There was a time when PlayStation’s identity wasn’t just “big cinematic blockbusters.” In the PS1–PS4 era, especially, Sony Japan cultivated a lineup of quirky, soulful little titles that balanced out tentpoles, like the God of War games or The Last of Us’ of the world. Hot Shots Golf—known globally as Everybody’s Golf—was one of those quiet legends.
For decades, it stood toe-to-toe with Nintendo’s Mario Golf franchise, not by copying it, but by distilling something unmistakably its own: a three-button rhythm system with bright-eyed avatars and an addictive loop that felt like summer in disc form. And now, after a seven-year silence, the series returns under the most unexpected of arrangements: not by Sony itself, but through Bandai Namco, who in this new post-Japan Studio era has seemingly taken it upon themselves to revive dormant PlayStation IPs across multiple platforms, as seen this year with Freedom Wars Remastered, Patapon 1 & 2, and, now, Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots.
In the case of Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots, we’re not getting a remaster—we’re getting a new entry. And while I applaud the effort, the execution lands somewhere between being a nostalgic warm blanket and “this could’ve cooked longer.”
A Full Bag of Clubs… On Paper
For the uninitiated, Hot Shots has always been defined by a very simple-to-learn, satisfying-to-master three button swing mechanic paired with considerations like wind direction, terrain elevation, club choice, and power control. It seems complicated in paper, but when it’s working and it all clicks, it feels just as good as ever to time a perfect shot, see the sparkle flash, and hear the satisfying clunk of your ball hitting the fairway like a champ. 2017’s Everybody’s Golf certainly tried to add more depth to that setup, but this new one goes back to the simplicity of its earlier entries.
So while the newer developers at Bandai-Namco certainly nailed the fundamentals, the question now is, how is the game that surrounds the core?
If you’re judging this game solely by the checklist of content, it’s honestly impressive. There are 30 unlockable characters (including Pac-Man!), each with distinct stats, animations, and cosmetic flair. There’s good course variety, with everything from traditional greens to wackier environments. You can customize your outfits, collect gear, unlock caddies, and grind experience points to level up your stats in granular ways. If you want to be entertained for a bit, there’s quite a bit to pursue, here.
The modes on offer are also fairly robust. You’ve got your Challenge Mode, where you can progress through increasingly difficult AI matches to earn prize money and rewards. You’ve got your World Tour, which tosses in a light story and semi-open progression depending on the characters you have unlocked. You’ve got your Stroke Play, which is all about trying to score the best score across all holes. You’ve got Match Play, specifically for those who like competing through full golf matches. You’ve got Wacky Golf, a more party-style mode with chaotic modifiers and hazards. And you’ve got your Solo Rounds that mix and match some of the previous modes, but it’s just you playing. And, of course, there’s the ability to play multiplayer locally or in some online lobbies (which I briefly tested late in the review period, where there was only one lobby available for me to play). There certainly is a lot to try to sink your teeth into, here.
While it all sounds like quite the robust package that Hot Shots fans totally deserve, the robustness of what’s here doesn’t come without some caveats.
Where It Slices Into the Rough
The biggest problem with Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots is how there is a sign of a truly great new version of this long-running series that’s undone by a lack of polish, which is rare for the series.
Despite the robustness of everything available to unlock, the progression can be glacially slow. After a full 18-hole round, you might barely level up a single stat from one of the 30 available characters. The grind to unlock new characters and gear starts fun, then quickly becomes homework. And while I don’t need instant gratification, I do need some gratification before I’m four hours deep and still stuck with my starter shoes. Considering I felt some of the older games hit a better sweet spot, this one did lose a lot of steam for me in regards to unlocking everything.
Visually, the game is a completely mixed bag. Playing on PS5 Pro, it felt good seeing the game running at 60fps compared to the last PS4 entry (with an option to enable 120hz in the options menu). But, considering the kind of game it is, I encountered several frame dips, particularly right after nailing a perfect shot (ironically, the worst moment for a freeze). The game can look bright and clean in spots, and while the quirky character design from previous entries returns, this one also suffers a low-resolution look that makes the game feel like a remaster from the old generations despite the fact that this is a new entry. And the voice lines, dear Lord. While there is a certain charm to the way these characters sound in spots, after the twentieth “Nice shooooot!” in the same round, I was scrambling for the mute button. The lack of variety in audio cues gives the game a repetitive, borderline mobile-game feel, which is not what I could say about the last entry.
A Shot from the Heart
Here’s the thing: I wanted to love this. And for a few hours, I certainly did. There’s a cozy loop in Hot Shots that still works. Hitting birdies, swapping outfits, earning goofy caddies—those are comfort-food vibes. But as the hours rolled on, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen this done better before.
Part of me misses the risk Sony used to take with these types of games. The PS4 entry wasn’t perfect, but it tried to evolve the formula. This new entry feels like a preservation of the past, not a reinvention for the future. Still, I respect what Bandai Namco did here. Reviving a series like this is never easy, and they’ve succeeded in bringing back the core essence of what made Hot Shots fun. It’s just missing that extra layer of ambition. That extra coat of polish. That spark that turns nostalgia into something new.
A Hole in 7
Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots is a good golf game. It’s charming, colorful, and mechanically satisfying. But it falls short of greatness, being technically unpolished, progression-heavy, and lacking the creative fire of earlier entries.
If you’re a longtime fan, there’s enough here to tee off and have a good time—just know you’ll hit some bunkers along the way. And if you’re new to the series, this is a good intro… but maybe not the one that proves why the Hot Shots franchise is so beloved in the first place.
Thank you to Bandai-Namco and our PR partners for providing review access to Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots. You can find Seasoned Gaming’s review policy here.
