons…and each character
has their own special taunts.
TECHNOLOGY:
As a Hot Shots Golf
title, Open Tee is not focused on graphical improvements, but
on gameplay aspects…so fans of realistic 3D modeling will be
somewhat disappointed by OT’s simple, cartoon-ish designs.
Still, OT looks great for a handheld game, and offers some
nicely rendered locations and character models for variance of the
game.
The soundtrack is not
music-heavy, but offers some good realistic golf sounds to its audio
mix of wacky sound effects and voice-overs…which are a welcome
addition.
The feel of the game
itself is very smooth and well-balanced oiled. You will find no
slowdown in the running of the game other than the loading screens
which can take a few seconds to get through.
The technology of the
wireless play is not as in-depth as a few of the other online
titles, but with support for up to 8 players in a tournament setting
and all the options of the normal game, the game utilizes what it
can to bring you one step closer in the evolution of the wireless
multiplayer game.
OVERALL:
Built for an audience of
experienced and casual gamers, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee is by
far the most versatile and exciting of the earliest PSP titles
(although not a launch title), offering a variety of innovative
gameplay to gamers of all ages. Though I think more could have been
done overall, OT definitely raises the bar in the portable
realm.
Game: A- (Purchase Me)
Technology: B+ (Job well
done)
Overall: A- (PSP Killer
App)
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