Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds

Console Monster

Despite the small selection of courses, and minor gripes with dialogue, the game really is addictive, both off and online.

GameFocus

Golf fans will love it, serious golfers will enjoy it and its fun for everyone at pretty much any age.

Play UK

Finely honed, beautifully crafted and offering a mountainous challenge, World Tour reels you in with stat boosts and loyalty rewards and never lets you go. Satisfaction is definitely guaranteed. [Issue#165, p.91]

NZGamer

It’s cute, it’s gorgeous, it’s addictive, and most importantly, it’s fun.

TotalPlayStation

Once you've taken the time to adjust to the nuances, the new swing mechanic completely changes the game, yet retains the same pick-up-and-play feel that the series has always had.

GamePro

It's done a great job of balancing fun animation and serious gameplay.

Destructoid

Out of Bounds is Hot Shots Golf perfected. You'll find that this one game can provide both a relaxing afternoon of 18 holes and a fevered 50-person tournament. Newcomers will find this game to be easily accessible, while series veterans will find plenty of new challenges.

DarkStation

In video games there are still times where you're going to be surprised, and I was pleasantly surprised with Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds for the PS3 as it really gives a great arcade golf package.

Pelit (Finland)

Literally a golf game for everybody. The new swing system is a huge step forward, and yet it is simple enough for novices. Courses look great and the atmosphere is lovely. The main problem is, that the game is a little too easy for veterans. [May 2008]

IGN

A tremendously fun golf game, one that should appease either casual or hardcore golf fans.

PSX Extreme

The online sessions can make for some great fun, and supporting offline four player support is also a great move. A round of applause for Clap Hanz.

GameZone

The game is simple to use and players of any age should be able to jump in and play. You can use the new swing meter or stick with the old-style method (meter).

PGNx Media

Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds is one of the most fun games available for the PS3 and certainly a great new-generation start for the franchise

Game Chronicles

I feel a bit letdown over the game as a whole.

Jolt Online Gaming UK

If you have aspirations to be a virtual Tiger Woods then the cheesily cheerful presentation might be off-putting, but look past that and you’ll find a game of golf as able to please veterans of the game as complete newcomers.

Worth Playing

Clap Hanz has taken complete advantage of the capabilities that the PS3 has offered players in creating an approachable golf outing for both veterans and newbies alike.

GamingExcellence

Out of Bounds is proof positive that even a simple concept can be turned into an enjoyable game experience for any fans of golf games or even just casual players looking for some fun online play. Tee up.

DailyGame

Simple fun doesn't mean simplistic play. Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds stays within the bounds of pick-up-and-play fun without alienating more "refined" golf-game fans.

Da Gameboyz

The updated graphics, new control, and addition of online multiplayer play have brought this series into the next-generation of gaming.

Cheat Code Central

This is not a replacement for your favorite golf simulator, but it is a very well made title that hits on almost every level.

PSM3 Magazine UK

Cute, sweet and massively entertaining. [May 2008, p.80]

GamingTrend

While there isn’t a great deal of courses to play, there is certainly a great golf game underneath the confection veneer overload laced onto every square inch of the game.

Gaming Age

With a good amount of single player content, really solid, tried-and-true gameplay, and an extremely playable online multiplayer mode, it'll be difficult to put the game down any time soon.

Gamer 2.0

While Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds doesn’t really do anything that will change anyone’s opinions about the series, it does feature enough improvements in gameplay and online play that hardcore and casual fans of the series will find a lot to like about the game.

GameShark

Minor additions and amazingly details visuals keep the experience fresh enough to justify a new game, but they aren't great enough to provide an evolutionary leap forward.

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Hot Shots Golf: Out Of Bounds appeals to the stat nerd without sucking every last bit of joy out of the affair.

Games Master UK

Fun and playable but still packs a massive challenge. [May 2008, p.74]

Gamers.at

Even though the look of the character might be something that needs some getting used to, Clap Hanz' virtual golf game has complex gameplay and all the ups and downs of the real sport. Most interesting is the online mode, which allows eight gamers at once for the first time; the HD-graphics are nice to look at and excel at exotic locations like a golf course in Africa with complimentary animals of the jungle. What more could a golf-player ask for?

Kikizo

Immensely playable both on- and offline.

DarkZero

I really can’t stress enough just how much fun Everybody’s Golf is. From the moment you pick up the controller and start hitting your first ball, you come to understand the charm that the game is filled up with. It’s golf at its purist fun.

GotNext

While it doesn't break new ground, Hot Shots Golf: Out Of Bounds is an undeniably fun game that just about anyone can play and enjoy.

Gameplanet

Amusing characters and some pretty graphics make for an entertaining game of golf, and the online play is an added bonus.

PSW Magazine UK

You can play a full 18-hole round in about twenty minutes, but if you want to go even deeper and perfect technical shots then there's more than enough in EG's locker to accommodate that too.

AceGamez

This is without doubt the best representation of golf of recent times and anyone with even a mild interest in the sport will love it.

