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Published
by Global Star Software
Developed by Hypnotix
Release Date: 4th February 2005
Price: £19.99
Also on: Xbox
A
few years ago now we saw the release of a new type of golf
game, Outlaw Golf. Instead of trying to capture the gentlemanly
atmosphere of golf the developers went for a different,
more brutal approach. Essentially the game paired all kinds
of lunatic golfers with equally crazy caddies and as you
can imagine it all added up to one very out of the ordinary
golfing experience. Further inclusions such as composure
also made the game feel different and being able to beat
up your caddie to restore your composure was definitely
something we hadn't see before in a golf game. Whilst Outlaw
Golf was certainly different it also proved to be very popular.
Last year we reviewed another 'Outlaw' game, Outlaw Volleyball
and with other 'Outlaw' games in the works, there is obviously
a demand for this take on sports games.
Outlaw
Golf 2 expands on Outlaw Golf and also comes with the addition
of online play. The crazy characters are back once more
and they are just as perverse and as violent as they were
before. Game modes include Quick Play, Exhibition (13 different
modes on offer ranging from the traditional to the bizarre),
Tour, Outlaw Range and Online. All of these modes are self-explanatory
with the exception of Outlaw Range which basically allows
you to play a series of challenges that allow you to improve
the attributes of your chosen golfer. Incidentally there
are 8 fictional courses and 10 golfer and caddie pairings
in the game, ranging from the spanking female partners of
Summer and Autumn to the mean looking Killer Miller and
Shankman. Their costumes range from the erotic to the downright
disturbing. The online mode supports up to 4 players at
one time although presently it's difficult to find a game.
Hopefully this will not be the case after the release date
here in the UK.
Wacky
characters and 'adult' tone aside what really matters is
how the game plays. Outlaw Golf 2 once again employs an
analogue swing instead of the now almost extinct triple
button press method. You set the direction of the shot press,
apply the spin and then press the X button before using
the right or left analogue stick to carry out the swing.
Controlling the swing is much easier than in most other
golf games and shouldn't give anyone much trouble at all.
Outlaw Golf 2 does provide a power gauge, which enables
you see how much power you are putting (bad choice of words
I know) into a shot. Putting is a bit more difficult though.
You'll have an aiming reticle that must be positioned before
you take the shot. You don't get any grids or other visible
method of reading the green although you have limited use
of a trajectory line that will allow you to line up the
reticle in a fairly accurate manner. Overall the golf mechanics
of the game work well and few gamers will have any complaints
with how the game plays. The composure metre has been retained
and bad shots will lose composure whilst good shots could
help to put you 'In the zone'. As before you can beat-up
your caddie to regain composure (tokens are required to
do this though) and in Outlaw Golf 2 you can also have a
Golf cart race to regain composure too. What makes either
of these annoying though is the load times which seriously
add to the time you'll spend playing a round.
When
we reviewed Outlaw Golf it was the Xbox version of the game
that we looked at. At the time Outlaw Golf on the Xbox looked
very good and it was a bit of a surprise to see that the
sequel on the PlayStation 2 doesn't look as good. That's
not to say it looks bad though and it's more than acceptable.
The characters animate quite nicely although their after
the shot reactions can become quite repetitive. Thankfully
though you can disable them. Loading times are quite annoying,
the PlayStation 2 has it's fair share of games with long
loading times so it's difficult whether to point the finger
of blame at the software or the console itself, regardless
though the load times can test your patience at times.
One
of the main problems with Outlaw Golf was the lack of subtitles.
Normally in a golf game this would hardly be a problem but
in a game where one of the key features is the adult tone
of the conversations that come from the characters it does
pose more of a problem. The wacky commentaries are also
not subtitled either so again another source of the adult
humour is missing for deaf gamers. Essentially then deaf
gamers will simply see the provocative gestures and violent
bust-ups that take place between golfer and caddie and will
not get a true idea of the adult nature of the game.
Essentially
Outlaw Golf 2 is a good golf game with solid game mechanics.
Whether it's your cup of tea (or should that be tee) is
another matter entirely. If you're a golf enthusiast who
things that games should be a simulation of the sport you
love, then the violence and over the top behaviour (in more
ways than one) isn't going to be what you want to see. However
if you don't mind seeing the 'adult' behaviour in the game
or you enjoy wacky sports titles then this is probably going
to be a game that you can have a laugh with. However it's
just a shame that the animations do get repetitive after
playing a few rounds and that you can't experience the game
in it's entirety because of the lack of subtitles.
Overall
Game Rating: 7.0/10
Outlaw Golf 2 isn't your typical golf game with all of it's
in your face adult material but underneath this lies solid
game mechanics that actually give the game a lot of replay
value and that says a lot for a game under £20.
Deaf
Gamers Classification:
(Click
the letter or here
for details)
Whilst the character comments
and the commentary are not subtitled there's nothing here
that will cause any problems. However it is disappointing
that deaf gamers looking to have the full 'adult' nature
of the game won't have access to this material because of
the lack of subtitles although what's there does get repetitive
very quickly.
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