“Fore” Links 2004 comes driving through the bunker and landing neatly on the green on the xbox console but how close to a hole in one is it or does it end up in the 19th hole and with a pint and a cigar?

Link golf titles have been regarded the cream of the crop for PC gamers for many years now with the realistic nature of the games being preferred to the more arcade nature of titles such as the Tiger Woods series, but on console formats Tiger Woods (or the predecessor PGA titles) have long been regarded the game of choice so can Microsoft bring the realistic sim nature of Links Golf to xbox and dethrone king Tiger?

Links golf even before being opened from the shrink wrapping has one major advantage over Tiger Woods titles and that comes in the form of xbox LIVE, because EA and Microsoft are yet to agree terms for EA to produce LIVE enabled games, Links had a chip on the green and was bound to make full use of the extra 1 iron it had in it’s bag by taking full advantage of the Xbox Live XSN (Xbox Sports Network).

Links golf offers a wide range of events and challenges for the single player game and allows you to create your character and develop their skills as you progress through the many various challenges and competitions available offline. Also when competing online you earn money which you are able to use to purchase additional skill points which include Power, Putting, Recovery and Control. With each additional skill point purchased the price increases but as you progress through tournaments and challenges which include driving, chipping, putting and so forth you will earn more and more prize money so development of your character shouldn’t take too to long for the more capable golfers amongst us.

Gameplay:

Gameplay is very reminiscent of the Tiger Woods games; your swing is controlled by the left thumb stick with the backwards movement being the swing and forwards movement being the stroke very very similar to that used in the Tiger Woods games but unlike the Tiger Woods games your ball spin is controlled prior to striking the ball which is in keeping with the realistic nature of Links. Using the right thumb stick you are able to control the forward and back spin of your ball and your also able control the ball’s Draw & Fade which allows you to curl the ball on dog legs or anywhere else required.

The game features several modes of play which include challenges and tournaments and varying levels of difficulty. One of the main downsides of Links is the inability to carry your developed character through the various levels so if you develop your character and select beginner when you progress and develop the character you are unable to change his player level and to progress through Intermediate and on to Advanced. You will need to create a new player profile and again build the players abilities.

Gameplay options include Challenge (Copper, Silver, Gold & Platinum) & career mode. In career mode you play through various tour’s starting as a rookie and eventually ending by becoming a Legend. Each of the tours are made up of various skill events including Skill Events, Tournaments and Championships. Skill events include tasks such as Approach Challenges, Par 3 Challenges, Closest to the Pin, Chipping, Putting and various other challenges each of the challenges awards you with money with which you are able to purchase additional skill points.

Tournaments are made up of various rounds of golf where you enter and compete in various tournaments such as the links 2004 open, the Xbox Challenge, the Pro Tour Inaugural and so on. Here you compete in various rounds of golf around the various courses. Championship mode is more a mix of both previous modes and you challenge the computer to a mix of game types including Skins, 9 or 18 hole stroke or match play rounds etc

In Challenge mode you are faced with a wide range of similar challenges as found in Skill events starting with the Bronze challenges and ending with the Platinum. As you complete these challenge modes you are rewarded with extra courses and bonus equipment.

Graphics:

Graphically Links is leaps ahead of the current competition and looks totally stunning, the courses are well designed and look absolutely gorgeous although when you head out of bounds you do get to see some of the less impressive textures and graphical features of Links 2004. The crowds which surround the greens and take placement in the stands around the courses are although animated a little half hearted and lack any real qualities which is a shame and doe’s leave a little to be desired. Golfer models are very realistic and feature some very nice motion capture. There’s some nice matrix bullet time effects applied to well struck tee shots and a nice slow motion effect applied to some chips onto the green or putts.

Sound:

The sound is generally very good although has a couple of slight problems. The ambient sound effects sound almost as if you are actually standing on the course, and the crowd cheers and jeers are both very natural and especially realistic. Because of the realistic nature of Links 2004 there’s no pumping sound track but for gamers wishing to lighten the atmosphere a little you are able to play custom sound tracks from your xbox hard drive.

The biggest issue with the various sound effects featured in Links 2004 is the commentary which is headed by PGA great Ken Venturi and backed up by Jim Nelford, Jeff Waters, and Rod Zundel. At times this loses complete track of the game and occasionally will just stop without completing their sentence which is a little strange, but the biggest most noticeable issue is that the commentary is pieced together with various sound files. For example, when you create your profile you can select an audio nickname, which you are then referred by throughout the game by the commentary team. Unfortunately, this kind of makes the commentary very inconsistent and choppy.

Longevity:

Links has a lot to offer, especially to LIVE online players. Unfortunately, as a stand alone golf sim there is much more to keep you going in Tiger Woods 2004. If you’re a LIVE gamer the game can go on and on with you competing with your friends in leagues etc, all available via the XSN network. There is also the possible addition (although not confirmed) of extra courses via xbox LIVE downloadable content. With all this, the prospects for a LIVE gamer are endless hours of fun and competition, whilst non LIVE players may find the game short lived and Tiger Woods the better option.