A sub-genre starving for a quality entry on home console is the golf simulation. Only the rare gems like Mario Golf display the potential lethality in terms of fun and strategy that the sport has to offer within its specific, unlimited intricacies. The PC gaming market is flooded with quality-busting titles that feature heavy PGA Tour licensing and brand name players who grace the world’s most scenic courses and exotic locations. Such a blockbuster has yet to be developed for a console, and not since the 16-bit glory days have PGA golf games been created with any consistency or carefulness.

Outlaw Golf is a bizarre combination of blatant comic obnoxiousness with the worlds foremost game in gentlemanly conduct. Unfortunately, neither ingredient in the unique recipe caters to the needs or desires of what a potential consumer might be expecting. Casual gamers who are unfamiliar with full-force plunges into the multitudinous subtleties of the sport will be overwhelmed by ferocious competitiveness from the computer-controlled opponents. At the same time, simulation fans seeking an all-out excursion that finds itself being as true to the real-life links as possible may be a bit turned off by how unserious the title takes itself. This is unfortunate, because anyone that comes away unsatisfied for one of those reasons is missing an amusing experience.

Relying heavily on a set of colorful, animated, humorous, yet clichéd characters, OG demands that its varied and collectively unique cast carry the less passionate video golf players along for the ride without boring them. Simultaneously, the more hardcore enthusiasts are to be drawn in not by way of the unrealistic personalities, but by the sometimes mind-boggling attention to detail that the title displays. For each moment of zany, comedic outrageousness to be found on the Turnpike Valley course—sprawling through some seedy New Jersey territory—is a moment of dire seriousness and tension, where sinking a thirty-foot putt is necessity. The abrupt shift in tone will catch all participants off-guard.

Just four characters are available for selection from the start: a shallow Spaniard who believes he’s God’s gift to women, a trailer park-dwelling biker chic, a well-endowed blonde stripper, and finally, a skinny Caucasian, striving for rapping-fame. There is a host more to be unlocked through the Tour Mode, but with such a wide-spanning set of individuals, the majority of them are more likely to come off as annoying than appealing. With an open mind and a willingness to introduce a sense of humor and a lighthearted spirit to such a quiet, traditional sport, however, one or two of the golfers will suit your fancy.

Customizable exhibition matches take a back seat to the aforementioned Tour Mode, which makes up the bulk of the title. Here, you’ll guide one of the characters through a semi-career by entering a variety of tournaments and challenges. These matches range from simple 9-hole stroke play, to 18-hole skin match affairs in a party of four. While trudging through the same course eight times to complete each event is somewhat daunting, the experience is made less mundane because of the specific requirements set for victory. In a skins game, the focus is to win individual holes, and to walk away with a larger sum of money. In other circumstances, you may simply need to place third or better in a barebones stroke match.

By successfully completing an event, you unlock both another competition to participate in, and one of a handful of items that add to the depth of the actual golfing portion of the game. These extra goodies are usually articles that your game will benefit from—a new set of irons, a higher-quality putter, a different brand of balls, and the like. Each item plays differently; some golf balls truly have a naturally higher spin rate and a lower trajectory. One set of fairway woods may send the pill into orbit, but controlling the bloody thing is a hellish battle. Alternatively, if it isn’t some new golfing equipment you earn via your success, it is a new hidden character that you unlock.

In a similar upgrading fashion, there is a number of “skills” events in categories like driving distance, putting prowess, and soft approaches to the green that are yours to complete. It would be smart to tear through this laundry list of objectives, because by completing these challenges, you are given stat points which you can then distribute across attributes such as distance, accuracy, control and composure, all while improving your feel for the game.

The variety of fabricated brands of equipment (“Fat Edna” is the Big Bertha of the title) isn’t the only things that make this feel like a simulation. The preciseness required to effectively wield these clubs with any accuracy is surprisingly high. The control scheme is an iffy departure from the tried and true “three-click” swing method to an uneven analog-stick lunge method that can be at times as cool as the other side of the pillow, while at other times enraging. To perform a swing, you must pull the analog stick straight back, and upon reaching the desired level of power, push it directly forward. The problem is that no matter how straight you felt like you’ve managed to send it, the ball is, at one point or another, hook or slice badly. At times, it feels that the mechanics of the system are a bit off; on shots I feel were handled perfectly straight would send the ball flying to the left, while on others when I was sure I had sliced, I launched a graceful, effortless, curveless wonder. Once you get the hang of it, it isn’t so troublesome. However, the learning curve to be navigated in order to reach a point of success is downright deranged. I still wish an optional scheme were included for those uncomfortable with such a set-up.

