Hold on Hot Shots and move over Tiger, there's a new kid on the block. That's the immediate impression I got from my tee time with Oxygen Games' latest, ProStroke Golf World Tour 2007. While the game doesn't sport a deep custom character creator or blow you out of the water with next-gen visuals, the innovative control scheme (which doesn't require a special controller) takes golf games to the next level. This is how a great franchise is born, folks. Developer Gusto Games nails a killer update to a staid genre and it's now up to writers like me to get on the bandwagon and trumpet the sheer brilliance of what's here. If you're an old-timer who thinks modern golf games have gotten too easy and miss the days of the classic Links PC games, then ProStroke will send you into orbit… and perhaps a controller or two as well. However, this is actually a good thing.

ProStroke has many of the familiar elements present in any good golf sim, with a few lesser superficial options. You get four game modes, eighteen courses (two licensed and sixteen fantasy greens) and a handful of pro players who you may or may not recognize, depending on your degree of golf knowledge. In addition, an easy to use course editor allows you to create or recreate pretty much anything you can think of. However, what sets ProStroke apart from the bigger names out there is the first-person shot viewpoint and intuitive control, which adds the most realism you've ever seen or felt to each and every swing. The left analog stick adjusts your body weight from left to right, while the right stick is your club control. On the tee, tilting both sticks towards the right and then quickly to the left is so remarkably intuitive; you'll get a huge grin on your face when you pull off your first shot. Getting used to the swing physics will be challenging for everyone, so I'd highly recommend trying a few different controllers from brand new to well used (if you have them handy). A new pad will need to be gently broken in while a too-old controller with one overworked stick will mean pain and frustration for the easily flustered.

Rather than seeing your golfer from behind when swinging (as has been the style for ages), the camera switches to a 'keep your eyes on the ball' first person view that's nothing short of genius. In addition, a 'shot shaper' and little angling of the right stick gives you an idea of where the ball is going to head as you swing. You can also use the D-pad to adjust the distance between your feet and the tee, or the ball location once it's been played. This allows for knocking shots high out of bunkers, around trees or over water hazards (if you're good). The beauty of it all is that the difficulty really relies on how well you handle the controller; ham-fisted players will have a hard time of it, while those who understand the swing mechanics will get it right away, yet still feel as if they're learning. At the press event I attended here in NYC, I was pretty awful at the game, as were most of the other editors who showed up to see it. However, at home on the debug unit I was whacking my way around the courses and improving my score and play style each round.

Whether you're a total novice or seasoned golf pro, the wonderful tutorial drops you onto one hole and lets you practice and repeat as required until your fingers fall off. The text and dialog are thorough, explaining the basics yet allowing for experimentation within each section. The shot screen is a model of simplicity, showing your hands, the club, a representation of your foot position and a note of the hole, club used, and swing percentage needed for a successful shot. Unlike the more popular golf games currently at the top of the leaderboard, button commands are saved for things like zooming to the flag or opening and closing menus. Gusto wants players to focus solely on learning and mastering the game of golf as they present it; good or bad, the magnificent thing here is that each shot or stroke is all you. When you blow a drive or putt, it's not the game's fault at all, and when you hit that perfect shot or nail an eagle, you earned it.

There are also some very well designed elements, such as a swing meter that's adjustable with the press of a button, allowing total control over your shots. The only thing that's similar to current golf titles is the putting green overlay; while the game offers tap in putts for super close to the cup shots, leaving this turned off in the options makes things all the more realistic. Seeing the look on a friend's face as he or she misses a birdie or par by two inches is priceless, although expect a few guffaws when you come up short as well. Playing ProStroke is much more than just cracking the ball toward the flag and watching it magically soar 400 yards for a hole in one. New players need to play and pull off certain goals in order to gain Renown Points that help improve their shots and accuracy. After about two hours of playing I nailed a 30-foot putt on one hole and spent the better part of five minutes celebrating, because I hadn't expected to make the shot, even though I felt confident about it. You also earn points for things like longest drives, hitting the flag on a good shot, making par on all the holes and so on. You're not going to spend your Renown Points at all by the way, but it is pretty cool to see that list of completed challenges fill up.

