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PRO 18: World Tour Golf
Developed by: Psygnosis/Intelligent
Games (1999)
Genre: Golf sim
System Requirements: Windows
95/98, P 166 MMX+, CD ROM, 32 MB RAM, Mouse, Modem, 3D accelerator card.
OVERVIEW: Pro 18 may be the best PC golf release of 1999. It offers just about everything one could ever ask for in a golf sim: stunning graphics, excellent gameplay, REAL PGA golfers to compete against, a trendsetting "T.V. Tournament" style presentation, varying weather conditions DURING a game and a superb assortment of courses. Honestly, I was very surprised on just how good a game Pro 18 is!!!
Granted it doesn't have a course designer/editor, which should be standard issue with golf sims today, but for some reason I didn't miss it. The reason: I was too busy trying to catch "Monty", Mark O'Meara and Jesper Parnevik in a tournament held at The Lost City in South Africa!! The gameplay is challenging and very addictive to say the least in the "T.V. Tournament" presentation. It warmed my heart to see "Monty" grimace as he misplayed a shot into a greenside bunker (I was a shot behind) in the "reaction cam" window al la "real life t.v. coverage". My joy was short lived though when the "t.v. crew" cut to O'Meara (who was leading) making a birdie putt to ice the tournament! WOW!!! Pro 18 is quite a rush in tournament mode.
Something else that Pro 18 offers which is trendsetting is the Practice Range which allows players to practice their putting, driving and approach shots. The range is a MUST for anyone attempting the "Professional Swing" method- which may be the most challenging and realistic swing method to date!! I'm still working on getting "respectable" with the "Professional Swing" at the range- but use the traditional three-click in tournament play. Maybe I can find a cyber golf pro at Pro 18's virtual driving range for some tips?
The course graphics overall are almost on par with Links LS- just a "shade" below and I mean shade! The course graphics appeared slightly washed out or faded giving them a "soft" look. The backdrops are the finest in the golf sim market and mold almost flawlessly with the rendered course graphics. The entire interface is well done and very attractive. The sounds and overall ambience is again excellent. The only issue I had in this area was with the somewhat repetitive tournament commentary by Alliss and Clampett.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a "add-on" course disk in the box for Royal Berkdale. Apparently Psygnosis and Intelligent Games will be producing add-on courses for Pro 18. I also hope that they include an extra PGA pro in every add-on course as well- the more the merrier!! Royal Berkdale's presence upped the number of courses out of the box to five which is about the norm.
While offering a decent selection of non-PGA pro golfer renderings- I found myself looking for more variety and options in this area. Unlike most golf sims you can't alter the color of your golfer's shirt which may lead to some confusion in multiplayer games where two or more players are using the same golfer rendering. Also, there wasn't much in the way of Modes of Play (MOP)- only five (stroke, tournament strokeplay, skins, shootout and fourball) with no MOP designer. These, along with the somewhat faded/washed out course graphics, are Pro 18's shortcomings in my opinion.
On the upside, the golfer creation menu allows for quite a bit of customization not offered by any other golf sim on the market. Players can choose iron types (blades or cavity backs), shaft types (steel or graphite), club selection, swing method selection, etc. The club and shaft types DO make a difference in the game: blade irons apply more spin and a less distance, cavity back irons hit longer and apply less spin while steel shafts produce more control and less distance, graphite offers distance with less control. Player can also choose between a 3 piece or 2 piece ball (3 piece offers more spin, more control but short distances while the 2 piece gives players less spin, longer distances and less control). Player should have a blast experimenting with various ball/shaft/iron combinations!
Psygnosis and Intelligent Games have entered the golf sim market with a resounding success! Pro 18 is a sure bet to win some gaming awards in 1999- and they would be well deserved. I highly recommend Pro 18 to anyone looking for an excellent PC golfing experience. Worth every dollar and then some!!
THE SCOUTING REPORT:
THE PROS:
THE CONS:
Review by Steve Ellis