Game: "Hot Shots Golf: Out of
Bounds"
Publisher: Sony
System: Sony PlayStation 3
Cost: $60
ESRB rating: E
Review rating: 3 1/2 stars
Tiger Woods may have reacquainted the
modern world with golf, but Sony's Hot
Shots Golf franchise actually makes it
fun to hit the cyber-links. Now the zany
series has finally landed on the PS3 in
the form of "Hot Shots Golf: Out of
Bounds." Thanks to a vast assortment of
oddball golfers, goofy caddies,
well-designed courses, and online game
play, it's hard not to crack a smile
when playing the latest iteration.
While most other golf games now use
the analog stick to swing the club, "HSG:OoB"
still utilizes the tried and true swing
meter (which I prefer). Only now, even
more finesse can be added to shots by
pressing the "O" or Triangle button
instead of "X" at the point of impact.
This welcome feature either adds or
reduces the power a bit, which lets
budding golfers adjust for small
mistakes.
On the other hand, a new 'advanced
shot' is available that doesn't use a
meter at all. Instead, players must
estimate the power of a shot by watching
their backswing, press the "X" button to
set the power, and then a small icon
appears around the ball indicating when
to strike. This method is a bit more
difficult than the traditional shot, but
it offers longer range and a more
forgiving impact zone.
Numerous game types, including
tournaments, versus, and special rules
matches are available for one to four
players offline, and up to 50 players
can participate in tournaments online.
Regular matches are also available on
the Internet, with players congregating
as humorous characters in a virtual
lobby before each game. Here, virtual
golfers can text chat with each other as
well as check out each other's
statistics before the match.
In the end, "Hot Shots Golf: Out of
Bounds" may look like a kid's game, but
it scores an eagle for pure enjoyment
and fine-tuned game play.
Game: "Rainbow Six Vegas 2"
Publisher: Ubi Soft
System: Sony PlayStation 3 (Xbox 360)
Cost: $60
ESRB rating: M
Review rating: 3 1/2 stars
With the release of "Rainbow Six
Vegas," Ubi Soft successfully
re-invented the franchise, selling more
copies than any other Tom Clancy game.
Less than 18 months later, "Rainbow Six
Vegas 2" becomes available to inundate
gamers with more intense squad-based
tactical combat. Sure there are a few
improvements over the original, but this
title seems more like an expansion pack
than a true sequel.
Fortunately, the original version is
a fantastic game by itself, so most
cyber-soldiers will be satisfied with
more of the same. Issuing squad commands
is as effortless as before, but now
players can also order squadmates to
toss frag or smoke grenades simply by
pointing at an area and pressing a
button. This addition becomes extremely
helpful during hectic firefights where
peeking around a corner can have lethal
consequences. It's just too bad that I
can't break up my squad and issue
individual orders to each combatant.
Another great addition seems very
minor, but has a huge impact on game
play. Players can now initiate a short
sprint that lets them move quickly
between cover. This feature becomes
invaluable during combat because it
decreases exposure to open areas.
Remember the gamer motto, "less lead in
the head makes you less dead."
The Persistent Elite Creation
(character creator) from the original
version is back, but now it covers both
offline and online game play. Performing
certain actions in game, such as scoring
long-distance kills, headshots or
shooting enemies through cover, rewards
players with experience points that
eventually increase their rank. Higher
ranks unlock special weapons and gear,
which makes it rewarding to be an
efficient leader.
Online play is extremely expansive,
offering several types of adversarial
matches for up to 16 players as well as
four-player cooperative missions. As the
last version of the Vegas series,
"Rainbow Six Vegas 2" features more than
enough high quality shooter action to
satisfy fans until the next Tom Clancy
game is released.
