Trixie lines up a shot.

We've recently had the chance to spend some time with a demo version of Outlaw Golf, a lighthearted new golfing game for the Xbox from Simon & Schuster. The premise behind Outlaw Golf is similar to that which made the Hot Shots series so popular: Combine wacky, tongue-in-cheek character designs and personalities with a solid golfing simulation using realistic physics and challenging, otherworldly courses. As soon as we cranked up Outlaw Golf and took a look at the screaming, pierced, and unshaven golf ball that serves as its logo, we were convinced that as far as golfing games go, this one would be all about fun over simulation. However, the more we played, the more it seemed like despite its colorful cast of characters, Outlaw Golf may be as pure a golfing simulation as any of the competition.

As in most golfing games, the game mechanics used in Outlaw Golf are based predominantly on the proper gauging of distance, wind, and shot trajectory, although a few noticeable changes separate this game from the pack. The button layout is very easy to become familiar with but allows for a surprisingly deep level of control over your golfer's actions and shots. The right and left analog triggers control camera zoom, while face buttons are mapped to shot selection, approach vs. full power, and a camera switch that places you at the predicted lie (where the ball lands after a swing). Before a shot is confirmed, the right and left sticks precisely control direction and trajectory and are used to line up your shot. While most golf games use a swinging shot power meter that must be stopped precisely, Outlaw Golf's shot power meter is instead mapped to the incredibly sensitive right analog stick. To generate power for the backswing, hold down the stick, and then flick it upward to complete the stroke. The shot power meter gradually fills when held down, but if it reaches the upper portion without a stroke being made, it will decrease, simulating fatigue or improper form. Smoothly raising the shot power gauge with a good backswing then flicking the stick upward when the meter is full will produce a sweet swing, with the explosive results you would expect. Putting is controlled through the use of a targeting reticle, which can be swept along the ground, and it reveals a line showing where a ball rolled across the green in that direction will lie. To properly control the ball in situations where accuracy is paramount (that is to say, every situation), a percentage of required power is indicated in the shot power gauge to help you decide just how much oomph to put behind your swing. The entire control system conveys a sense of fine precision and can be extremely challenging when used to its fullest extent.

If you don't like a shot, you can call a Mulligan, and do it over.

Outlaw Golf brings its solid golfing game to light through an impressive showcase of graphical power. The Xbox seems to be a system that thrives on this type of game, as can be noted from the nicely detailed golfer and audience character models and the incredibly attractive courses. Each of the selectable characters is a large, unique model composed of many polygons and rendered in a style that blends realism of human form with cartoonlike exaggeration and color. The spectators on the course will sway slightly from side to side as they watch and will even move away from your shot if you aim in their direction. To match this level of detail, the courses have been rendered in stunning, full 3D, including highly detailed foliage and a wide variety of textures that lend the settings a level of detail that stands up to the closest camera-zoomed inspection. Sending a shot under the overpass at the Turnpike Valley Country Club will let you take a good look at the 747s soaring by, the trucks speeding along, the realistic concrete texture, and even the colorful graffiti. It's perpetually autumn at the Crusty Leaf Country Club, and wilted leaves will often flit by, sometimes into the lake that surrounds an old barn with an over-the-water catwalk, which can be played through. The water itself looks very nice, rendered using reflection mapping and a shifting, rippling effect.