In Single player, both Quick Play and Play Round allow you to play solo or with up to three others in a number of configurations, Tournament lets you play against up to 68 computer controlled opponents, while Career mode tracks your progress as an up and coming golfer. As for the pro players you'll see Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Colin Montgomerie, Ben Curtis, Mark O'Meara, Ian Woosnam, Thomas Bjorn and Lian-Wei Zhang, in addition to your choice of a few generic-looking types as your playable character. There are a number of fictional players mixed in as well, and with the ability to adjust their skill level from Novice to Legend, you can create your ideal opponent. Setting the AI skill level to Legend, thought, will have you stomping up and down on your controller if you miss a shot and then have to watch your opponent club you into submission for the rest of the match.

The included course editor is a great addition that helps extend the lifespan considerably; it takes about half an hour or so to learn to use, then after that it's all up to you when it comes to ideas. You can create some impossibly hilly courses that no designer would dream of foisting upon the general public, or a PGA worthy course that challenges your skills. While your created courses are saved to memory, it's too bad that you can't share what you've created online. But hey, it's like having an invitation-only country club in a way - I understand that the PC and PSP versions will have the ability to save and trade courses online, so we'll need to definitely nab reviewables of those two when they become available.

In terms of presentation, ProStroke is as straightforward as it gets. Players and courses are realistically rendered, but there isn't too much emphasis on every blade of grass being in place and sweat dripping from your chosen golfer's forehead. If you're really fussy you'll notice that every golfer seemingly has the same animation and reactions - this was no doubt a corner-cutting move and you'll also see your guy clip through some course objects, should you hit a ball too near a tree or other obstruction. Nevertheless, the stellar gameplay more than makes up for any animation deficiencies or minor graphical issues. The menus are clean and simple to navigate, making for an intelligent layout, and there's a bit of loading between holes, but again, only the really picky will get cranky about this. If anything you can use these brief periods to compose yourself, should your game be going downhill.

The sound production is solid in terms of effects and superb in terms of the commentary from pro announcers Sam Torrance, Ian Baker Finch and Alan Green. Their wry humor won't be lost on those that know their work, and whether you're playing great or poorly, the commentators generally let you know it. Hearing "dear, dear, dear…" when you've missed a simple putt is enough to make you hang your head in shame and hitting a bunker is good for a few choice comments from the boys. Musically, don't expect much other than a moderate alt-rock title track and some generic hole intro music. I'm fine with this, as top-40 hits have no place in a serious golf game, period. You'll come to appreciate this while trying to make some of the truly intense shots, that's for sure.

As for the problem areas, there aren't any in the gameplay as far as I'm concerned. My biggest issue is with the total lack of female players (despite the inclusion of a Ladies tee setting!). I'd say Michelle Wie and a few other female pros could use a solid golf game to call their own (or at least share with the guys). As for the brutal difficulty, yes, the gameplay can be awfully hard and absolutely stupefying to those club-fisted folk or anyone who can't learn to finesse and craft their swing, but this is exactly how real golf works. However, if you don't concentrate and learn from your mistakes, you'll be chewing through the controller cable and cursing up a storm. Moreover, just like real golf, you'll have good games and you'll have embarrassing games. This definitely isn't a game to play if you're subject to mood swings or lack the patience to learn new skills. The biggest issue really is the omission of online play. You'll need to gather your golf buddies and have them come to your country club. Still, this shouldn't stop you from snapping this up one bit. Hell, Gusto can always implement online play in the follow-up, right?

In case you haven't guessed it yet, I'm completely in love with ProStroke Golf World Tour 2007. I've been playing it for a few weeks now and can definitely report that it's the most accurate golf sim on the market to date. Now, I still adore my Tiger and Hot Shots, but what's here will drive you to distraction and be a staple of play stacks around the world once people get their hands on it. If you dislike golf games but are open-minded to learning, this will make you like them a lot. If you love golf, then you need this game in your collection, no question about it. Even though it's not online, invite your golf buddies over and boom - you'll be charging rent after a few rounds. It'll really be intriguing to see how the developer handles the PSP version, but I'm confident in their abilities, given the masterstroke of what's here. ProStroke isn't a sleeper by any stretch of the imagination - it's the kick in the pants that the golf genre needed that relies strictly on great gameplay as its hook. Brilliant.

Reviewed by Greg Wilcox for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).