The Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise
has long been one of the most popular and successful in golf video games for
several years now, presenting realistic golf mechanics and robust features for
golf fans the world over. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is the latest edition to hit
consoles, offering a few new additions as well as some tweaked gameplay
mechanics.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 doesn’t
reinvent the franchise, but offers several great new elements. The biggest new
addition is the new putting system, requiring a lot of skill and focus when
trying to putt on the green, as well as several new courses and the newly-added
US Open and the USGA Championship. The biggest new additions are great, but do
require that players be pretty comfortable with the franchises mechanics going
in, as newcomers may find the changed putting mechanic to be a bit on the
difficult side, and the US Open presents some of the toughest courses yet seen
in the franchise. Still, if you’re a fan of the series and really want to test
your skills, then Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is definitely worth a look.
The new Precision Putting mechanic
in the game adds a whole new spin on putting, removing the focus on distance and
requiring players to instead focus on the power they put behind their putting.
You use the left thumbstick and pull it down either slowly or quickly in order
to determine your strength when connecting with the ball. Using this feature is
extremely difficult and requires quite a bit of accuracy, meaning that skilled
users will get the most out of it, but many other gamers might find it a bit
frustrating and overwhelming. Fortunately for newcomers, you’ll be able to turn
on the previous putting mechanic should you be more comfortable with it.
Aside from this, the other big
feature is the inclusion of US Open and the USGA Championship. Once again, this
is mainly meant for hardcore players, as the courses are extremely difficult and
require quite a lot of skill to undertake.
Apart from the two new big features
in the game, there are a host of other smaller features in the game. The Live
Weather feature lets you take real-world weather and apply it to whatever golf
course you happen to be playing through, which isn’t huge, but still adds a bit
of a sense of realism.
There is also a new Tournament
Challenge mode that lets you play through some historical moments from previous
golf events, basically putting you in control of the outcome. This mode also
features some interviews with golfers like Woods himself, and golf enthusiasts
should get a kick out of trying their hand at classic golf moments.
Graphically, the game looks just as
good as it did last year, and doesn’t really boast any new aesthetic
improvements. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the character models look
pretty solid, and the environments look great.
The game’s commentary sounds good,
with newcomer Scott Van Pelt joining Kelly Tilghman in the booth. While they do
a fine job, there are a few instances where the commentary doesn’t quite gel
with what unfolds on-screen.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 adds some
pretty cool new features for hardcore fans. However, the added features are
still very difficult for those not already used to the franchise’s gameplay
mechanics, and are meant mainly for players who are pretty skilled and
comfortable with the series.
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Gameplay: 8.5
The game’s new putting mechanic is great for huge fans of the franchise, but
might be a tad difficult for newcomers. Luckily, you’re able to utilize the
putting mode from last year’s game should you want to, which should help those
who find it to be intimidating. The inclusion of the US Open and the USGA
Championship is also a nice touch, but beginners should try to practice up
before taking them on.
Graphics: 8.5
The game looks mostly the same as last year’s model, which isn’t a bad
thing. The character models are pretty solid and look like their real life
counterparts, and the courses look fantastic.
Sound: 8.0
The new commentary features Scott Van Pelt instead of Sam Torrance, who does
a decent job here. The commentary is a bit off at times and there are a few
miscalls here and there.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Depending on your skill level with the franchise and its mechanics, this
game will either feel easy or very tough.
Concept: 8.5
The game’s new putting system and the addition of the US Open are the two
main additions to the formula, and offer some pretty nice challenges.
Multiplayer: 8.0
The big new feature for the game’s online portion this year is the “Play a
Pro” mode, which lets you post your scores online against those of actual PGA
pros.
Overall: 8.5
Tiger Woods PGA Tour isn’t a reinvention of the Tiger Woods franchise, but
then again it doesn’t really have to be. The new putting system and the US Open
add some great new challenges for fans of the series, giving them plenty of
reason to invest.
