Review: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 (360)

When it comes to golf, there is only one champion, and unsurprisingly that honour rests with Electronic Arts' Tiger Woods franchise. The debut offering on Xbox 360 last year was a limited affair, failing to take full advantage of the possibilities of a new generation. The latest instalment is an improvement, but as Gamestyle explains, there is plenty of room for more.

This year sees the arrival of more courses, with twelve licensed offerings available. This is a step in the right direction, but more courses from across the world need to be on offer. Gamestyle is not wishing for 'Tiger Woods Scotland Tour 08', but variety is what makes golfing games so enjoyable. The inclusion of ESPN does not bring any benefits to the presentation of the game itself, but those with an Xbox Live account can stream ESPN Radio updates or allow a ticker tape to provide news on current events in the world of sport. To date, Visual Concepts integrated the license far more effectively into the overall experience.

Playing Tiger Woods in high definition is thrilling, as you can almost imagine touching the lavish greens and foliage, as well as reading the small text on screens. However, regardless of visual clarity, the game possesses surprising issues. The courses are spectacularly realised yet it is the little details that Gamestyle notes from their omission or failure to be fully exploited. Backdrops are two-dimensional or, on coastal holes, two slabs of colour (representing the ocean and horizon). These are highlighted time and time again by some bizarre replays that fail to convey the tension or euphoria that can exist on the fairway.

The whole sense of occasion is missing from Tiger Woods and this is surprising from Electronic Arts. The lacklustre usage of commentary or the ESPN license means this PGA Tour is an empty shell, albeit a good-looking one. Where are the media updates? Unfolding drama elsewhere on the course? The buzz of the crowd and the parade of cameras?

The inclusion of crowds in any game is a risk, as these are often substandard to the terrain which they occupy. In this edition, the crowds are varied and well-represented but lack animation; instead content to provide the occasional golf clap or hopping movement when struck by a stray drive. Similarly, with the exception of Tiger Woods, the cast of players are not realised to the same standard. Tiger is a carbon copy of the real life equivalent, and in spite of an excellent character creation tool, his opponents or your own creation pale into insignificance.

For the most part, the opponent AI is challenging, although Gamestyle debates how much of the challenge is down to your own character's limitations. Issues do exist, with some characters attempting the same shot again and again, only to see it fall out of bounds. Every shot dropped, however, is to your benefit, with the game providing a balanced difficulty that drives you on. Your own AI help is often dubious, suggesting ineffective clubs or approaches when a simple glance at the course will identify a more efficient route.

As with previous editions, the satisfaction of winning only comes from hard work building up your character's statistics; this can be done through competitions or winning matches in the Tiger Challenge. Electronic Arts has provided new opportunities for cash and enhancements via the training ranges or buying items from the golfing store. Increasing your accuracy reduces the range of where your shot would land - if struck correctly - and is the key to success. The control system is extremely slick, with the revitalised aiming improving on what went before.

Failure can also be beneficial, as good shots are rewarded and course trophies made available at certain junctions. This encourages you to play on, rather than heading back to the clubhouse early. Rewards are also available through several mini-games that inject some much-needed fun into the uniform training.

For those eager to jump into the demanding PGA Tour and avoid a taxing shift on the training course, there are options available at the Xbox Live Marketplace to open up courses, max out your player and unleash all the character creation options. This development is foreseeable, with many games demanding that we build up characters to receive the full benefit, and most of us having limited time for such an undertaking.

The detrimental effect is that the online play is somewhat tarnished, as you feel obliged to make the purchase - such is the frequency of 110% opponents - and with wagers also being available online (and quite popular) there is much at stake. When such an imbalance is not presented, then the game plays extremely well online, reviving memories of the excellent Links 2004 online mode. Lag is almost banished and, most important of all, the online participation seems high.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 is very much a step in the right direction for the series. The gameplay is expertly refined to such a degree that little more improvement can be achieved. Now all we need is the actual atmospheric experience to be up to par.

Rating: 7 / 10

Words by Jason Julier