14 DAY TRIAL // Usually, when it comes to MMORPGs or other massively multiplayer online games, updates, patches and new content packs are introduced on the go, usually without forcing the player to purchase another physical product. It seems that in sports or, to be more specific, golf MMO games, things are a bit different, since a new and improved Shot-Online will hit the stands this August.
The sequel, named Shot-Online Season 2, promises to bring a lot of enhancements to the September 2006 released game. We'll check all the new features (and hope for even more) here:
First, a new Brazilian golfer, Camilla, will be introduced (and it feels kind of strange to have only one new person after two years). Just one new course, the 'Pearl Green Island' will be available for players, with a difficulty level between that of the Cadeiger and Rufus Arena. One new game mode will also be introduced, more exactly a four player Las Vegas Game Mode, with experience bonuses rewarded to winning teams.
A leaderboard will be added - Shot-Online Season 2 will call it Worldwide Arena - which calculates the scores using an official PGA method. A My Course Ranking will be there and calculated on a six month basis for all players among the world.
The social aspect of the game will also be improved, with a new in-game messenger which now allows you to have 200 friends in the favorite list, a new guild system featuring take-in and take-out Guild options as well as a Locker function and an improved Chat window allowing players to set up regular chats, guild chats, private messages and tips.
Graphics and sounds are also promised to be improved in the new version, as well as the Caddy System and, of course, the In-game mall. And since the developers say nothing about major improvements of the gameplay mechanics, we still tend to believe that everything we'll get in this sequel could've nicely been placed in a patch/update or something and offered to users for free. Just an opinion.