EA Sports’ Tiger Woods PGA Tour series has been one of the most successful sports video game franchises over the last 10 years and, with the release of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, EA has been careful not to mess around too much with a winning formula.
Although PGA Tour 10 makes no attempt to reinvent the game, it does offer several intriguing new elements. For golf aficionados, the big news is that the US Open and USGA Championship have been added, along with six new courses: Bethpage Black, Hazeltine, Oakmont, Pinehurst, Torrey Pines and Turnberry. Two new golfers have also joined the roster: Anthony Kim and Rocco Mediate.
In terms of gameplay, the biggest innovation is the new Precision Putting feature, which changes the focus from distance to the power behind a putt. This requires a lot of touch – and patience – with the controller. For players used to the previous putting system, expect equal amounts of frustration and satisfaction until the new method is mastered.
You still play in the regular Career Mode but you can also switch to Live Tournaments to compete online against other players, or Play The Pros where your scores are ranked alongside actual tournament scores of PGA professionals. Always wanted to see your name on a leaderboard with Tiger and Vijay? Well, now you can! There is also a new Tournament Challenge mode, which lets you play through some historical moments from previous events, basically putting you in charge of the outcome.
There are a host of smaller improvements to the game, including the innovative Live Weather feature, which lets you take real-world weather conditions and add them to whatever course you happen to be playing. The graphics are as good as ever, with the surrounding scenery and fans always part of the action. ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt joins The Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman in the commentary booth.
If you have a video gamer in the house that’s also a golf fan, this is an ideal gift that will see plenty of action. (The release date of June 8, less than two weeks before Father’s Day, is no coincidence!) Best of all, they don’t have to leave the house for 6 hours to get a round in!