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Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 Review (continued)
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Manufacturer: Electronic Arts
Find all Electronic Arts reviews
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Platform(s): Xbox 360
Release Date: August 26, 2008
Average Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
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Retail Price: $59.99
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More User Submitted Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 Reviews
Date: 2008-09-15
Finest Golf Game Ever
I SHOULD be one of the biggest Golf fans ever... I spent 12 years living 15 minutes away from the Augusta National - home of the Masters Golf Tournament. However, I've never been the National, and I've spent no more than an hour total watching the Masters on TV.
But I've played countless rounds of golf on computers, dating back to the original "Microsoft Golf" that came included on our 166 megahertz PC in 1996.
Tiger Woods 09 is the culmination of countless "greats." The stick swing - a method entirely new to me in the 2008 game - was incredibly cumbersome in Woods 08. I could never figure out what the game wanted me to do, so I skipped the method altogether in favor of the 3-click method.
With the inclusion of the real-time monitor - a picture of a golf ball with a yellow line that draws your stroke path, as well as arrows at the top and bottom of the ball showing your precise alignment - accurate swings are easier than ever.
If you're still having a hard time, you can go to the Club Tuner - a remarkably easy-to-use interface that allows you to adjust everything from power, loft, workability (amount of possible "curve," left to right,) spin, and more. Of course you trade in the increase of these attributes at the loss of sweet spot - the amount of "fudging" allowed when you swing.
The graphics are simply dazzling. The water areas are just beautiful. Trees have a nice three dimensional look to them. Everything is just very nice. Even the menus and scorecards are nice and clean.
The newest inclusion is that of simultaneous multiplay online - a feature I actually got to try myself. It makes for a game that's actually faster than singleplay because it skips the flybys and such. The only thing I don't like is the shot clock, limiting players to no more than 60 seconds per shot. This is golf - it's not supposed to be a race. I realize the pros probably play against a shot clock, but we're not the pros. Still, at 60 seconds, you have plenty of time to aim, analyze the course and make your swing.
There are tons of ways to customize your character. Even without using the Game Face feature (yet,) I was still able to create a golfer with a striking likeness to myself. I just wish there were a few more facial hair features - I can't replicate my goatee. The only bummer I still feel is that they give you a wide range of clothing to wear, but certain pieces have certain attribute increases. This is nice, but if you want to dress your character a certain way (I REALLY like black polos!) you're either stuck with the attributes that those clothes boost - even if they're not what you want - or you're stuck wearing non-flattering outfits in the interest of getting the desired boosts. It obviously doesn't hurt the game, but why can't you just let me change colors?
Lastly, the greatest feature in my opinion is the ability to switch between the analog-stick swing and the 3-click swing with the click of a button, mid-play. This allows you to make drives with ease and the realistic feel of golf, but switch to a 3-click for those challenging putts. Unfortunately, the 3-click is not available in the Hard difficulty setting, which is what I wanted to play with. I don't understand why - the 3-click has it's own challenges. Why can't it be included in Hard play? Using the stick-swing to dial in 62% power is nearly impossible.
But all issues aside, Tiger 09 is a fantastic game that rewards golf enthusiasts of all ages and skill. The Gamernet feature from EA is very inobtrusive and gives players the chance to challenge themselves just that little bit extra, if desired. Challenges may pop up to drive further than another player, land within a distance of the pin, etc. You can also go online just with the purpose of taking on various challenges - some of which are quite difficult! It's amazing how many different ways of enjoying Golf this game gives you.
Makes me want to go get a set of clubs and hit up a local course. Maybe I will...
Date: 2008-09-02
Just Beautiful!
I play the game on my 720p TV with an HDMI connection. The graphics are incredible. Gameplay is very realistic. You have to work for every inch. The ball isn't going to automatically fall in the hole if you come close. Plenty of courses and included Pro's to keep me happy. Kudos, EA Sports!
Date: 2008-09-02
All I Can Say Is Awesome Game !!!!!!
You Must Get This Game. This is my first time buying a Gulf game & I play this game just as much as I play Madden 09. A great game to have.
Date: 2008-09-01
Stupendous
This game is amazing. Fluid gameplay and great new additions. A great improvement of last year's game. #1 Golf Course = Wolf Creek!
Date: 2008-08-30
A worthy purchase even if you have Tiger Woods 08
First, I must say that I am a HUGE fan of the Tiger Woods games. I have always enjoyed each years release and have never been disappointed with any version save for the number of courses included (more on that later).
-The new dynamic ability system is fantastic. I have good days and bad days on the course in real life and it does impact my overall ability so it is nice to see this included in the game. Some people will hate this though as it does punish you if you have a really bad round and forces you to place importance on EVERY shot regardless of whether you are in the hunt or not.
-Graphics- there is definitely a noticeable improvement in the graphics. The course textures are more detailed and varied and the lighting has been improved 10 fold which gives the whole course a real nice look and casts some really gorgeous shadows from the trees. The water is insanely beautiful. The only downside is the trees. While they are much improved over last years version there are times when some of them are downright ugly. What makes them look worse is that the rest of the course is so beautifully rendered.
-The sound effects are great as always with a plethora of diverse environmental sounds on every hole. The cheers from the crowd sound good as well. As stated in another review on Amazon, it would have been nice to be able to turn off the crowd and just listen to the course sounds so it feels more authentic to when you go out in real life. The commentary is awful as always so I just turn it off.
-Club tuning is now a feature in Tiger Woods and I like it quite a bit. It feels very authentic going to the range and tweaking how your clubs work and it definitely has an impact on the game, at least it does for me.
-Courses - I believe there are 16 in this year's game which is the same number as last year. There are some great new additions like Wolf Creek and the Gary Player Country Club but there should have been at LEAST another 4 courses included. I am certain that EA will dress up some of the older courses from years past and sell them to us for 400 ms points which is just plain wrong. How about this EA? For each brand new course you want to sell to us on the marketplace include one of the older courses for free. 2 courses for 400 points sounds perfect to me.
There is also an option to actually PURCHASE items in the pro shop with ms points. A clever idea but the prices are so high that it is just not worth it because you can still just earn in game money and purchase them. I tested it out and they wanted 200 ms points for a polo shirt that provided NO bonus skill at all. Insane. They should have made these items 20-30 ms points each at most.
So there you have it, a quick rundown of my opinions on Tiger Woods 09. I am sure there is more I should have said but I want to go play now :)
Overall I highly recommend this game to anyone that remotely likes video game golf. I am VERY happy with my purchase!!
PS- Hey EA, leave Take Two alone. You already own too much and have ruined countless games. Bioshock and GTA do not need your unrealistic corporate deadlines interfering with product quality!!
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