HOME

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07

Published By: Dene Benham On: 01/05/2007 11:37
Rating: G Difficulty: Easy Learning Curve: 15 Min

THE SCOREBOARD

8.0
Great

Gameplay	8.0	"Take the time and play 18 with Tiger Woods."
Graphics	8.5
Sound	7.0
Value	8.0

By Dene Benham

What exactly is the allure of golf? Well if you’re Tiger Woods the answer is obvious. It’s the money, the fame, the women . . . and the rest of the money. For the rest of us the answer is a bit more allusive. It costs a lot of money, it’s insanely hard, and there is usually half a dozen slightly drunk members standing behind you laughing as you slice your sixth straight tee shot into the duck pond.

In the end it may simply be the change of pace: a leisurely stroll, some beautiful scenery and a chance to measure yourself, not so much against others, but against the course. Personally I’m not the outdoorsy, test yourself kind of guy (at least not since those members laughed me off Masterton’s Solway golf course in all those years ago). I do however enjoy a game that serves up a change of pace. If Tiger Woods 2007 is one thing, it’s a change of pace from the typical shoot-‘em-up, slash-‘em-in-half, run-‘em-down games that make up most of today’s releases.

But what else does Tiger have in the bag? Well, when you start an EA Sports game, in fact most EA games, you start with Gameface. Here you customise every aspect of your golfer: size, shape, sex, and slacks. On the PLAYSTATION 3 the fine facial details that seemed a bit superfluous on earlier versions really show up. In fact it is the details that makes the game a joy. The water around Pebble Beach looks amazing and the grey skies over the rugged Carnoustie almost makes you pull on that extra sweater.

To begin with, Tiger Woods 2007 gives you a number of options. You can start with the detailed training walkthrough, a worthwhile option for even seasoned gamers. You can add to your golfer’s stats by playing the skill and timed challenges. Or you can jump straight in to play now events. These include, among many others, tournaments, head-to-heads and arcade modes. You can also simply head straight into the professional calendar to compete in official, and some not so official, tournaments against the world’s best.

Once you start playing the basic controls for your golfer are the analog sticks. This system has been with the franchise for a number of years and is fairly intuitive and picking it up is easy. Move the left analog stick back and your golfer starts their backswing. Push the stick forward and you cream a 350-yard tee shot straight down the centre of the fairway. Okay, perhaps not to start out with. However, once you have mastered the basic swing the options to impart extra power and spin onto every shot become realistic. Ultimately, with some practice, you will be deliberately hooking and fading shots around obstacles just like the man himself.

Once you hit the green then it is the simple matter of sinking the putt. The game gives you a number of tips. A grid is laid over the green indicating the direction and degree of the slopes. Also, pressing ‘X’ will bring up a suggested putting line. Zoom in with the ‘circle’ button, adjust your power and line with the d-pad, then smoothly follow through. You’ll be sinking those forty-footers in no time.

With every long putt, powerful drive and delicate chip from the rough, your stats will get a boost. However, to win events you will also need to seriously kit up. The clubs, clothes and accessories you start with are merely for show. The sponsored items that become available are essential parts to improving your game. Many items carry skill modifiers that you simply must have.

Like EA’s other annual releases, Tiger Woods 2007 does have some new content. With PLAYSTATION 3’s new Sixasis wireless controller you can control the spin of the ball by tipping the controller in a specific direction. It takes a bit of getting used to and those gamers familiar with the franchise may find themselves switching back to the old system. Online, you can access ESPN’s sport ticker, and the game will now tell you what level of difficulty you should be playing at.

EA sports have a lot of experience and Tiger Woods 2007 is a very polished game. It looks absolutely fantastic. As you progress, you start to look forward to playing your favourite courses, be it the very technical and pristine TPC at Sawgrass or the wide, flat greens of St. Andrews. You can also play as, or against, a number of professionals, including our own Michael Campbell, all to a relaxing soundtrack of birdsong and new-age electronica.

Tiger Woods 2007 won’t have customers rushing to buy a PLAYSTATION 3. There are funny moments as you unlock celebration content and clean up the odd spectator, but a real attraction is getting better in your own time. Your first tournament win, your first hole-in-one, and your first win against Tiger Woods are all just waiting for you. Take the time and play 18 next Sunday morning.