Also available on: Xbox 360, PS3
Developer: EA Tiburon
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: Sports
Release date: July 3, 2009
Despite receiving a decent critical reception on its release, EA's new franchise Grand Slam Tennis felt like it would iron out its various kinks with future instalments. As if by magic, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 follows hot on its heels to show just what can be achieved with a bit of tinkering. After last year's ninth edition of the game fell just short of a hole in one, the tenth incarnation really hits stride with quite sensational results. New courses, better controls and more online matches ensure that Tiger Woods 10 comes as close to a golf experience as can be had without pulling on the plus fours and heading out on the fairway.
EA Tiburon has built on solid foundations with Tiger Woods 10 but also introduced some quality new additions, including seven extra courses such as Torrey Pines and Bethpage Black. The weather effects have also been improved, with a neat touch being to link this to real-life conditions via the Weather Channel. However, the biggest leap forward has been with the controls, most notably in terms of compatibility with Wii Motion Plus. As in previous games, players hold the Wii Remote as though it were a golf club and then swing through the ball in the same way as taking an actual stroke (although the Nunchuk can also be used for an analogue swing). This brings a nice feeling of weight and touch to the motion, requiring just the right sense of judgment to really hit the sweet spot.
Thankfully, this is enhanced considerably with the motion add-on, which brings alive the feeling of a digital swing. Moving the Wii Remote at different speeds is really reflected on the screen, which enhances the feeling of connection with the action. Equally, fade and draw can be added to the ball in-flight to sweep the shot into the desired area. The only slight criticism is in regards to the power, which feels a tad unbalanced. There are times when really launching a drive doesn't give the distance that is desired, while delicate chips can often result in overshooting horribly.
This little niggle can hamper the feeling of precision when out on the fairway and also cause some frustrations during those unfortunate moments in the rough or bunker. Thankfully, the same sketchiness can't be said for time spent on the green, due to the new Precision Putting system. After lining up the shot, the optional mechanic indicates how far to pull back the swing to really feel in control of the stroke. Essentially, the overall control system has that magic mix of being instantly accessible yet also challenging to master, meaning that both serious and amateur players can enjoy the game.
As usual, the career mode is on offer to challenge the best players on the circuit. This means using the fully-customisable player creator, with some quite remarkable options, including dimple depth and bum girth. After creating a character, players can then navigate the PGA Tour Season and take on the FedEx Cup, with three difficulty settings offering a decent range of challenge. Golf fans can also test their mettle at the US Open, which is available for the first time. Over the Wii Network, there are other options for Live Tournaments, with up to four players being supported (but not using Wii Speak). True golf fans can also Play the Pros, which involves taking on the near-live stats from real-world tournaments as they occur.
For anyone who lacks interest in settings and customisation options, the game offers a Play Now function to just dive into a round of golf. Alternatively, Golf Party brings a lighter contest with ten mini-games ranging from target practice to golf cart challenges (although these will be pretty familiar to anyone who played Tiger Woods 9). The game's playability has also been extended with online Match Play and Best Ball modes, but the best new addition is the Wii-exclusive Disc Play. Available on all 27 different courses in the game, this addictive mode involves throwing a flying disc with rather satisfying accuracy towards a receptacle where the hole would be. Playing Frisbee on the world's top courses proves great fun, but goodness knows what would happen if anyone tried it in real life.
Graphically, Tiger Woods 10 hasn't exactly pushed the boundaries from last year's offering, but everything is still very well presented, including menu screens, options boxes and scoreboards. Woods and other characters all look pretty decent and are well animated, including lots of nice little touches such as patting down divots in the rough. Sounds effects are also pretty good, including crowd noise and birdsong. Commentators Kelly Tilghman and Scott Van Pelt do their best to react to the action, but their cutting comments and sports clichés may get very old very quickly for some players.
Overall, the latest game in the Tiger Woods series really comes alive on the Wii. With intuitive controls, a multitude of playing modes and a decent level of polish, the game provides a satisfying leap forward compared to the baby steps taken with the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. Just as Grand Slam Tennis showed promise but had its drawbacks, Tiger Woods 10 really feels as close to a complete sports package as is possible. Quite simply, it offers the most immersive, impressive and enjoyable golf simulation experience currently available on any gaming system.
