|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Review: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003Reviewed By: Kirk Hiner Review Computer: 867MHz G4, 640MB RAM, ATI RADEON 8500, Mac OS X v10.2.6 Review Date: August 4, 2003
I've reviewed quite a few computer golf games in my time. I've played even more. It's gotten to the point where I'm afraid to relay any golfing anecdotes for fear that I've told them before. And isn't that really what golfing is all about; bragging about your game to those who care and boring those who don't? Actually, if you ask me, golfing is all about computer golfing since I haven't played a real game in over ten years. And you know, if there's one thing that's surprised me about computer golfing sims over the past ten years, it's how little they've changed. Each new game boasts of certain courses, new players, enhanced graphics and better swinging systems, but they all end up looking and playing basically the same. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 was the first that looked as if it was really going to bring something new to the table. It did, I suppose, but do you know what? Same old table.
Before we get into all of that, though, let's talk presentation. Again, maybe I'm just out of touch, but why are they using frat-boy, baggy shorts rock to introduce us to this game? The opening music is simultaneously horrible and horribly out of place, but whatever. It's easy enough to skip, and there's no background music while the game is actually being played, so the game of golf does get to retain most of its dignity. Now, all of your golf games released over the past few years have come with various bells and whistles to supplement the actual gameplay itself: celebrity golfers and announcers, championship courses, course builders, multiple view angles, different swing control options...you know the routine. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 is no exception. There's a good variety of courses here, including the exclusive St. Andrews Golf Links and Pebble Beach Golf Links. I assume, if you're really into golf, this would be something pretty cool, but it kind of makes me laugh that a gaming company can acquire exclusive rights to a golf course. Can you imagine if Madden NFL 2004 was the only football game allowed to play games in Lambeau Field? There are, of course, commentators in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003, but I'm not sure if they're based on real people like in Links Championship Edition. Their names are David Feherty and Bill Macatee. Are these real people or fake EA Sports people? Ah, a quick search in Google just revealed that they are, in fact, real people. Way to go, guys!
[Tangent. I've noticed a trend in EA Sports titles; the more experience you get, the more money you acquire to upgrade your player/team. This is probably just a way to keep the games interesting, but the notion that professional athletes are only as good as the equipment they can afford to buy is somewhat disturbing, don't you think?] My favorite bit about career mode, though, is that other golfers will challenge you while you're practicing. You may just be practicing your drives, and suddenly another golfer will bet you he can sink a put before he can. Accept the challenge, lay down the money, then put away. It's a great way to increase your purse, but, sadly, you never get challenged by Rodney Dangerfield or Ted Knight.
Finally, what really helps Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 stand out are the graphics. It's not that they're necessarily that much better than what we've seen before, but that EA Sports has at least taken a different approach. Gone are the multiple views and long screen redraws, replaced with a vantage point that makes you feel a little more like you're in the action. As you plan your shot, your golfer meanders about, almost drunkenly, which would add yet another element of fun to the game, but no. Once you're ready to go, your golfer sobers up and the interface options disappear. When the ball is it, the camera stays behind the golfer for a moment, then automatically changes position numerous times to follow the ball on its approach. This is all seamless, and your quickly back to your golfer. Better yet, you get control of the camera so you can pan across the hole looking for traps and such, helping you plan out your shots. The animation did stutter consistently on our test machine during the stroke and during the flight of the ball, but not in a manner that detracted from gameplay.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 doesn't revolutionize computer golf sims as I expected it would, but it at least sends them in the right direction. The career mode and random challenges are a very nice touch, while the TrueSwing method and 3D rendered graphics do a little more in making the game feel a bit closer to...well, if not playing real golf, at least to watching real golf on TV. Ultimately, though, it's the challenge of the courses themselves that make and break games such as this, and that challenge is abundant here even if you're not taking on Tiger Woods himself...which I haven't. The guy's already made enough money with his winnings and endorsements, he doesn't need any fake computer money from me.  [an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
. |
Cool Mac Gear• iPod 1G-2G • iPod 3G • iPod 4G • iPod Mini • PowerBook-iBook • Keyboard Skins • Garageband
|
||||
The selling point here would of course be Tiger Woods. He's not so much a man anymore as he is a brand, much like Michael Jordan and those creepy old guys from KISS before him. You can be Tiger Woods in this game, or you can play against him. You can also be a good number of other professional golfers of both the male and female persuasion, or you can create your own golfer...more accurately, you can create your own golfer's clothes, since the only items you can customize involve appearance.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 is the first golf sim I've seen that contains a career mode. Sure, there are modes where you can just choose a golfer and start swinging, but career mode actually provides you incentive to keep coming back. Basically, you create a golfer, take some lessons, head to the practice range, then work your way up the ladder. The lessons are the most interesting bit, as they allow you to execute specialty shots. The better you get in career mode, the more lessons will be available to you. Also, as you progress in career mode, you'll earn money that can be spent on better equipment.
Now, there are two other elements of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 that help distinguish it from its predecessors. First is TrueSwing. This is a somewhat complex (yet comfortable) method of moving the mouse either vertically or horizontally to hit the ball, allowing for fades and draws, miss hit heel and miss hit toe shots, and, of course, hooks and slices. Quite simply, the better you are with a mouse, the better you'll be with TrueSwing. I found that just a few sessions on the practice range were all I needed to get the timing of this down, but I also saw no real improvement in my game over the more traditional three-click method. In fact, in putting, I was much more accurate when I wasn't using TrueSwing. Perhaps I just needed more practice...or one of those Dorf On Golf videos. Did he make one specializing in TrueSwing putting?
Although these animations are much more detailed than in golf games past, both the golfers and the crowd still feel like they're merely pasted onto the course. At least here, though, the crowd is allowed some movement as they'll clap and pump their fist if you do well. The courses themselves, despite 3D rendering, have the same cartoonish detail you're used to seeing in golf games, but with the addition of some very nice fog and lighting effects.