Taking a Mulligan- John Daly’s Prostroke Golf Review

Empowerment may be one of gaming’s greatest virtues. Whether endowing aptitude with a .50 caliber sniper rifle or giving players the skill to nail a three point jumper, our pastime offers experiences that are often prohibitive in the real world. For golf enthusiasts, recreating an 300 yard drive down the fairway rivals the thrill of a concealed headshot or unlikely buzzer-beater. That sense of achievement is amplified when players experience their own inherent skills being augmented, rather that feeling victorious through an opportune tug of the joystick.

Over the years, console golf simulations have steadily demanded more from gamers. Originally, accuracy was dependent on a well-timed series of button presses- later, the Tiger Woods series popularized using an analog stick to simulate a swing. While recent release John Daly’s Prostroke Golf allows players to hit the greens with a DualShock 3 or Sixaxis, the title’s real selling point is accurate simulation via Playstation Move support. Although the title’s swing mechanic is capably executed, many of the game’s other elements often don’t feel as realized, making Prostroke‘s performance seem as erratic as John Daly’s own career.

With a remarkable degree of fidelity, the title’s integration of the Move peripheral is undeniably satisfying. Just like the real sport, varying your stance or adding a bit of wrist rotation can add just enough fade or draw to get around a dogleg. Each of the game’s three skill levels determine how much rotational movement will be read. On the amateur setting, it’s fairly difficult to shank the ball- while the pro mode reads every little nuance, offering a significant challenge. Unfortunately, backswings aren’t realistically modeled- players can set the power level at their leisure without have to worry about momentum. 

Once the ball is in flight, Prostroke‘s overall lack of polish becomes apparent. Sporadically, the game will focus on a nearby knoll, obscuring the flight of the ball. Generally, the title’s courses are rudimentary; a players eyes will be drawn to a row of trees composed with the same recycled asset, or fog which conceals draw distances rather than emulates weather conditions. Despite these diminutive graphical aspirations, the Prostroke‘s framerate often lingers in choppy territory. The game’s athletes fair little better, drawn with components which never quite come together- almost every player seems to be wearing a wig. Even more distasteful is the game’s ubiquitous product placement, which seems insistent in letting players know the release date of the Predators Blu-ray and DVD.

Prostroke‘s offers the requisite game modes- including Practice, Quick Game, and Career. With twelve courses and a handful of different match types the game offers a respectable amount of variety. I expected the title’s career component to trace the trajectory of a rising star, but it’s merely a set of challenges against “The Lion”, culminating in a tournament for each course. Online play for up to four players is available, but I had a difficult time just finding a single competitor two weeks after the game’s retail release.
 
Despite this misgivings, the title does have a few other positive attributes. John Daly‘s putting can be gratifying. While Move owners won’t be able to use the Shot Shaper to forecast their ball path, the short game is surprisingly well handled, with the AI assuming any shots with a shortened backswing are chippers. Smartly the developer’s adjust the color of the Move’s glowing orb to indicate whether taking practice shows or actual swings.

Between the lackluster integration for the Playstation Move in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 and John Daly’s Prostroke Golf‘s uninspired presentation, owners of Sony’s new motion controller may want to sit out this season. If Prostroke can return next year with a game that matches the capability of its swing system, the potential for an gripping rivalry could be established.