Links 2001

"Is There Anything New From The Last Links? Besides The Course Designer, No."

Ahhh, golf... What a fun (stupid) little game. Yes, that's right, for only 80 bucks, you can spend an afternoon with your friends, sipping on wine while waiting for those fatties in the plaid shirts in front of you to go, and when you finally get your turn, you accidentally miss in your swing and the club goes flying, leaving your friends to laugh at you. Well, maybe golf isn't that great of a game. ''Oh, but the exercise is good for you!'' says the deep voice inside my head. ''But it costs too much!'' I yell back. ''Why don't I get the newest golf game for the computer, and I can play golf without shelling out too many dollars?'' ''Ok, whatever you say,'' the deep voice replies.
After explaining to all the people staring at me that I was just sleep talking, I went to the store and bought the best new golf game on the market. Is this game real enough for me? Uh, while it doesn't exactly break any ground in the golf gaming industry, but it is a decent addition to the Links franchise, along with the course designer.

Yes, the graphics are pretty. Millions of golfers all over the world (heh) would fit right in to the scenic courses. Where are all the birdies? Where are the fans? Where's the life? Sorry, the courses may look real enough, but there is no movement whatsoever. Not that that's new for a golf match.

And the animations of the golfers were a nice addition, although a little glitchy at times. They show disappointment in crappy shots, and happiness in good shots. They're nothing amazing, though.

Then there are the voices, about as bland as the sport itself. They got the voices from real golfers, but they obviously weren't boring to act. A cool idea was the noises that were actually recorded from its own course, which is nice, but you can't SEE the birds.

There are plenty of courses to go to, all like they are in real life. The golfers include Arnold Palmer, Sergio Garcia, and Annika Sorenstam. No Tiger. You can make your own player, too, and you can change all kinds of options with club choice and appearance to your golfer.

The gameplay is pretty much the same. You use the same timing for swings, although the gauge you use to swing is changed a bit. Ball physics have improved slightly, making it as easy as ever to pick up and play. Little experience required for this one, and if you've played a previous Links game, you'll get into it easily. Beginners can read some helpful tips to improve their game.

A good addition to the multiplayer aspect is that you can take turns simultaneously, so you don't have to wait for that loser in the straw hat to swing.

By the way, if you play in practice mode, if you hit the ball into the water (which isn't new to me, that's for sure), you can play right in the water, walking on top of it as if you stood on dry land. You DO lose strokes when play tournaments, so don't count on your golfer's amazing walking on water ability.

You also get a course designer along with the game, perhaps the only reason to get this if you own a previous Links game. It is quite easy to use, but if you want to make a good course, you'll have to spend quite a while on it. The programmers used the course designer to make the custom courses in the game, so you CAN make a good course with a lot of time and effort, then share it over the internet and have a distinct advantage if you use your course.

A strange addition to the game is the video that you can watch that is almost like a tourist info. It tells you about the area where the golf course is, but there is little about the golf course itself. I don't see the point in this. Oh well!

Sooo, this is a small improvement over last years' Links. Hardcore golfers (if there is such a thing as a hardcore golfer) will like the new courses and golfers, but the graphics won't amaze you enough to want to buy it just for pretty looks. However, the course designer is a cool add-on, so you may want to buy it for that.

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BOOM....BOOM....BOOM....
HERE IT COMES!!!!

APPEAL: Lots of golf extras, with 4 cds!!! Decent menus.
~8~
GRAPHICS: Boring to look at, since nothing moves, but they are good-looking.
~7~
SOUND: Nature noices are cool, but the golfers' need more expression for me to stay awake.
~7~
GAMEPLAY: Nothing new here. The normal Links setup, as solid as always.
~8~
REPLAY VALUE: The course designer will keep you interested, as will multiplayer.
~9~

OVERALL
Like I said, nothing new, but it's the best golf game you can get right now, so if you love golf, don't hesitate. Will it please that voice inside your head, telling you that real golf is the only golf that should be played? Um, it didn't work for me, so I'm trying a psychologist.
~8~

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/31/02, Updated 07/31/02