Swing Away Golf

"The best golf game out!"

Swing Away Golf is by far the best golf game you can buy. I have enjoyed all the time with this game. The funny thing is no one told me about this game, I just one day picked it up. So I don’t want anyone to pass this game up so here is my review and why you should get this game right now.

Game play 10/10 the game is great. You can pick from many different characters and play through a story mode with them. Each player has his or her own personality and it matches them well. The game is very addictive and you will find your self playing hours on end. The main thing that sets this game apart from other golf games is how fun it is. You can most likely find a golfer that best fits you and golf away. The more you play the more you can increase your golfer’s stats. One more thing that is very cool about this game and which allows it to never get boring is, there is a create your own course. So if you get bored with the ones there, just make your own and have fun. This is a very cool feature. You will also want to try all the other golfers to see their story as well. The only set back to the game play is the load times are pretty bad. But this game is on a Blue Back Disk so what can you expect? No they are not horrible and you can put up with them. It’s a little set back to a game that is great all the way around.

Difficulty 9/10 this game is very hard. There are different levels for your golfing needs. You might tower over rookie but once you get to pro and tour pro it’s no picnic. You have to pass tests to move up in rank. Believe me they are not easy the competition gets very hard. You have your very own rival and they are always trying to out do you. The higher your rank, the higher you are paid and you can buy better golf equipment. So all in all this part of the game get a 9/10 because it is difficult but not so difficult it will take away from the fun.

Control 9/10 Not much to say here either but you have a very cool gauge at the side of your screen to control how your golfer hits the ball. It is easy to learn and something new aside from Hot Shots Golf.

Graphics 9/10 the graphics in this game are GREAT. The courses look very nice and the all of the surroundings too. The greens are nice, the characters are smooth, and the lakes look great too. The courses are just so unique and the graphics really take advantage of the Play Station 2 and this game looks great.

Sound/Music 7/10 the music in this game is pretty good. It could have been better but it is still good. It is a bit of techno and classic all mixed into one. If you get annoyed you can simply turn the music off. Nothing to brag about but, nothing to rag on either.

Sound Effects 8/10 Again not much to say here but they are good. The club hitting the ball sounds great. So does the ball hitting on the green or fairway. Also the ball splashing into the lake. The game dosen’t have much nature sounds, but the birds and wind blowing sounds great.

Replayability 8/10 The reason Swing Away Golf get a great score in this department is because with all the characters to play with you are going to want to play through a career/story mode with all of them. This game is great fun to just pop in and kill some time. I play this game about twice a month now that I have had it a few years. You will be hooked on it when you first get it, even months later you will be back for more. Trust me.

PROS:
Great Graphics
Lots to do.
Great fun.
Lots of Characters.
Plenty of Courses.
Create your own course .
Very cool caddies.
Golfers have there own attitude which fits them fine.

CONS:
Ok music.
Load times are a bit much.

To Buy or to Rent?- You must by this game now. If you are a golf fan you should ask no questions and run out and get this game. Even if you are not a golf fan you should have lots of fun with this game. I would pay 50$ for this game any day. It will keep you occupied for a while and you will have a lot of fun playing. Trust me; do not pass this game up.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/28/03, Updated 04/10/03