criticized the lack of flying birds, and wrote, "It's like playing in an episode of the Twilight Zone where nothing is alive". Gord Goble of GameSpot also criticized the lack of birds, and wrote, "Opposing players don't move a muscle when they're in view. Neither do the spectators, even when you can hear them applauding. Trees don't bend, tall grass doesn't sway, and clouds remain perfectly still." Michael Lafferty of GameZone wrote, "The wind may be blowing, but tree branches are not moving. And there isn't a ripple on those beautiful, reflective water surfaces, nor do the clouds move. The gallery is a bunch of frozen folks that applaud without moving a muscle." Chris Johnson of Sports Gaming Network criticized the lack of an atmospheric golfing environment, and wrote, "This creates the rather odd predicament that Links 2003 does some things much better than other golf simulations but fails miserably at others - so much so that it detracts greatly from the overall gameplay value." Bramwell wrote that the overall game "feels lifeless to play, even though it's one of the most calculating and downright realistic simulations of any sport to date - a real shame." Mahood considered the only issue with the graphics to be the "decidedly static water renderings". AM Urbanek of Extended Play called the game environments "excruciatingly static". The addition of a real-time swing was praised. Mahood called it a "much overdue" feature, and Dan Morris of PC Gamer wrote, "With a mouse-swing as natural and lifelike as the one in Links 2003, the series is reawakened." Jeff Lackey of Computer Gaming World wrote that Microsoft "has delivered a solid game with Links 2003, and with the new RTS, it has retained its title as the king of the golf sims." Critics were disappointed that the game's Dynamic camera view does not work when using the real-time swing. Some critics were disappointed by the minimal ambient noise, and the lack of golf commentary. Urbanek considered the sound to be weakest aspect of the game, and wrote that "when playing along a coastal cliff, the absence of the roar of the surf is just strange." Mahood stated that the audio clips of golfers' post-shot reactions did not always align well. Goble stated that the applause and cheers from the crowd "are erratic--accompanying some shots, not accompanying other equally good shots, and suddenly pouncing at full blast rather