Tiger Woods PGA Tour is uglier than a dead dog beaten with a sock filled with rusty nails. You'd think the lousy visuals would be the very top of the list of things to fix in the '09 version of EA's unending franchise, but nope - it's still every bit as average-looking as ever it was. There are a lot of things the new PGA Tour needed - precisely none of which were what we ended up with...
While EA are busy making sports games like Fight Night, NBA Street Homecourt, FIFA and NBA Live among the best looking titles ever crafted by the hands of man, Tiger missed the makeover bus. It's a sad state that Links 2004 on the original Xbox STILL looks better than the latest Tiger title. Sure, Tiger has the animations and the resolution, but Links is prettier, less synthetic, and somehow richer. But hey, at least we get some new courses, huh?
The very last thing PGA Tour '09 needed was more courses. Tiger already tips the scales with more courses than you'll ever be able to play unless the sole game in your collection is this one, but they're all as ugly as sin. Golf is a beautiful game which should be played in beautiful surrounds. '09 needed to drop that course count down to twelve of the world's best and give them a truly next generation makeover.
Paws for thought Still... how about a focus on quality rather than quantity? It's a superb game with more options, online and off, than the entire Gradius series, but for the second year in a row, Tiger has been close to brilliance; close to being the best golf game ever made.
The Tiger team obsess over details, but they always seem to be the wrong details - instead of making every course rich and beautiful in look and sound, they give us... er... new ways to tune our clubs (the epitome of dullness). Instead of perfecting the physics and making the most realistic golf sim ever, they give us Tiger's own coach, occasionally advising us on our shots as if anyone on Earth gives a toss. Instead of redefining golf games the way the latest FIFAs have football, they give us a few extra online modes to add to the pre-existing mountain - already so tall that most will never see all of it.
Tiger '09 didn't need more, it needed better. It needs a fresh start - not because it's stale, but because the team have taken the man Woods as far as they can. n Michael Gapper
Maybe it would help to actually put some content in your reviews in future, eh? What's wrong with the courses? You say that they're not "rich and beautiful in look and sound"... but why? What exactly do you see as being wrong with them? What should the team have been concentrating on more? People that play the TW games will probably know but anybody else would be left scratching their balls/t**s wondering what the hell you're talking about. The physics seem just right to me... but then I've not been out to all of these courses in real life and played on them (presumably you have). Maybe you're referring to the more arcadey feel aspect (spin/power boost). Maybe something else... but again you do not elaborate. Suffice to say this is one of the most useless reviews I've ever read.
/me wonders how exactly some people ever got into the gaming media business
Maybe it would help to actually put some content in your reviews in future, eh? What's wrong with the courses? You say that they're not "rich and beautiful in look and sound"... but why? What exactly do you see as being wrong with them? What should the team have been concentrating on more? People that play the TW games will probably know but anybody else would be left scratching their balls/t**s wondering what the hell you're talking about. The physics seem just right to me... but then I've not been out to all of these courses in real life and played on them (presumably you have). Maybe you're referring to the more arcadey feel aspect (spin/power boost). Maybe something else... but again you do not elaborate. Suffice to say this is one of the most useless reviews I've ever read.
/me wonders how exactly some people ever got into the gaming media business
Go to the 360 mag who wrote it and ask them. Cvg just copy it in, as it says at bottom who the review is from
I've lost interest in the Tiger Woods franchise and I haven't bought a version for 2 years now, having been a big fan initially. I think that maybe EA could improve the in-game presentation quite a bit, to help the player become more immersed in the game.
wow that was a bit harsh! i certainly don't think tiger woods deserves that. i think its actually a good game and looks alright. which ever critic wrote this clearly needs to get his dick out of his mouth.
That has got to be one of the worst so-called reviews I have ever read. It can't be the full review,surely? Thank Christ I don't buy GuessBox World 360 anymore.
I think the reviewer has a point and I also think the way EA milk these franchises is greedy and lazy.
Please allow me a little rant:
Games by EA tend to follow very predictable trends. This is mainly due to the fact that they feel the need to release the same thing every year, sometimes even Bi-annually. So as a general rule this is a list of how each new EA game progresses on a new console. Take note because you can apply this to pretty much all of them (except Fight Night), especially Tiger Woods & Fifa.
1st Version on a new console - Half a game: The game looks good and plays alright but there’s hardly anything there. Career mode is either pathetic or non-existent and there’s probably limited options in the way of multiplay (including online), presentation is a little bit sloppy, the commentary is weak and there are glitches that just wouldn’t be there had it been playtested properly. (At this stage the average review score will be around 5)
2nd Almost there : The career mode and multiplayer are improved but they’ve brought a few extra glitches along the way with them and, although it looks great the commentary isn’t all that much better and it’s still just frustrating to play for any serious length of time. (Average review score 6.5)
3. A good game: All glitches are ironed out and the modes are more than sufficient to keep you going for ages. Multiplayer is a joy to behold and the commentary is less repetitive because each time they keep the stuff they’d recorded for the previous games and just keep adding to it. (Average review score 7.5)
4. Perfection: Amazing commentary, the game is huge, so big you want to look at the Disc and ponder just how the hell they managed to get it all in there. There’s a huge career mode, multiplayer, training, mini games, extras and each one is tuned to absolute flawlessness. The commentary, graphics and sound complement the finely balanced gameplay so well you forgive them for how mediocre the last version was and get on with enjoying it. (Average review score 9)
5. Eh? : What’s happened to the game I loved so much? Essentially it’s there but I can’t find anything because the menus have gone all posh and stupid, and I appreciate the fact that you’ve thrown in some extra stuff but it’s just pointless, boring and detracts from the game, plus there's no change in the graphics so they're looking a little tired now. (Score ends up back down at around a 7.5)
This establishes my key problem with EA, in my opinion they are asking too much money for sub standard product developments most of the time. Anyone that had a 360 at launch who bought Fifa road to the world cup or Tiger Woods 06 will know how it feels to have been robbed of £50 for something that was no more than a large playable demo of an unfinished game.
If you love a particular sport and buy the corresponding EA game to go with it over the course four or five years you’ll have spent around £250 (almost as much as your console), and only one or two of those games will be worth the £50ish you paid for it.
Essentially EA are using us as play testers for two years and charging us for the privilege. So take note. And if by any chance EA are reading this PLEASE have a little bit more respect for your customers; we’d love you to pieces if you brought out one fantastic version every two years instead of bombarding us with overpriced crap.
If you are reading EA, can we have some weather in the next one!
I completely agree, how we can get a 'NextGen' current Gen whatever, golf game that doesn't include weather (wind excluded or course) is beyond me...Even just a little rain to effect a lie on the fairway adds more depth to the game...Snow might be taking it a little to far though?
If you are reading EA, can we have some weather in the next one!
I completely agree, how we can get a 'NextGen' current Gen whatever, golf game that doesn't include weather (wind excluded or course) is beyond me...Even just a little rain to effect a lie on the fairway adds more depth to the game...Snow might be taking it a little to far though?
i'm sure that the game used to have rain in it. i can remember playing the PGA tour at whatever irish course was in it and on the 3rd day it was pelting it down. the commentators even discussed the weather. it is true though that these next gen games seem to be cut down somewhat
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