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After
a long wait, Actua Golf has finally surfaced on the PlayStation. Being a keen
golfer myself, I was looking forward to a game that would test my golfing
knowledge (gained over many hours of trudging several miles in varying adverse
weather conditions), rather than the usual test of how accurately I could press
the "X" button on my joypad. Far too many golf games fall into this
category and surely only a true 3D environment would raise the necessary
challenge that a real course will offer you.
Reading the manual would
have you believe that the creators of this game have managed to do just
that........ Well lets see!
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Actua
Golf is a 3D golfing game that offers the choice of playing against a computer
opponent or up to eight human players using a multi-tap. The striking of the
ball requires an accurate press of a joypad button while the environment ebbs
and flows and holds many treacherous dangers.
The object of the game is
to strike the ball from tee to hole in the least number of shots over a golf
course that includes eighteen individually designed holes. Each hole has an
allocated number of shots which, if under, will move your score below par.
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Following
the many delays that accompanied this game, I had hoped that the graphic
environment would be void of obvious flaws. The grass is impressive with the
fairways looking inviting and hollows and bumps nicely shaded to indicate which
direction your ball will roll on contact. the rough has a nice wispy look to it
and from a distance, the weeping willows look like a work of art. Unfortunately
the same trees look pretty awful when you get close up, a common problem in golf
games. The water looks like a pretty blue path winding its way up towards the
green and not, as we golfer know, the man-trap it really is - heavily penalized
and usually resulting in at least a shot dropped, hole lost, or is extreme cases
a pro-golfers career ruined.
The most obvious use of the 3D polygon
environment is in the many camera angles that are available. Prior to teeing off
you may walk the course, giving you a chance to move up to the perfect landing
zone and survey all hazards in its path. No fewer than 12 different player views
and a similar number of ball cameras are available for selection. Gremlin have
also created the INTELLICAM, which will follow the balls progress using a number
of switching views, to achieve a similar effect as is seen on the television
coverage of the game.
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The
wonderfully sarcastic commentary team is headed by Peter Aliss. That mans voice
was surely made for golf! There is also an option to hear the comments of Pat
O'Brien or Tony Adamson while each of the commentators may be used individually
or mixed accordingly.
The accuracy is unbelievable and unlike many
other sports games, it seems to follow each shot quickly and fluidly. Comments
range from the complementary to the positively insulting. Try waiting too long
before taking your shot and his voice changes from the sympathetic "A good
golfer puts a great deal of thought into every shot", to the sarcastic "He`s
waiting for the wind to die-down, we could be here ALL DAY" or the even
more cruel "Very poor shot, looks like he needs a new putter". Some
1500 of these quirks have been recorded, but this still doesn't stop you from
hearing the same old comments over and over again.
The usual background
sounds of birds singing and water rippling can be heard. They have managed to
avoid using samples that don't get on your nerves, unlike PGA 96, who`s seal and
seagull noises can drive you insane
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On
loading the game you are presented with a tidy options screen that allows you to
customize your playing habit. The game options are plentiful with the
availability of a practice session, strokeplay, matchplay, skins, foursomes and
fourball. The competitions have an ingenious format where you must first enter
an Amateur match with a handicap of 28 strokes. After each single round contest
your handicap is reviewed, with the eventual target to be playing off scratch.
Once this status is reached you will be offered to join the Pro Tour where you
will take on the best golfers in Gremlins little world of golf ,over a selection
of four day / 72 hole competitions for the top prizes. When the tour is over,
the bottom six golfers are relegated back to an Amateur status where they must
once again play out the AMA Tour to regain pro status. This creates a league
system that will hold your attention for quite some time.
Further
options allow you to set up and name your golfer, which should be saved on a
memory card to avoid repeating this process. This will also allow your golfers
career statistics to be recorded showing your triumphs, longest drives, average
shots per hole and most importantly your earnings.
The game options may
be set prior to your tee off, in effect this is a difficulty setting that allows
gimmes, mulligans, putting grids or driving arcs but these options may be
altered during the course of play.
After selecting your game type you
are thrust off to the course selection screen which disappointingly only offers
two courses. I found that after playing a four day competition, I knew where to
place the ball on each hole for the perfect shot, but similar to the real game
putting the ball there could be easier said than done.
I quite enjoyed
the initial challenge of reducing my handicap in a AMA Tour, with the opposition
refusing to be a stern test allowing you to get used to the controls.
Unfortunately a certain yellow jerseyed opponent constantly stopped the flow of
the game by repeatedly missing a simple put. Now we have all let the ball slip
by the hole a few times on those seemingly unmissible puts before, but twenty
four times borders on the infuriating and I recall on at least three occasions
having to reset the game in order to proceed. Bad bug Gremlin. On attaining
pro status, the challenge moves up a stage and the computer characters appeared
to behave themselves.
Striking of the ball requires the usual accurate
pressing of the X button and a sweet connection is rewarded with a perfect shot.
The swingometer displays a caddie line at the top of the arc and a snap line at
the bottom. Stopping the indicator before the snap line will hook the ball
while after will slice it, either will produce an out of control wicked shot.
Golfing
games are all fairly similar in the striking department but they will prove
successful or fail miserably by the way that the ball reacts on the course.
Actua Golf has achieved a challenging 3D environment where your ball will react
to the surrounding that it lands on. If your ball lands in the rough, it will
grind to a sudden halt and a connection with a tree will see your ball rebound
from the trunk as if it had just struck a brick wall. Leaves and bushes will
stop your ball in mid-flight and drop dead to the ground. Landing on a hillside
will roll your ball down the bank to befall whatever danger lurks at the
bottom. Bunkers see your ball bury in the sand providing an explosion of loose
grains scattering across the course. It all works quite well and provides a
reasonable challenge that does justice to the sport.
Weather condition
will affect your game and you must adjust your style to suit. Wet fairways will
dramatically reduce the roll of your ball while a dry landing will see it
bounding off into the distance. Wind must be judged and counteracted with the
available option to draw and fade or it will fly of into the distance and most
probably out of bounds.
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All
in all Actua golf provides a challenging impression of the sport. The choice of
only two available courses slightly reduces the enjoyment but this is more than
made up for with the multiple option of game styles. The courses play quite
realistically and the graphics more than match the PGA series, but there is
still room for improvement. The commentary team is first class with an added
touch of sarcasm which can become quite hurtful when your game is falling apart.
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MARTIN |
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GRAPHICS: |
Good |
I
was a little unsure of the credibility that Actua Golf boasted but apart from
the odd problem with opponents taking multiple shots, this turned out to be a
thoroughly playable golf game. The competition format is an excellent idea
where you cannot enter a Pro Tour until your golfer becomes a scratch player
which adds to the lastability of the game. The game plays similar to PGA Golf
and includes a similar environment but if I had to choose between the two I
would say that the honors were even. |
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SOUND: |
Average |
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PLAYABILITY: |
Good |
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VALUE: |
Average |
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OVERALL
7/10 |
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JIM |
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GRAPHICS: |
Good |
Not
enough courses and a few bugs hidden within this game have turned this potential
golfing classic into a very average game - I recommend that you wait for Actua
Golf 2. |
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SOUND: |
Average |
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PLAYABILITY: |
Average |
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VALUE: |
Average |
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OVERALL
5/10 |
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