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For years, since before the days of even Gary Player and Bobby Jones, golf was the best kept secret of the snobby rich. Then came video games, and golf expanded to the technologically-savvy golf snobs. A little while longer, and we met Tiger Woods. There was much rejoicing, and golf fans appeared to come out of the woodwork (if you don't know who Bobby Jones was, you're among this group). Then, finally, on the eighth day, came Outlaw Golf. As much as the above is an oversimplified history of golf and its fans, it is also cutting corners to say that Outlaw Golf was just an irreverent, bawdy golf game. There's a lot more to it than that, just like there's a lot more to this sequel. For those new to the Outlaw series (there's also a volleyball game), they're decorated with colorful characters, good graphics and, most importantly, game play that's just as deep as their more serious counterparts (Links and Tiger Woods Golf). Outlaw Golf's cast is back, including the stripper, the Tijuana ladies man and the whitest rapper you've ever seen. The sense of humor is back, too, this time with voice-overs by Dave Attell, who you might recognize from Insomniac on Comedy Central.
How many times have we, as fans of sports and games, been so happy with a game that we look forward to the next year's version hoping the maker will see that time as an opportunity to refine what they already have? When a football game plays well, it would be great if the year in between was spent refining the gameplay, tweaking the playbook here and there, or just adding a little more oomph. Instead, we usually get a slew of features we didn't want, the same gameplay glitches and a new roster. Too often, we're left asking why they didn't just spend a little time making the basics better. For a change, that's what happened with Outlaw Golf 2. If you played the first one, the second will look very familiar. (Click here for the original review) The style is the same and it plays the same. But there is so much more golf this time. Instead of three courses and a practice range, there are eight courses and several mini games, including a putt-putt course. Instead of just a few tournaments for the single player portion, there are several, including match play, skins, best ball, etc. And the online component is fully featured - retaining almost all the options from the offline mode - including foursomes. (Hello, Tiger Woods Golf? You've heard of foursomes, right?) You can jump right into the online golf on day one. Unfortunately, many of the features of the game are not playable right away - they await your diligence in unlocking them. Courses, mini games, new equipment, new characters, most of them are tucked away at the end of several hours of studious dedication. That's ok, on some level, but if there's a serious complaint about Outlaw Golf 2 it's that there is just too much unavailable right out of the box. If you became enamored with El Suave's swarthy machismo or Summer's dance moves after a birdie, rest assured they're waiting for you in this sequel. There are more outfits, more caddie beatings (beating your caddy helps you relieve stress and play better) and more fly-over commentary. The courses themselves maintain this attitude - you won't be hitting the links of St. Andrews. Instead, you'll have to work around highways in New Jersey and expose yourself to the obvious dangers of playing golf on the former site of secret nuclear testing. And while the courses have personalities far removed from traditional golf, these courses are not silly video game versions of golf. They are, mostly, traditional golf courses with regard to the challenges of putting the ball in the hole. The actual game plays like golf - the personality rarely interferes. The core gameplay should be familiar to golf game fans: After selecting a club and target, you pull back on the analog stick for your backswing, then push forward to take a hack at the ball. The straighter and more consistently you do this, the better your shot. Putting is the same, except for the pre-shot routine. You have three chances to see where your shot might take you after considering the contours of the green. That is the golf in Outlaw Golf 2 at its simplest. You can also work spin on the ball to craft shots, and some of the courses make this a necessity. Each character has different strengths, and upgrading them makes for a large part of the single player game. There's also a slew of equipment to earn, and your improved clubs and players are usable online. Overall, the gameplay is easily as deep and challenging as Links and Tiger Woods. Those games are traditional, while Outlaw Golf is irreverent and usually bawdy enough that it's best avoided by the faint of heart. At $20, there's no reason both casual and serious golfers shouldn't have Outlaw Golf 2 to help them get through a long, cold winter. There might not be a better stocking stuffer this season.
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