Outlaw Golf 2 Hands-On Impressions

We recently got our hands on an updated version of Outlaw Golf 2, Global Star's raucously low-class golf sequel, to see how it's been shaping up. Our demo focused primarily on showing off the slightly wacky golfers you'll be able to use in the game, as well as the fanciful courses and slightly off-kilter golfing modes that will be available in it. We got the distinct impression that Outlaw Golf 2 may be just strange enough to attract people who aren't normally interested in golf games.

Outlaw Golf 2 will have some truly "interesting" golfer/caddy combinations that you can choose from. For instance, there are the hippies, Harvest and Treehugger, who go golfing while barefoot and dressed in tie-dyed clothing. Or how about Suki and her fat, lovable companion Puddin', a leather-clad gimp character who creeped us out just a bit? There are tough guys, sorority girls, and plenty of other strange people that you wouldn't expect to see wearing polo shirts with little alligators on them. Anyway, you're treated to short interludes throughout a match in which these characters will spout all kinds of campy dialogue, some of which is funny (and some of which made us groan).

Outlaw Golf 2 will offer a variety of different, decidedly un-golf-like gameplay modes to keep things interesting. For instance, we tried out the pickup sticks mode, which has you competing against another player in a normal game of golf. Win a hole and you'll be allowed to take one of your opponent's clubs (or you can reclaim one of your own clubs that was lost on a previous hole). Needless to say, this can get pretty annoying once you're left with only a putter to play with. Other modes include a golf game that adapts the rules of baseball and a casino mode. There should be no shortage of things to do if you simply tire of playing regular old golf. But then, regular old golf isn't really what Outlaw Golf 2 seems to be about.

We got to try our hand at a new minigame included in the driving range mode (which lets you earn points to beef up your characters' stats) that has you launching explosive golf balls across a lake and into a field full of livestock. Cows, horses, and all manner of fowl will fall as a result of your golf bombs, and if you aim correctly, you'll be awarded points based on how many of the beasts you can take down with a single shot. The explosions create a good deal of splash damage, so aiming into the middle of a cluster of animals produces satisfying results. This mode was naturally pretty sadistic, although the animals just fell over when hit; at least they didn't explode into gibs or anything. All the same, we can't imagine PETA will be very thrilled about this minigame.

We got to take a look at three of the zany courses included in the Crazy Land course during our demo. Crazy Land is meant to appear as a giant miniature golf course, and the three holes we saw were themed after Jack and the Beanstalk, Hollywood, and the famed alien research facility Area 51. Each of these courses has some amusing personality touches and some interesting play mechanics. For instance, on the Area 51 course, the crowd of spectators was full of aliens and black-suited G-men, and we got to see how the crowd would amusingly scatter when we turned and aimed our swing at them. This course also offered a challenge in the form of a strategically placed water hazard. We couldn't get our ball past the water, but we could bank it off of the side of a nearby crashed UFO to get just enough extra distance to clear the pond. On the beanstalk map, the hole was located at the bottom of a gentle dish-shaped indentation in the ground. In this situation, we were guaranteed to sink the ball if we could get it into the hole at all--but the challenge was to get it in without bouncing it out (which was easier said than done). The courses we saw were entertaining to play on and offered some unique twists on the standard golf game.

Finally, we got to see a bit of the new golf cart challenge mode, which will be entertaining in itself and will also give you an advantage that you can use in the main golf game. Every nine holes, you'll earn a token that allows you to jump into a golf cart so that you can drive through a course of ramps, hoops, and other challenges. Complete this course successfully and you'll be granted the ability to enact one perfect swing at any time during the main game. This means that wherever you aim the ball is exactly where it will land. This comes in especially handy when you've got some crazy trick shot to complete to get past an obstacle, since it's basically a freebie. You'll be able to earn additional tokens by consistently coming in under par, so the better you play, the more bonuses you'll get.

Outlaw Golf 2 looks to be shaping up pretty well, since it's packing a substantial amount of content into its modestly priced package. As has been previously reported, the game will go for a mere $20. Because the first game sold around 300,000 copies at double that price, Outlaw Golf 2 may find a wide audience indeed. Stay tuned for more on the game soon.