St. Andrews – the haloed ground of golf. Pebble Beach –
legendary and fearsome. Loch Lomond – what a minute … Loch Lomond? Yes, the
Scottish course is not as tough as St. Andrews, but it does have some nice
variation.
And it is, of course, it is the site of the final round of the
rookie tour tourney. Prize money is at stake and with the unlimited mulligans
(well, for the first tourney anyway, don’t count on that lasting very long),
players can really polish up their skills before heading out for the real money.
Links 2004 is a pending release from Microsoft Game Studious and
XSN Sports. The game blends sterling graphics with solid animation and golf
dynamics to make for an enjoyable outing on some of the nicest-looking courses
in the genre.
The game play is evolving and the game plays out like a
televised broadcast of the final round of play. This means a fair share of slo-motion
replays, letterbox cutaways to show off the course and shot, and – of course –
some attitude on the part of the players.
There are some audio pauses in the banter that can deter from
the overall feel of the game, but the music and commentary do a nice job of
propelling the game along.
The game is rather simple. You pick a player and step out onto
the courses. Tournaments and skill challenges help you advance your avatar, and
you can qualify for sponsorship and select clubs and even the ball you will use
as you march toward the top spot on the money list.
Game modes include a single round, career, challenges,
multiplayer, a player builder. Each of these modes breaks down further into
competitions like skins games and skill challenges.
You can create a character and customize him or her to some
degree. Pro models include Sergio Garcia, Annika Sorenstam, Mike Weir, and
Jesper Parnevik. There are also six models to found your character’s looks on.
You can adjust hair and skin color and clothing, and accessorize to a limited
degree.
The game includes three difficulty levels and you can pick an
audio nickname to make it easier for the announcers to detail your efforts on
the course.
Links 2004 is predicated on earning money which translates into
skill points. The better your skill, the more money you win. And just to be
nice, the game’s tutorial takes place on the Ocean Mill course with a simple
goal – finish the tutorial and earn $40,000, which translates into better
skills. Skills are broken down into four categories, power, control, putting and
recovery.
The control elements might be a little different than one may be
used to. The game uses real mechanics and a real-time swing. To execute a full
swing, you need to move the left thumbstick straight back. You have reached full
power when the controller vibrates, and that is your signal to move the
thumbstick straight forward. Deviate and you can hook or slice. This is not as
big a deal at the rookie level, but when you get more advanced, those little
mistakes can seriously hamper a charge up the leaderboard.
In the career mode there are five tours you can join as you
skill up your player – the rookie tour, pro tour, champion tour, medal tour and
legend tour. Each tour is broken down into event types – skill events,
tournaments and championships. At the rookie level the skill events include a
chipping course, putting course and par 3 challenge.
Graphically, this game looks very good. The player movement and
ball physics are on target and the lush three-dimensional courses (there are
eight) are beautifully rendered. The sound has a few glitches in the commentary,
but the musical score underlying the game does a nice job of propelling the game
along.
Mark Twain once stated that "golf is a good walk spoiled." With
games like Links 2004, you don’t have to walk, but you will find challenge.
The game could likely have had a better player editor, but when
up and running will have excellent online support and downloadable content. XSN
will feature 10 modes of play and track stats as well as offer tournament play.
The support for Links 2004 is solid, this game is definitely
hitting the greens in regulation with a chance for the money shot.
Gameplay: 8
A lot of setup time and television cutaways break the flow of the game, but add
to the mood of the title. This is a game that will require time to complete a
round.
Graphics: 8.5
The courses are excellent and the animations are also very nice. The game does
bank on repetitive elements though (the ball ripping through the air, leaving
little shock waves is nice – the first three times it is seen).
Sound: 8.2
Some stutters in the commentary, as script is inserted for "live" tourney
updates, is a minor flaw. The music is good and the rest of the elements are
exactly what one would expect from a golf game. Of course, having the likes of
Ken Ventura add his distinctive voice and expertise is a nice touch.
Difficulty: Medium
The real-time swing is a challenge, and the game does sport three difficulty
settings.
Concept: 8
This game does not offer a lot – aside from the expanded online play – that is
amazing different from other titles in the series.
Multiplayer: 8.8
The introduction of XSN is bound to make this a solid-multiplayer experience.
With stat-tracking, scouting and tournaments, the sport just got a lot richer.
Overall: 8.4
This is a title that has a few minor flaws, but it still is strong off the tee,
and hits the greens in regulation.