VideoGamer

The core gameplay is solid and the online functionality is excellent, but there is a distinct lack of content compared to other golf games on the market.

Eurogamer

In spite of the fact that all you're doing is pressing a button three times, over and over again, it never gets boring. It would probably be too controversial to call it the best golf game, or the best PS3 game. But on both counts it's a remarkably close call. [JPN Import]

Game Informer

While this newest version of Hot Shots ushers in a welcome new swing mechanic, it’s unfortunate that other areas have been neglected. Out of Bounds is worth getting, but what it gains in its drive distances it loses in its short game.

Total Video Games

Everybody's Golf 2 is a pure joy. There are very few golf games out there that make a good shot feel so rewarding, and probably none that are so accessible to hardcore gamers, casual gamers, and golf fans alike.

Armchair Empire

Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds should easily meet the expectation of fans, even if it doesn’t really change the basics of the game. It’s the best looking iteration of the series and it’s just a relaxing way to wind down the day.

Maxi Consolas (Portugal)

While retaining the relaxed and accessible attitude of the franchise, it proves to be a great alternative for those who don’t like the seriousness of Tiger Woods. And if you take in consideration the type of strokes, certainly appreciated by the golf purists, and the online inclusion, it’s easy to understand that this title will be able to garner even more fans. [Apr 2008]

Gameplayer

One of the most fun golf games we’ve played in years.

Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)

If you've never swung a club in your life, Out of Bounds makes perfecting your golf game easy--maybe a little too easy. [May 2008, p.73]

Kombo

Out of Bounds thrives in an abundance of style, personality and soul. The game injects a healthy dose of fun into the golf genre where it is badly needed.

Gamervision

Believe me, no one is more shocked than I am about how much I love playing this game. At $60, it is right up there with other high-end PS3 titles, but is one of the best exclusives the system has to offer.

GamerNode

I had hopes that Out of Bounds would be a hole-in-one, and what we got is a birdie. It's good, but you can easily look back and see where it could have done better.

GameDaily

The addition of online play is also splendid, as you can go up against others in tournaments.

GameTap

The game may shank some of the superficial niceties, but when it comes to the fundamentals, Hot Shots is still sinking aces, every time.

NTSC-uk

Despite the lack of challenge provided for half of the single player game, Minna No Golf 5 excels in every other area, offering a realistic golf simulation wrapped inside a package so cute that it is impossible to resist. [JPN Import]

Playstation Official Magazine UK

Games don't get much more friendly than this. [JPN Import; Nov 2007, p.100]

Gamestyle

This is simply one of the most entertainingly laid-back titles of the year.

G4 TV

The game is solid, if a bit short on content, but it’s more fun than it’s ever been.

GameSpy

For those of us who enjoy a little less seriousness in our golf game's appearance, but don't want some dumbed-down baby's toy, Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds is a uniquely accomplished solution.

Extreme Gamer

Hot Shots Golf’s PS3 premier with Out of Bounds is an addictive, fun, golfing game that can be enjoyed by all ages.

Game Over Online

Rent before you buy, but if you are fan of the series at all you will find a lot here to warm your heart. The title may not be a hole-in-one, but it certainly is on par.

GameTrailers

The real disappointment is that so little has changed, so unless you’re pumped to see high-res versions of the Hot Shots characters or can’t resist some online links, you can get the same experience a lot cheaper on the PSP.

GameSpot

A new swing and excellent online play freshen up the Hot Shots experience just enough to make Out of Bounds worth the price of admission.

PTGamers

Everybody's Golf: World Tour can look like an inconsequent 'toy', but soon reveals itself able to teach a thing or two to other golf games, thanks to its charisma and know-how.

PALGN

Despite being a year late, Everybody’s Golf: World Tour brings something little less serious but still quite enjoyable to the club house.

Play.tm

It more than holds its own against the perceived heavyweights of the genre.

Gaming Nexus

A remarkably fun game of golf, from the perspective of someone who never thought they’d actually enjoy this sort of thing.

Game Revolution

Few titles succeed without having your brain go into overdrive or your character constantly be on the verge of death, and this is gladly one of them.

1UP

If Sony's smart they'll approach this as a moving target that's ripe for expansion -- the addition of a course editor or (dare we dream?) the return of minigolf could easily bump this up a full letter grade.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

With 50-player tournaments, oodles of character-customizing doodads, and the promise of downloadable content, this game should have extra long legs. [May 2008, p.84]

Thunderbolt

The gameplay is fun, the animations are great and there’s a lot to do both online and off. However, this is really HSG5, and the omissions from previous HSG games leave the package feeling somewhat hollow.

Wired

It retains what fans love about the series and refuses to make any drastic changes. Long time fans will be absolutely ecstatic at this news, but for those of you who never got the appeal of Hot Shots in the first place, you certainly won't find it here.

Giant Bomb

There are worse ways to spend a lazy Sunday morning.