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IN THE LAST FEW years Access Software's once dominant Links line of golf sims has come under attack. Not only have the competition closed the gap, with Jack Nicklaus 6 and PGA Championship 2000 both receiving great praise, but the '99 and 2000 editions of Links did little to move the series forward. In fact, the millennium edition was barely more than a re-release with a handful of new courses, and in a tough marketplace that's simply not good enough. For this reason, Access and their heavyweight publishers Microsoft have headed back to the drawing board with Links 2001, upgrading the game engine and adding some long-awaited features -- including a course design program. Is Links 2001, as Microsoft are claiming, the biggest upgrade to the series in a decade?
Well, strictly speaking, no. The original Links LS in 1996 was a bigger improvement over Links 386 than this year's version is over its predecessor. Even so, Links 2001 is definitely a major upgrade, whichever way you view it. For the first time the series is blessed with a true 3D graphics engine and a powerful course designer, as well as a host of incremental improvements to existing features. Having said that, the basic philosophy and gameplay approach from the past is preserved in the 2001 version, which means that those who liked past editions will love it, and those who didn't, will not.
The most obvious improvement in Links 2001 is apparent from first impressions -- the new 3D graphics engine serves up some of the best visuals yet seen in a golf sim. Fairway, rough and sand textures are more detailed than ever, trees and bushes are crisp even at close range, and while the golfer animations are still pre-rendered video, they blend into the backgrounds and appear natural. Speaking of which, some of the backgrounds of the six included courses (St Andrews, Aviara, Princeville, Westfields, Chateau Whistler and the fictional Mesa Roja) are downright stunning, especially at high resolutions. There does still seem to be a notable lack of ambient animations, however, and the odd flock of birds flying overheard fails to convince the player that they're immersed in a dynamic, natural environment. To be fair, this seems lacking in almost all golf sims. Ambient sounds are sparse but effective, although some of the golfer comments can be cheesy and irritating.
As always, the Links series continues to deliver the most accurate simulation of golf available on any platform. Ball physics and gameplay, the effect of different lies from fairway to sand or rough, and slopes, are all meticulously recreated. I've yet to encounter any occurrence which has struck me as inconsistent with the way the real sport plays out, or even an unnatural bounce of the ball. Putting and chipping are worthy of special mention. Green slopes and contours are modeled superbly, and unlike many golf sims, it is possible to read and follow a putt naturally. The traditional three-click swing is here, as is the mouse-controlled PowerStroke, which is much the same as that found in earlier versions (move the mouse right for the backswing, left to strike the ball, with any movement up or down causing a slice or hook). Unfortunately, the PowerStroke is still unwieldy and tricky to use effectively, so the three-click remains my method of choice. The arguments in favour of the mouse control approach have failed to convince me of its usefulness, and Links 2001 makes little headway in changing my attitude.
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