Everybody’s Golf has always been quite a popular series on the Playstation, this is probably thanks to it’s cute looks and easy to pick up and play nature, so now that Everybody’s Golf: World Tour has hit the next generation, does it still have the same appeal?

As well as bringing everything we love so much about the series to the PS3, World Tour brings us so much more, including a fantastic new advanced shot system and the sublime online mode which is up there with Call of Duty 4 in terms of perfection, but we will get to that later. The advanced shot system which has been introduced allows players to have better control over their shots, it allows you to focus on the swing and power that the golfer is using rather than just staring at a power bar, this is done by making you judge the swing and how far you need to draw back your club in order to get the power you need, once you have selected how much power you wish to use, you will then need to hit the ball as the club swings and approaches it, mis-time this and you will end up cutting the grass instead.

The new advanced shot is a really great system and allows for a much better way of playing a console based golf game. The only issue that I personally have with the new system is the frustration I felt when trying to putt, judging how hard to hit the ball to get to the green is one thing, but trying to work out the precise power for putting is another, however practice makes perfect and I have a feeling that I will be getting plenty of practice in this game. You certainly shouldn’t be put off by the new shot system because you still have the option of using the old power bar should this not be for you, this basically allows you to select the power you need for your shot depending on the distance, it is a lot easier to use as well, just not quite as authentic.

Should you be feeling ambitious you can even add topspin, backspin or hook and slice the ball by pressing the relevant button on the D-Pad, depending on how accurate you shot is you will either pull it off or end up in the drink, however once you push the button it is out of your hands really. The option to add more advance moves such this though is yet another example of the level of authenticity that those gamers looking for more than just a simple golf game will find.

World Tour is certainly a game which should keep you occupied as there is just so much to unlock, as well as all the characters and their unlockable abilities, you will also gain access to new courses, clubs, balls and clothing. There are many ways to unlock new items, this can be done through character loyalty (basically using the same character instead of switching for each game), by winning tournaments or by beating challenges.

The game offers six courses in all, you will also find yourself playing mirrored courses are well, however at the beginning of the game you will only find one course unlocked, to unlock the rest you will have to play your way through each tournament and by coming in at first place, then if you are lucky when you choose your prize it will be a new course, otherwise you will probably end up with a new club or one of the other unlockable items mentioned above. It has to be said that the courses look fantastic, the Highland course and the all the courses that follow offer plenty of hazards to test you and all have a very authentic feel, while still remaining true to the arcade nature of the game.

When you begin the game you start out with two characters and as you advance you will soon unlock a lot more, they all have their own unique personalities and it can be quite amusing during local multiplayer games while your opponent is lining up a shot to press the button a few times to hear what your character has to say, well I found it funny anyway, I’m not so sure the second player found it quite as amusing.

It really is difficult for me to find anything bad to say about the single player experience of Everybody’s Golf, I have had great fun paying the different tournaments and unlocking new courses and characters, the only issue I have had is that I have yet to find a way to quit during a game without resorting to turning the console off and on again, but maybe that’s just me?

I mentioned earlier that Everybody’s Golf could be one of the only games to compare to Call of Duty 4 when online, this may seem like some statement to make but I make no apologies for this. Before playing online you are required to create a character (much like a Mii on Nintendo’s Wii to give you an example of what I mean) , this character then represents you online in the lobby, there are many different lobbies to enter in the game so if one is full then it isn’t really too much of a problem. Lobbies are presented in the form of a clubhouse with many different floors, depending which floor you choose you will enter a room, each with their own theme, here you can interact with up to 50 other different people, chatting to them using a keyboard or any of the shortcut words which have been assigned to the control pad, the best way to describe this part of the game could be that it’s like a miniature version of Playstation Home, although voice support doesn’t seem to be there at the moment, but this could come at a later date.

As well as hoping around the lobby and chatting to other users you can also take part in tournaments with up to 50 other users, the way this works is that each player has a certain time to finish each hole, this means that you are not really left waiting around, unless of course you are a wizard and finish long before everyone else. When playing although you will see other players they do not interfere with you, all you do is play as you would in the single player mode rather than waiting for everyone to take their shot, it’s a great system and it works well.

The way the tournaments are booked is also quite unique, each tournament has it’s own timeslot allocated to it, this enables you to book your place up to 12 hours in advance meaning that you can decide when you want to play and then come back just before it starts, although be warned that you will need to unlock some of the courses and characters before you will be able to enter the majority of the tournaments due to them all having entry requirements.

While online you can also create your own games, this allows you and up to eight players to play at the same time, meaning that you can invite your friends to a game and set your own rules. Setting up your own games is quite simple and gives you the benefit of earning bragging rights over someone you know, should you win of course.

The Playstation brand is renowned for providing gamers with easy to play, innovative games and nothing describes Everybody’s Golf: World Tour better than that, this is one of the best games that has been in my PS3 since launch, offline or online and to be honest I don’t think I will be pressing the eject button for quite some time.

Overall Rating: 9/10