Genre : Sports
Developer: Hypnotix
Publisher: Global Star
Release Date: October 19, 2004

Buy 'OUTLAW GOLF 2': Xbox

Edgy sports games have been a big part of the gaming scene since their big boom in the mid-to-late nineties, starting with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. The genre has progressed more and more, becoming more “extreme” with each passing release. October 19, 2004 marks the entry of the latest game in this trend, Outlaw Golf 2. Step back and think about this: Not only has there been a golf simulator that tries to be edgy, nasty and offensive. There are now two of these games, not to mention a series of expansion packs like the Nine Holes of X-mas. Never mind the fact that volleyball, another sport that most people do not consider to be too edgy past the skimpy outfits and bouncing breasts, has also been covered by the Outlaw franchise and put through a filter of filth and lewdness. But wait, wait. I’m not going to go on a rant about how offensive all of this is, how insensitive it is to the sanctity of the sports upon which the games are based, blah blah blah. I think that this experimentation with the sports medium should be welcomed with open arms! Not that Outlaw Golf 2 is especially amazing or anything, but it is an interesting concept. I mean, come on. Who would put “edgy” and “golf” in the same sentence, never mind combining them into a single, horrid little product? And with the voice of comedian Dave Attell wrapped around the whole thing like a nice little bow?

Outlaw Golf 2 is not better than Tiger Woods. It doesn’t even kick the Hot Shots series off its short little pedestal. But it isn’t trying to challenge either series. All the developer seems to want is to put together a simple, solid golf game with sound play mechanics and a bizarre focus on ridiculous character designs. The game does all of these things extremely well (although that last point is subjective). There is a slight chance one of these weirdo characters might make you crack a smile, and Dave Attell is in good form here so you might have a laugh or two. And you get to play a nice golf game, too. The problem is that the game runs out its welcome extremely fast.

Each character is introduced very well, with an odd vocal statement for each. These are funny, I’ll give them that, but they get old. Quickly. The problem that has plagued videogames since the inclusion of real vocal tracks rears its ugly head once again: Time, and repetition. In, say, a television show, you hear a joke once. And it’s funny! And you don’t have to hear it again unless you taped the show and you sit through it multiple times at your leisure. But in a videogame, the entertainment comes from playing something again and again until your skill level improves. You could spend anywhere from five minutes to three hundred and fifty-seven hours with a game and still have fun with it depending on the quality and the level of enjoyment you receive from it personally. But the voices don’t change. These golfers will say the same things again and again. These jokes simply aren’t good enough to warrant this sort of thing, especially once you get past the more amusing introductions and you’re forced to listen to the same small set of stupid jokes every time you do pretty much anything in this game.

Outlaw Golf 2 isn’t just about stupid voiceovers. The developer did throw in a few interesting ideas, even if they don’t work perfectly when put to use. The Composure Meter is a major feature which adds an artificial difficulty curve to the game by measuring your character’s reactions to the gameplay. If a bad shot is made, the meter takes a dive. If a good shot is made, the meter goes in the opposite direction. Depending on how high or low the meter is, the maximum amount of distance a shot can cover is modified. The problem with this is that if a player isn’t doing so well, the game will only get harder. If you’re doing extremely well, things only come easier. I wish something a little more creative and perhaps complex could have taken the place of the Composure Meter, but it does not kill the fun. For some players, it might actually inspire them to get aggressive and get their composure back, but I think a lot of us will simply become frustrated with this very artificial method of dealing with composure and put the controller down.

Hidden under all of this is an amalgam of solid golf physics and bad directorial decisions. The game employs the usual “time your button press to stop the cursor at the desired point” golf game system, but it uses it very efficiently in relation to how your hits work with the ball. There is a wide range of clubs to choose from, all of which the player will need to acquaint him or herself with since they are all very useful on these courses. All eight courses (three being slightly revamped versions of courses from the original) are of sound design. The sort of wackiness one might expect from the courses in this type of game is actually somewhat tame in most of the courses, with the crazed mini-golf course taking the cake in this regard. Castles, crazy moving obstacles, and all sorts of trouble is abound all over this crazy putt-putt course. This is amusing the first few tries but grows old fast. Make no mistake: The seven more “normal” courses are the best part of this game.

Outlaw Golf 2 does have online support, and it’s a nice alternative to playing Electronic Art’s Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 online with all of the crazy golf game freaks. With its simpler play mechanics, Outlaw’s online platform is a nice haven for casual golf gamers. It even allows players to take their swings simultaneously so there isn’t any wait in between turns, although the traditional turn-based method of play is still available just in case you want to scream obscenities into your opponent’s headset while they try to line up their shot. I don’t know why the simultaneous play wasn’t in the despicably slow single player mode, but at least it’s usable here, where many players with access to Live will likely spend most of their time with this game.

Outlaw Golf 2 is the definition of mediocrity. It is an amusing game with good play mechanics and solid physics. It is also an irritating game with long waits between turns, annoying voiceovers, and silly obstacles that are often not conducive to the type of golf game this is. If some of these design issues could have been fixed and the voiceovers were either toned down or increased greatly in terms of variety, Outlaw Golf 2 could have been much, much more. The online mode is the best reason to own this game; if you don’t want to deal with PGA Tour online freaks, I’m sure the Outlaw community will welcome you with open arms. If you don’t have Live, stick with a rental.

Score: 6.5/10