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Links LS 99 (PC) ReviewBackground Info
Presentation/Graphics : 96
How can Links LS '99 survive and thrive without such additions, you ask?
It does it by the sheer brilliance of what it does utilize. Although it
maintains the 2D world of its predecessors, it has taken its prior screen
resolutions of up to 1800 x 1440 and its claim of 16.7 million colors a to
another level by adding 3D objects to improve realism. Also, Access has created a
"Tournament Environment" which allows players to add galleries even when
playing in non-tournament modes.
Try intentionally aiming your tee shot on the famous 17th or "Road Hole" at
St. Andrew's at the hotel that separates you and the fairway and you'll see
how combining a 3D object and Links '99 impeccable ball physics combine for
unprecedented realism. Other courses similarly utilize this 3D rendering
for surrounding clubhouses, homes, etc. In theory it sounds like this
combination of graphics (e.g.- a 3D St. Andrew's clubhouse and a 2D, albeit
wonderfully rendered, 18th hole) would appear awkward, but it works very
well.
The gallery members appear in 2D but are realistically interspersed among
the fairways and green complexes and add a dimension to the game I have not
experienced since playing British Open Championship Golf. Their "density"
or very appearance on the course can be controlled, so don't worry about
having to tee-up for the first time in front of a US Open-sized crowd!
It will be interesting to see what decisions Access will make with
regards to 3D and the next version of the game. All other golf sims seem to
be embracing the technology. At this point, however, the 2D rendering of
the courses is so advanced that, in combination with gameplay, the results
can be jaw-dropping. Play a round at the Banff Springs course to see what
I mean. I have yet to see a 3D rendered course from another game match the
beauty and visual splendor of this gem from the Great White North.
Presentation/Audio : 97
The "new toy" in the sound arsenal for the '99 version is what Access
calls its "expanded sound script editor." This allows players to edit and
cue sound noises and to add their own comments in the forms of WAV files.
I can think of a few "Happy Gilmore-isms" I'd like to add to be played when
I miss a six foot putt.....
Interface/Options : 92
Links LS '99 does change the interface during actual gameplay, however.
Gone is the '98 option of dragging to the bottom of the screen to bring up
what I liked to call the "golf dashboard" with its various icons for club
selection, alternate camera views, etc. This has been replaced by six
pop-up menus that use more "plain English" than icons.
Personally, I find the new set-up an improvement for my gameplay, but it
ultimately comes down to the personal preference of a word vs. a visual.
The two pop-ups at the left-hand side of the screen will look familiar as
they are the "Slope/Lie/Wind" indicator and "Rotate View" control,
respectively.
Gameplay : 97
First, for the "uninitiated", let me state that the ball physics in Links
LS '99 are unequivocally the most realistic out there. For those of you
"picking up the game" via Links LS '99, just ask a friend who has played
the sim and the "IRL" game. The ball's bounces, rolls, reactions to wind and
terrain are incredibly lifelike. The newest version of the series
continues where its predecessors left off.
The two new exciting options Access has added are the improved
"Tournament Environment" and the "MOP" ("Modes of Play") feature.
Links LS '98 did bring us the capability of offline tournament play, but
without a physical crowd present it was...well, like watching a tournament
on a weekday afternoon at your local municipal course. No one was there!
With the addition of the aforementioned galleries, tournament play (on or
offline) finally reaches the level of excitement set by British Open
Championship Golf. It allows the PC golf sim player whose real-life
handicap is higher than he/she would like to admit to experience the thrill
of a birdie in front of hundreds - or even thousands of appreciative
spectators.
Golf is similar to playing cards in that both games offer players
literally dozens of variations in play and scoring. Links LS 99's "Modes
of Play" feature brings this facet of the game to life. Instead of the
limited gameplay options of stroke, match, best ball, scramble, skins, etc.,
the '99 edition gives us over 30 stock modes of play (among them "The Happy
Golfer" and "Putt or Die!"). It also allows the enterprising and creative
linksman to create new modes of play and share them online!
Another major change to gameplay in Links LS '99 is the addition of two
new swing options to complement the "traditional" 2-click swing: the
3-click swing and the trademarked "PowerStroke".
Let me first say that I am a 3-clicker from the old days of EA's games for
the Sega Genesis system. One of the most frustrating aspects of playing
previous versions of Links for me was starting up a round after playing on
other golf sims - all of which employed the 3-click swing method. It made
for a difficult adjustment and frankly, I didn't like it, finding it the
one weak link in an otherwise astonishing game.
Links LS '99 3-click swing is just how I prefer it - more or less
forgiving depending on the chosen difficulty level - otherwise, always
dependent on the almighty "snap" for pinpoint accuracy.
The "PowerStroke" option is by far the most difficult of the three
options. It utilizes a click to initiate the swing, a left-to-right mouse
movement for the backswing, and a right-to-left movement for the downswing
- with a final click required upon ball impact. Whew! Needless to say,
this is the most difficult swing option. But as such, it perhaps best
simulates the idiosyncrasies of a real golf swing. And it is definitely
the most challenging of the various "mouse swing" modes that other PC golf
sims have rolled out.
Finally, we come to the golf courses themselves. As a golf course
architecture enthusiast let me say that the choice of new courses shipped
with Links LS '99 is an interesting mix. We get two renderings of Arnold
Palmer's Latrobe (Summer and Fall), and one of his Bay Club Course (a
resort course in Florida which is Arnie's winter home). For some Western
American flavor, Entrada at Snow Canyon (a Johnny Miller design) is thrown
in, with colorful mesas and buttes providing a great background to an
otherwise average course.
And then, of course, we get St. Andrew's Links - the "Old" course. Links
may be the most venerable of the PC golf gaming series, but St. Andrew's is
the most venerable and revered course in the world - bar none. It has
inspired generations of golfers, sportswriters and golf architects and for
good reason. Links LS '99 presents it in all its glory. From the
Royal & Ancient Clubhouse to the Hell's Bunker, it's all here and it is
thrilling. Before playing it I was concerned that Access would
"overgreen" the course - that is, not accurately render the various colored
fescue grasses and gorse native to Scotland (so wonderfully recreated in
British Open Championship Golf). However the renderings are accurate and,
while not as visually stunning as, say, Banff, incredibly realistic.
The courses shipped with Links LS '99 do provide "caddy windows" which
provide distances and shot suggestions similar to those in yardage books
for "real" play. A great addition for the 2000 version would be providing
these windows for all of the 30-plus courses in the Links series back
catalog - all of which, by the way, are compatible with Links LS '99
Difficulty: 95
Overall : 96
I'm happy to say that my answer to both questions is a resounding and
enthusiastic "yes". With its unprecedented combination of graphics, gameplay options, course
offerings, playability and difficulty variation, Links LS '99 is simply the
best PC golf sim currently available on the market.
As a golf course architecture buff, I must place my hope for a solid
course designer at the top of my wish list for next year's edition
(although I find it hard to imagine with the current 2D hole rendering).
Asking for that to be near perfect when first rolled out may be a bit much,
but as the folks at Access have rarely failed to deliver with flying
colors in the past, who knows?
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