Outlaw Golf
Outlaw Golf is what you get when you round up a truck load of uncommon golf players on one course. The game features characters such as strippers and bikers who hit the links in the hopes of walking away as champion. Developed by Hypnotix, the title brings some new ideas to the virtual golf genre.Features
- Golfers gain and lose accuracy through composure.
- Unconventional players
- Lots of courses and options to play with
- Advanced physics mimic real-life conditions.
The main difference of the game stems from comedy and unconventional playing at its core. Just like real life, you need to keep your composure in front of the crowds so your game doesnt go down the tubes. However, unlike the real-life game, you can beat on people to regain this lost composure. Through a twitch-play sequence you beat on your caddy in the hopes of regaining confidence, and in turn, your score.
Another unconventional addition are the courses themselves. Instead of picturesque landscapes, you struggle through locations such as a New Jersey city course. Watching out for obstacles like a freeway is a common occurrence in this game. Not to say that that the standard sand bunkers and water hazards. These traditional obstacles will still be the highest on your hit list, regardless of the unconventional road-blocks. Before you play each course, you are greeted by some comedic commentary.
Even with all these new additions such as the commentary and such, there are still many solid golfing options to be used. There are 8 types of exhibition games that range from stroke play to casino, where players bet money in the hopes of winning big. Each player also comes with custom stats that can be raised by attending the Outlaw Range. Here you practice your shots in a variety of events. Participating bumps your stats up to give you an edge on the links. Lets see what the council says
Jason Nuyens: It's great to see a golf game try to take on something new while still retain the quality we need. While this game wasn't a home run by any measure, it did get some things right. For instance, the graphics are actually pretty decent. The courses are well modeled, the draw distance is great, and the small details on the sidelines are appreciated. The golf system underneath the polish is relatively solid. Instead of using the common "hit A three times to swing" system, you need to pull back the stick then push forwards when you reach the desired power. This seems to usually get the job done efficiently, but always leaves room for human error (if you accidentally don't push up fast or straight enough, you won't have the desired swing).
There are still some things that tug on me while playing though. The load times are in the worst spots like character selection and even changing your clubs. The latter example is almost unacceptable. Also, the underlying feature of comedy just does nothing for me. The jokes are hit and miss, and in some cases it misses so bad that you wish there was an option to turn it off. You know those jokes that your uncle told you when you were young and were so bad they made you shake your head? Well that's precisely how I felt on more than a few occasions. Other than the bad jokes, the sound itself is actually top notch.
The underlying game is surprisingly fun. Even though the comedy, violence, and in-your-face attitude comes off as juvenile many times, it's remarkably fun as a pick-up-and-play game. If you get a couple of people over and hit the links together, it can get very enjoyable. One of the odd sides of the game is the learning curve. It takes an abnormal amount of time to get used to the physics in this game. Even worse is the power gauge, and how they chose the background color black so that you can't even see the percentage of power until you've passed it. These examples were some rather odd design choices indeed.
As I said, even though the game didn't hit a home run, it does get some things right. If you like golf games, you may actually be surprised by the system used. If you like the idea of using wild characters on the field and beating on your caddy, then definitely take a hard look at this title as well. Be warned though, the humor gets really bad sometimes and will actually cheapen the experience. The learning curve is very steep as well, which may throw many gamers off.
Jason Nuyens