|
"One of the most realistic golfing
games has landed on the XBox and delivers more than just a birdie!"
The acclaimed PC golfing game called Links
has finally hit a hole in one on the XBox that promises to deliver everything
the PC version offered and more.
I haven't played a golfing sports game for
quite some time now and when I originally played Links of the PC, it was just
a matter of pointing where you wanted your ball to go and then awkwardly
moving your character in a direction. Once this was all figured out (including
the wind), you had to push the space bar down for power and then release it in
time so you didn't slice it. Obviously I have been in hiding because that
antiquated gameplay has now been replaced with a thoroughly sturdy and
enjoyable control system.
Although there is no golfer character
generation per se, the game does allow you to select a pre-generated
characters where you can slightly change their appearance. Another unusual
thing of this system is that you must also select a golfer's "nickname" that
is used while you are playing the game so that the golfing commentator can
call your shots. A pretty damn cool feature.
The gameplay has been totally revamped and
I must admit that I was extremely frustrated at first but after a few abysmal
games, I soon became a golfing master that could probably give Tiger Woods a
run for his money... provided he was playing the XBox version of Links.
The XBox version uses the left analog stick
to control the power and speed of your swing, where the right analog stick is
used to control the ball spin. Although this control system may seem a little
difficult to some gamers, it is pure ingenious as it gives you total control
over your swings and where you want the ball to go.
Links 2004 overs also offers gamers a
variety of gameplay modes with the basics being match play, skins game &
standard stroke and with the more professional games being the Nassau game and
the Stableford game. The Nassau mode of play is similar to the match play but
the holes are tallied differently, whereas the Stableford game scores you on
birdies, eagles, pars and bogies. Links 2004 also includes a career mode that
lets you slowly build your way from the basic tournaments to the professional
golfing tournaments with the world's bests.
| 
