System Requirements :
Windows 95/98/NT
Pentium PC 150 Mhz
32Mb RAM
Quad-speed CD-ROM Drive
2Mb Video capable of 800x600 resolution in 32,000 colours
110Mb free Hard Disk Space (480Mb for full installation)
DirectX 6.0 (included on CD)
16bit soundcard
Note to NT users: Internet play requires NT 5.0
Links LS 99 Arnold Palmer is on hand to guide you through the different
courses you can encounter : St. Andrews Links Old Course, Bay Hill Club & Lodge,
Latrobe Country Club and Entrada at Snow Canyon. Virtual World Tours of his
workshop office, trophy room and in-depth multimedia interviews are also
available and when you've played all the courses available to death, you can
separately buy a total of 25 other courses in expansion packs so it'll take
even the most dedicated golfer a long time to progress through all of those.
Installing and Running the Game
Installation couldn't be easier. Choose which folder to put all the files in
and install. The game comes on 4 CDs, but only the first two are required
initially. Four different options are available to maximise the quality of
the game and reduce CD access times, so if you have the hard disk space for it,
install as much as possible, up to a maximum 480 Mb for the smoothest game you
can get.
After installing, you can run the game from the desktop (if you allow an icon
to be created) or from the Start Menu.
Playing the Game
Even those not remotely interested in golf will know that there's more to the
game than swinging the club as a bit of thought needs to go into the execution
of the shot. However, Links LS 99 will tax your brain rather more than that
as before you tee off, there's stacks of options to consider first.
Choose your club type, one of many camera views of the golf ball's trajectory,
view the replay from the point of view of towards the hole or away from golfer,
trace the path of the ball, select "Mulligans" (redo a shot without incurring
a penalty), Gimmes (an option which is available if you're close enough to the
hole - you'll get the hole, but it will cost you a shot), concede a hole,
draw a grid onscreen to show the camber of the course. Not only this, but you
can also create and edit your players and play against Arnold Palmer himself.
There are three different ways to play the game. The 2-click swing and 3-click
swing are not much different as they involve clicking the mouse button twice
instead of holding it down and release, before clicking one more time. In
addition to this is a new PowerStroke swing, which involves moving the mouse
in a complicated way while your golfer swings his club. It'll take a long time
to master that, so for now I'll stick with the 3-click swing.
Graphics, Sound and Playability
Definitely no complaints here. The digitised players, including Arnold Palmer
himself, are very well represented, obviously using the motion-capture
technique. The courses are a lush green colour and look fantastic. You can
choose a foggy and/or windy day, but after the dreadful weather we've had during
winter, I'd rather see a nice sunny day with no weather problems whatsoever.
The sound isn't particularly interesting as there's not much going on, but
then this isn't "Quake II" . It's a game of golf and apart from the
sound of a golf ball being hit, comes the ambience of the crowd ooh-ing and
aah-ing when a shot comes close to the hole, the birds singing in the trees
and more of the same.
The playability depends on which method you choose to smack the ball from here
to oblivion, or just onto the green. It takes a while to get used to the
different methods involved, but once you find the one most suited to you, it
takes a little time to master it, so be sure to choose "Mulligans" whenever
possible so you can retake the shot as many times as you like.
Overall
This is more a game for the PC-owning golf enthusiast due to all the many
aspects that can be altered, rather than someone who just wants a quick game
of golf without all the intracacies and would be better off with a game from
the Actua series. For the former though, this game will give you the chance
to play on those famous courses normally reserved for watching on satellite
television, or heaven forbid one day, pay-per-view.
If you're after some more info on Eidos Interactive's games, you can check
out their official Website at
www.eidosinteractive.com
GRAPHICS : *****
SOUND EFFECTS AND MUSIC : **
PLAYABILITY : ***
ORIGINALITY : **
ENJOYMENT : ***
-------------------------------
OVERALL : ***
Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 1999.
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As of April 2009, Blu-rays and DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TH-37PX80B
37" Plasma TV with a Sony BDP-1500 Blu-ray player and played through a Yamaha DSP-AX820 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
