Links
by Hexacto,
Price: $24.95
Reviewed July 2003 by Howard Paw
Known for their “Addict” series
of sports game, Hexacto has once again given life to another
sports genre. This time taking golf to a whole new level
with a port of the popular desktop golf game, Links. In Links,
you are taken to a golf club where you have to play through
18 holes of varying degrees of difficulty: every hazard and
conditions like wind factor, sand traps, bogeys, mulligan,
etc. that you would expect from a golf game is here. You
can choose to play the whole 18 holes in one go, or choose
to play the Front 9 or Back 9 holes.
During the game, you are given full control
as to the amount of information displayed on the screen,
from the wind direction meter to the landscape grids, to
the overhead map. You can easily add/remove them via the
in-game menu. In addition to this, you can also adjust the
overall view of the game to your liking; my personal favorite
is the panoramic view that gives you a wider and better view
of the course compared to the normal view. However the most
enjoyable view is the dynamic mode that gives you a close
up view as to where the ball is going to land. The customization
doesn’t stop with the aesthetics though, in addition
to the options that I have mentioned, Links also gives the
player the ability to choose what kind of swing to use and
what type of golf club to use in any condition. Novice players
will be happy to know that the game automatically assigns
the best club to use in any given situation. Of course, more
advanced players can still change to whatever club they like,
so I see this as a win-win situation for both experts and
beginners.
Another noteworthy feature in Links is
that you can create numerous character profiles. Each character
is given their own thorough player statistics; this way you
can keep track to see if your skill levels are progressing
or you can compare stats with other Links players. You can
save a game mid way through the courses or you can use the
game’s nifty auto save feature. The auto save feature
is really a life saver, especially for those who aren’t
used to manually saving their games, but keep in mind that
the auto save game feature can only keep track of one game
at a time.
Controls are very simple and straightforward;
first you mark on the map which direction you’ll be
teeing off and then use the swing meter to gauge the power
and accuracy of your swing. The 1st tap starts the meter
going, 2nd tap determines the power of the swing (you can
tap and hold to do the 1st and 2nd action) and then the 3rd
tap determines the accuracy of the swing, there are hash
marks to give you an idea when to tap, the closer you tap
on the hash marks, the more accurate your swings are.
As you would expect from any Hexacto
game, the graphics are very well made and one could argue
that Links is not only the best looking PPC golf game ever
made, but one of the best looking PPC games period. Complimenting
the impressive graphics are equally impressive animations
and sound effects: the golfer swings just as a player would
swing in real life and the accompanying audio effects sound
like they were taken directly from an actual golf course.
Whether you play golf in real life or only
in computer games, I heartily recommend Hexacto’s Links;
this is bar none, one of the best PPC game ever made, the
graphics, controls, myriad of options and overall game package
makes this enjoyable to play thru, I can’t wait for
the expansion packs to be released which will add more courses
and player animations.
Playing Hint and Tips
Use the overhead map view so you’ll
have an idea of the course, this will greatly help you avoid
the various hazards in the game. |
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