Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 Review

Too many mulligans.

Golf is boring for most people who try to watch or play the sport for more than a couple of holes. But watch a father see his thirteen-year old son swing his $300 driver and snap it against the hard floor (sorry, dad), and you will know how, er…, passionate someone can get over balls and sticks.

[image1]Only these hardcore fans will find Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 on the Wii worth slugging through. As presumed by the “PGA Tour” in its title, this annual mainstay in the EA lineup is meant to be realistic, and on first impressions, this is certainly so.

Apart from the rough modeling of the crowds along the course, every detail proudly flashes its high production values. Facial animations are uncanny and the greens mirror their real-life counterparts to the T. Even menu-surfing, accompanied by an upbeat soundtrack and seemingly styled with all the powers of Adobe Photoshop, is surprisingly pleasant.

On the gameplay end, star athletes such as Jim Furyk and Chris DiMarco will stymie your pursuits.  Climbing up the leaderboard is still a nerve-wracking test of patience.

Whether it is chipping through a full PGA Tour season with a seasoned pro or a customizable character, making the cut at the FedEx Cup Playoffs, or competing against a friend or bot in any one of the wide range of multi-player modes, finishing a course in the least amount of strokes remains the name of the game.

The sheer number of courses, players, and modes are also noteworthy, particularly the improved Tiger Challenge. Thrusting you into a hex-grid chock full of events, this mode tests your skill in a variety of golf variations and eventually pits you against Tiger Woods. Along the way, if you consistently manage to catch fairways, avoid dreaded bunkers, and well, play like this, you can unlock professional pros by defeating them in match play.

Of course, I imagine using metal clubs in more devious ways. Matches are much easier that way.

This time around, you can demolish the competition as, well, yourself. If you have the time and the gadgets to upload pictures, the new Photo Game Face can take your headshots and turn them into an uncanny 3-D likeness of yourself. Enough so that you will tilt your head at the screen and ask, “Do I really look like that?”

Also filling the obligatory update are Bingo Bango Bongo, a mode that is as silly as it sounds, and GamerNet, an online mode where you can compete with friends and pitch each other challenges. None of these sparse add-ons last long, but at the very least, the regular season mode remains as solid as ever. One welcome change is that you can opt to cut down exhaustive four-round championships into single-round quickies. Not having to play the same course over and over again keeps the flow of a game that can be awfully slow-paced moving at a brisk pace.

[image2]However, further inspection reveals a line of gameplay hazards, all of which prevent the game from hitting the green. Oddly, much of this stems from new features that offer extra content and control but only end up tarnishing the authenticity of the simulation.

For one thing, you can preview a putt before knocking the ball into the cup. Yes, you heard that one right – and yes, this breaks golf. Unlike the Wii version, you only have one “putt preview” per shot on the putting green, so thankfully, you can’t use it to your cheating heart’s content. But it’s still cheating. A fixed white line appears on the putting surface that tells you where the ball is going to roll, so if the line happens to cross the hole, you know you’ve got a sinker. If it doesn’t cross, then you can guesstimate a few feet here and there before claiming your birdie on what is essentially a do-over.

There comes a point when sport, simulation or not, means getting no second chances and dealing with the outcome. If you want to redeem yourself, you should practice and come back strong next time. But the game can’t even get this right.

"Confidence", calculated from your skill, your past history on a hole, and the overall risk of the shot, impacts your performance in an unusual way. Stat-trackers will likely enjoy diving into all of the numbers, but this takes away your power as a player to start fresh with each playthrough. Something as abstract as confidence doesn’t need to be computed. If you don’t have a great track record with a particular hole, how it rattles you already impacts how you play the hole. Moreover, your aim and power have far more influence on a hole than confidence, begging the question: why does this addition exist in the first place?

To compensate for confidence, the Wii version offers several control configurations, all of which have their distinct flaws. The nunchuk is the preferable choice, allowing you to execute fades, draws, and power shots above 100% with ease. Along with sitting style, you can lie down and relax without having to swing the Wii-mote and live through a couple days of soreness. However, putting accurately is a nightmare unless you switch to standing mode. Birdies are frequent once you learn how fast the game wants you to downswing, though it’s still difficult hitting the ball with any consistent power level. At times, your swing isn’t detected if you come down too fast, and if it happens, you can mysteriously swing backwards and hit the ball with 110% power.

[image3]And that’s about as realistic as the game gets in dynamic play. Taunting during multi-player games, perhaps inspired by Mario Golf for the N64, is fine when it comes to blurring the screen and the ever annoying blow-horn. But your opponents can also influence the wind and the spin of the ball. At that point, it’s not taunting anymore – it’s in-your-face interference.

The difficulty setting for A.I. opponents can also be changed, but during multiple round tournaments, the sudden improvement in their game is suspect. I ended the first round of the Deutsche Bank Championship at -16 with Retief Goosen right behind me at -7. Then at the second round, before I could tee off on the first hole, four players tied at -23 were atop the leaderboard. After all that work, I started in twentieth place. Moments like this make you wish for the refinement you would expect from a long-standing series.

To compensate for confidence, the PS3 version offers two control configurations: one analog and one traditional. This means you have to sacrifice a bit of realism in the swing controls, but you don’t have to suffer a few days of soreness playing the Wii version. The preferable choice is the new 3-Click Swing, ala Hot Shots Golf or Mario Golf, as it has the precision in power, accuracy, and spin that is lacking in the analog control scheme. No matter how you nudge the analog stick, trying to hit anything straight and with less than 90% power isn’t going to happen with any consistency. If you are slightly off-center in your backswing or downswing, which happens often with how sensitive it all is, your ball will head anywhere but where you’re aiming.

It feels as though every idea pitched for how to update Tiger Woods Pro Tour 08 somehow all got approved. Many hit home, but many do not. Though it has sophisticated presentation and improved fundamentals, the title also concentrates on unedited excess that doesn’t blend well with a realistic golf game. All in all, it’s certainly not as boring as watching golf on TV, but I enjoy watching angry people play golf just as much.