Set on the famous Californian golf course of the same name, Pebble Beach is a superbly presented and very playable sim. The digitised golfers work suprisingly well and the pre-rendered course take very little time to draw after each shot. Like the real thing, it's also very rewarding. After you've familiarised yourself with the rather tricky control system, you'll soon be hitting long drives down the fairway with great precision, and a feeling of immense satisfaction invariably results.
However, a few little niggles make the game slightly irritating. Being forced to wait over half a minute for a digitised fly-by of the course to load up - and then having to wait a further 30 seconds for the actual course to load in - is fristrating. And spectators with the uncanny ability to enthusiastically cheer and applaud a great shot without moving a pixel are not calculated to impress.
There's also no `ballcam' mode, but fortunately this doesn't mean you have to just stand and watch as your shot disappears into the distance. Instead, `cameras' dotted around the play area show the progress of your shot as it flies down the course - a system which works surprisingly well.
With a multitude of play options, including Skins Play, Tournament Play, Open Play, Stroke Play and Match Play, Pebble Beach has enough lastability and playability to overcome any gripes. 3DO sports fans should find it a worthy investment.
EDGE RATING: 7/10 TYPED UP BY: 2TUFF
michel.buffa@cmu.edu