Wind, terrain surface type, and point of contact all play an equally important role in terms of ball flight. Hacking it out of the rough will never be as smooth as sending it afloat from the calm fairway. And, as you unlock the more advanced tournaments, generally gustier winds will haunt your every shot; forceful breathtaking airstreams to the face will yank yards off of your drive, will driving winds from your back will keep your ball flying through the air longer than you plan. Anticipating the results of the weather is a key to success not only in real golf, but here as well. It’s also intelligent to consider where you want to strike the ball, so you can most easily land the ball where you want, while also avoiding any dangerous objects obstructing your play. Sending the ball higher into the air takes spin off, but also lowers your distance and makes it more susceptible to winds. Giving it a low trajectory renders the breeze less effective, but adds unpredictable roll to the end of your shot. It is the layers of strategy that really give OG a simulation feel.

Composure, a realistic factor in real golf but one rarely represented in video games, plays an important role in your success or failure, and in the title’s zany attitude. By hitting good shots, the player becomes more confident, and in turn, has the potential to play better. One error in judgment or swing, however, and the positive attitude may plummet. This is true in OG, and working with a rattled golfer will seriously detract from your chances of winning. However, to quickly and easily swing the attitude of the golfer, Beating Tokens can be earned and used to considerably improve the composure of the player. These are quick, sporadic outbursts at the caddies of the players, each of which are just as unique as the different golfers themselves. In these short sequences, the player has the opportunity to not only witness some entertaining slugfests, but to also change the outlook of a match. Thankfully, this feature is not grossly overused, and so it is a positive contributor to the gameplay.

Unfortunately, this is a lot of factors to be held in consideration by who would seem to be a “non-golfing” audience from the outset. If it were the absurd character profiles and promises for golfing strippers that drew you in, it will be the crushing combination of this bevy of factors attributing to each individual shot, as well as the constantly attacking computer players. It seems that eagles are more ordinary than bogeys for your opponents, and birdies occur more than pars! Considering that just to tie the adversary on most holes you’ll have to score a strokes less than par, the challenge is off the charts for newcomers. Ridiculous success to the point of absurdity for the computer rivals doesn’t just make the game “off-the-wall” or “outrageous”; it’s downright aggravating and disgusting.

A real letdown, however, is the fact that there are just three courses to play through. New Jersey’s course with over-passing highway hazards, Crusty Leaf’s threatening woodlands and constant forest obstacles, and a club set in the muggy desert, which is practically featureless except for a few interesting rock formations, is all that you’ll find. While what is here all looks nice—flourishing grasses and leafy trees—it is the lack of substance in terms of actual course variety and interactive obstacles and features that is truly disappointing. The golfers themselves also look pretty good, and the animation during the beating sequences is top-notch.

The play-by-play commentary by The Daily Show’s Steve Carell is a bigger contributor to the goofy atmosphere than the graphical presentation is. Supplied with an endless amount of witty, praiseful, or insulting remarks and observations, it will be awhile before you’ve heard each and every one of his featured quips. Sometimes equally enjoyable are the brief descriptions during the fly-by preview of the upcoming hole. These are handled by one of the characters, and more often than not, are downright hilarious. El Suave’s simplistic, almost moronic ramblings reach the heights of pointlessness and the depths of silly humor. Some of the short speeches are less endearing and more annoying, however.

Outlaw Golf succeeds at being outright misleading for all audiences, and rewarding for those willing to endure the oddball humor and deep, challenging, frustrating gameplay. What would appear to be a changeup endeavor into a simplistic golf romp with a wacky cast is actually one of the deepest simulations on the console market. Don’t be fooled—this is no amateurish, shallow sports title for those unskilled enough to go with the brand name PGA games. OG is a golf-heavy, attitude-driven knock on what has always been considered an aristocratic, sophisticated game. It is ultimately a success because it is fun to play.