Links LS 2000

By purchasing Access Software, and its critically acclaimed Links series, Microsoft took a giant leap forward in its quest to dominate PC golfing. It essentially killed two birds with one stone with the acquisition: it gained instant credibility and eliminated the main competition. So how has Links changed since being adorned with the Microsoft name? It hasn't, really. Apart from the odd minor tweak and some new courses, Links LS 2000 is a prime example of a series resting on its own laurels. In a year that has seen substantial upgrades in other major golf games such as Activision's Jack Nicklaus, Sierra's PGA Championship Golf, and EA Sports' PGA Tour (most recently known as Tiger Woods 99 PGA Tour Golf), that just isn't enough.

Of course, that's not to say Links isn't one of PC golf's hottest properties. It has long been the golf game by which others have been defined, and for good reason. Links is a journey into the world of accuracy, where golf balls move unerringly through the air and along the ground. It is also a game containing crisply defined objects, rigorous challenges, and, in the 2000 version, more than 30 gameplay modes.

Links allows you to adjust practically every nuance of your shot--from stance to approach, and all things in between; then it reflects those modifications better than any other game out there. It floods the screen with zoomable, mobile views from every possible perspective. You can create or edit a golfer, choose the degree of cloud cover, and tinker with the mammoth array of game and course options. Heck, you'll be lucky if you ever finish a round!

New for 2000 is the Microsoft-inspired Links Lessons, which provides upwards of a dozen separate tutorials. Sadly, these lessons consist of static images and noninteractive written instructions, and aren't nearly as valuable as they could have been. If you're a rookie, you can, however, take advantage of the new Easy Swing option, but its one-click process is simpler than Pamela Anderson's vocabulary and cannot be considered anything but ridiculous.

Yet all of these features would be of little consequence if the most critical element, the ball-striking process, weren't totally convincing. Unfortunately, Links hasn't kept up with the times in this key area. On tee shots, for instance, the two- and three-click meter moves far too fast compared with those of the genre's other top titles. Also, though some deceleration is evident for approaches and chips, the same downstroke speed is used for both overpowered and underpowered shots; this just isn't realistic (overpowered shots should be faster, and underpowered shots, slower).

Links' PowerStroke feature is perhaps my least favorite manifestation of the mouse swing in the current crop of high-end golf games. In essence, you need to control and monitor the mouse speed and tempo, length of backswing, and accuracy of your final snap point, while staying in a straight line all the way through.