Links provides some of the most gorgeous visuals to grace a golf title. Lush green grass, swaying trees, beautiful water, all bump mapped to brilliant Xbox luster and sheen. All the golf courses stay true to life and are accurately recreated. You won’t find any over the top locals like in Tiger Woods, but no self-respecting golfer would have it any other way. Player models are a little on the awkward side, with disproportioned upper bodies and skinny legs. Not that they look deformed, just a bit off. The players do animate quite nicely though, with great swing animations and celebrations. The presentation is done in a genuine TV style, complete with fades and wipes between rounds. Even some special FX has been thrown in for good measure, such as slow down and sound barrier breaking warp holes as the ball flies by. The cinematic extras don’t take anything away from the legitimacy of the title, just adds a little flavor to an otherwise bland sport. Load times are unusually long before a round of golf, but that’s where the loading is the most evident. Once in the game you can skip past cut scenes, celebrations, and other pace killing nuisances if you need to get a game in before work. The menus are slick and easily to navigate through, giving any casual gamers the ability of pick up and play. Links 2004 is a looker…that’s for sure.

Audio also does a stand up job providing sounds that are fitting to the environment. Ambience sounds like wind, birds, and rustling of trees gives a player the feeling of peace and tranquility. Commentary is fair, providing any necessary info and a few quirks of comic relief. Thankfully there were enough recorded commentary lines to keep repetitiveness to a minimum. The club sounds are also as faithful as can be. Whether you here the slight ping or scuffing of the grass, the sounds let you know how clean you connected with the ball. For a bit of added flavor the developers threw in the option of custom soundtracks. So if you want a little Air Supply or System of a Down, the choice is yours on the style of music to keep you in a calm and collective mood. While nothing overwhelmingly new here, the sounds do an adequate job.

Game play is where Links really shines. Casual gamers, this may not be the game for you unless you stick to the rookie level. This game is as accurate of a golf game as even I’ve played one once you are playing the intermediate or advanced levels. Every little detail counts in the upper difficulty levels. Putting becomes harder, how hard you pitch the ball from the rough takes more skill, and making sure your swing is smooth and straight on a drive is the difference from OB and the fairway. On rookie, you are spoon-fed everything, from how powerful to swing the club, to basically putting ball in the whole on the green while putting. For fans that want genuine play mechanics, you are also treated to a variety of control. Using the B button brings up a shot type gizmo that allows you to chose from a shooting straight, blast, chip, punch, and flop. This provides you with total control in windy conditions or ones in the rough. You also control the spin of the ball, but unlike the arcade style of Tiger Woods and more like real golf, you do so as you strike the ball…not in mid air. I for one am happy to see this. Too many critics complain about being a spectator while the ball is in flight, and I for one don’t have Jedi powers to change the trajectory in mid air, so this act of realism is a joy for a person like myself who spends their springs on the links. Every thing matters here, from club choice to power and touch when it comes to success. This is the most genuine representation to the genre on a console yet. Casual fans that’ve fell in love with Tiger’s bottle-feeding approach, may want to steer clear of this title. Simulation buffs need only apply.

Once you have the game play mastered it’s time to play online and show your stuff. You can either choose to play on standard Xbox Live, complete with Quick Match and Create Match options, or set up a tournament with up to 64 players on XSN sports. You can also choose from turn-based golf, or if you are pressed for time, choose fast play where everyone plays simultaneously. The game is virtually lag free and many of the gamers online are competitive and friendly. Links also provides a great amount of offline game play features as well. Learn the ropes in Tutorial, compete in various challenges that help you earn unlockables, compete in skill events for bonus cash to boost your player or created player’s abilities, or make your way through over 30 tournaments in Career play to earn more than 47 million dollars! Whatever you taste, the game has plenty of replay value to keep you going through till next season.

Many gamers know the Tiger Woods series; many gamers have loved the Tiger Woods series. Heck Tiger is a great golfer and a great game. The problem with Tiger is that it’s too over the top and simplistic for a golfer who wants a challenge. This is where the Links series takes Tiger by the Titleist and puts one on the green in two. No nonsense, straight forward, good old fashion golf, for people who like their game realistic and dare I say even frustrating at times, because in the real world, Golf is NOT a pick up and play game. Links 2004 take patience, practice, and poise to be good, as it should be when creating a golf sim. If this sounds good too you, by all means, what are you waiting for? Buy this title now.