Gutterball 2 Review

Bowling games for the PC have never come close in quality or playability compared to those for the Sony Playstation and others. Gutterball 2 is no exception. The physics engine, while better than any I've seen for a PC bowling game, is still lame. Pin action is weak. Response to contact with the ball or other pins is as if they're made of rubber, with lead weights in their bases. The back and side walls, even in the most realistic Retro lane, might as well be non existent. In real life, pins bounce off the walls to interact with other pins. It doesn't happen here, no matter how hard you throw, no matter how much hook you induce in your ball. I won't even go into attempting to analyze the other available lanes. Gutters filled with water? Monkeys on the alley? Spare me! Using the mouse to aim and release the ball is a bad idea. It's impossible to throw the same ball twice! Try as I might, at times, the ball would travel quickly down the lane others, it strolled at a rather leisurely pace. And why even have steering? That defeats the original purpose of aiming the ball! And how does one properly aim a ball that appears as wide as the lane? The commentary and the crowd responses are neither insightful nor funny.