PC CD-ROM minimum system requirements: Pentium 90mhz; 16MB RAM; 42MB hard disk space; Quad speed CD-ROM drive; Windows 95; SVGA £29.99
There are golf games and there are golf games but when Access (the software company) decides to release another instalment form the Links series, one has to stand up and pay attention. Links LS and USPGA Tour are currently riding high as the best of the golfing bunch and, while the two are quite different in their make-up, they, nonetheless, have had it all their own way for a long time now. Links LS 1998 Edition is, however, about to take the place of its predecessors at the top of the leaderboard.
As one would expect, there are a host of improvements with this new edition. For example, because of new visual enhancements, the water can now reflect light, flags flutter in the wind, playing partners now appear on screen with you and you can even see jets pass overhead. Oh yes, there is also the customary tournament blimp in the skies above.
These might seem like trivial extras but they all add up to make the game as authentic as is possible. The only thing that appears to be missing is the smell of freshly cut grass and, of course, the 19th hole. Even the camera angles have been improved with a new smart camera. This allows you to watch the golfer, the pin or the landing spot of your shot. Indeed, you can have up to eight open at once. Links LS 1998 Edition is truly at the cutting edge of technology as far as golfing sims go. If you happen to have one of the faster machines on the market (such as P166) you will really appreciate its "look ahead" rendering. This feature begins to redraw the next screen (without you noticing) as soon as you have taken your shot. This will go down a treat with those of you with little patience.
If you are serious about golf on the PC then Links LS 1998 Edition is impossible to ignore. It simply has everything one could reasonably expect and more. However, if you are a fair-weather golfer then, perhaps, its sheer depth might prove a little daunting.
Graphics: 93%, Sound: 92%, Gameplay: 95%
Address correspondence to Game Zone, The Irish Times, 13-15 D'Olier St., Dublin 2; E-mail to games@irish-times.ie
Virgin top 10 games
This week's 10 top-selling Sony PlayStation games at Virgin Megastore are:
1 The Lost World - £39.99
2 V Rally - £44.99
3 Actua Golf 2 - £39.99
4 Tomb Raider - £44.99
5 International Superstar Soccer - £44.99
6 Warcraft 2 - £44.99
7 Soul Blade - £39.99
8 Die Hard Trilogy - £44.99
9 Micro Machines V3 - £34.99
10 Crash Bandicoot - £44.99