In the world of sports videogames, companies annually milk gamers for cash for what typically amounts to a few graphical tweaks and an updated roster. Thankfully, the same does not hold true when it comes to two of the lesser selling franchises, golf and NASCAR. There is no draft, and rarely any rookies worth running out and purchasing out of admiration for. These two franchises are the few that actually need to earn your money with new features and updated gameplay. So, when it comes to the 2008 installment of EA's annual Tiger Woods PGA golf game, the question is whether or not there is enough new here to make you run out and upgrade from the golf game you already have. Unfortunately, the answer is probably not.
When you first boot the game up, you are greeted to the best thing to happen to a sports franchise since their inception; a cheesy voice-over introduces you to the all the upgrades the developer has made since the game's last iteration. While the list, including user created on-line challenges and shot confidence tracking, is impressive for most sports franchises it is not quite enough to get most gamers to upgrade, although the very idea of spelling out exactly what is new is brilliant. It would be hilarious to see an intro to a Madden game where they mention that they updated the rosters, followed by crickets chirping to indicate the lack of new features.
The game is as you remember it, with a few tweaks. Unfortunately, the tweaks do not include updated graphics. Gamers should fully expect photorealistic golf courses at this point, and for the fans in the gallery to not look as though they are remnants of the last-gen systems. While the golfers look solid, the rest of the game looks the same as it has the last several years, and not much improved from the start of the franchise.
This iteration of the EA's successful golf franchise features the return of old school controls, for those who were unable to grasp the fluid swing-stick method of golfing. Gamers can turn on, or off, the moldy three-hit method of golfing by clicking the right-stick on the controller, although it feels more awkward now with the horizontal layout, as opposed to the old vertical or circular meter. Thanks to some odd camera work, some gamers may find it advantageous to use the standard swing-stick to the green, and then swap to the three-click method for putting. Gone are the nice overhead views of your putting icon.
The game's other new additions are much more innovative. Taking a page out of Rodney Dangerfield's book in Caddyshack, the game offers gamers the option to look at their put before they actually attempt it with 'put preview'. Once you have lined up your put to your liking, you can hit the 'right bumper' to show an overhead view of exactly where your ball will travel if you hit it with full power. You cannot alter your shot at this point, but it serves as an overly handy guide to show you if you are on the right track or not. After you have looked at the 'put preview' on a hole, you cannot use it again. Think of it as a virtual mulligan on each hole in the game. It is a bit too useful, and feels very much like kicking your ball out of a rough lie or 'forgetting' to count a stroke or two.
