Microsoft's Links 2004 for the Xbox
First seen on the Commodore 64 in 1986 (remember Leader Board, anyone?), the Links series has since grown to become the most enjoyable, best selling golf franchise on the PC. However, in recent years it's been forced to face some stiff competition from EA Sports' PGA Tour Golf titles, which have until now had unchallenged, free reign on the console market. However, looking to grab a little extra market share, Microsoft has recently released its Links 2004 title on the Xbox console, which is set to compete directly with EA's PGA Tour Golf 2004. Without giving away the verdict I won't spoil it for you with the verdict this early on in the review, but rest assured that the comparison between these two titles is certainly an interesting one to say the least.
Personally, I've never been a huge fan of golf, let alone golf video games. In fact, before playing golf on the PC I thought of it as nothing more than a futile, frustrating sport that can be compared to a tranquil walk through patches of greenery with a swing of the club every few hundred meters or so. However, when playing golf as a video game, you don't have to walk an inch and can still reap all of the benefits of the core game itself. Of course, whether this is a good or bad thing will obviously vary between people, however, for lazy geeks like us, all we can say is "Score!".
There are a number of interesting, unique aspects of this game that make it worth checking out. Firstly, it's the first golf title with Xbox Live support, allowing you to touch clubs with players all over the world. As well as this, Links 2004 also marks the franchise's transition into complete 3D, giving gamers something to drool over whilst their in-game persona walks lethargically across the green. Finally, Links 2004 marks Microsoft's change of focus from golf simulation to a more arcade-like game play style, hoping to attract more attention to the title from those other than hardcore golf fans. Was this a good move, or has Microsoft bitten off more than it can chew and lost both markets at the same time? Read on to find out!
