Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11

Yes. He plays golf.

Posted 2 years ago By - Zach R.

Tiger Woods plays golf. I make this statement simply in case anyone has forgotten this fact. EA Tiburon makes games. Probably not as big a revelation as the prior statement, but true, nonetheless. The review contained within is for one of those games, which as it happens, features Tiger Woods.

That’s right, the official fifth game of Tigers Woods PGA Tour has launched for the Wii. So let’s take a look at what everyone here should be focusing on; Not the man himself, but the game he made famous.

Gameplay

If you’ve already played Woods on the Wii, you’ll note that aesthetically, not much has changed. In fact, overall the game is very much similar to last years near perfect game. That’s not to say that there haven’t been any changes made here. There’s some new online features, a couple of new swing difficulties, and of course, the addition of the Ryder’s Cup.

By now, you should know that EA is really pushing the Wii Motion Plus. It’s a good thing, being that most developers have kind of given up on it, save for a handful of others. If you played last years title without one, you won’t notice much of a difference with the swings in this one. It’s optimized for the MotionPlus though, so please, grab one. They’re relatively inexpensive, and they really do change the game.

The controls in Woods 11 are once again laid out based on who’s playing the game. You’ve got the "All-Play", which works great for younger kids who might not understand the nuances of a more difficult swing yet. Then you’ve got the normal and advanced options. What’s changed with this year is the "Advanced Plus" and "Tour Pro" swings. Now, I’m not a technical golfer. With that said, as far as these two swings go, both felt like they were reacting pretty accurately to my swings, both back and front. I wasn’t driving long balls in the beginning and I have a tendency to slice, which the game read that pretty solidly. I never felt the system was cheating me out of getting ahead of an opponent, as I could sense when my arm wasn’t quite where I wanted it to be. Of course, with a bit more weight to it, maybe the WiiMote wouldn’t be so easy to twist. However, once you adjust, you’ll find the game can replicate your real-life swing pretty well.

Another new feature added is the first-person view mode. I have to admit that I found the mechanic to be a bit disappointing, as you’re stuck looking at the ball while trying to line up your shot. It’s a bit infuriating, though some will find it more to their liking. Part of the problem comes in controlling the balls’ spin. You just can’t do it when you’re viewing a long ball that’s been hit too far out for the naked eye to see. The camera doesn’t follow it, so you’ve really got to be confident with your swing when it comes to this mode. I can appreciate the realism, however, so I’ll give EA Tiburon points for that.

The biggest addition to the game is really the inclusion of the Ryder Cup. In what is essentially a 12 vs. 12 tournament, you’ll be playing as either a US team or European team in a battle for gold supremacy. For most, this won’t make a huge difference, as unless you’re an avid golf fan, you likely don’t know or care too much about the tournament. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice inclusion that brings some great real-life rivalries straight to your living room, but it’s not a game maker, unless you’re a golfing superfan. It should also be noted for those superfans that the teams will often have to sub a US guy onto the European team, simply because the game doesn’t have 12 European players in it. An oversight that I’m sure could be fixed with DLC, but this is the Wii we’re talking about, so that’s likely not going to happen. Most won’t really care, but purists, consider this your warning.
 
Graphics & Sound
 
When it comes to visuals, not much has changed from last year. That’s not a bad thing, by any means, as the golfers, courses, and animations are all exactly as they should be. For a Wii title, Woods is top shelf when it comes to sports. While it won’t win over visual-minded individuals, it offers one of the best looking representations of golf you can get from the underpowered Wii.

The audio on the other hand still needs some work. While the golf sounds are realistic, from the thwack of the club hitting a ball, to the thud of a ball landing in a sand trap. It’s the actual soundtrack and announce team that really aren’t up to par. It’s not that they’re terrible. The music itself is just sort of there, with nothing memorable to offer, while the announce team are solid, but don’t really have much more to say than they ever had in previous years. From a first timers perspective, I imagine the commentary is going to seem a lot more fresh. It’s just that if you’ve played one Woods game, you’re not likely to be surprised by it anymore.

Value

In addition to the great golf on offer here, there’s also a wonderful online system. No need to worry about friend codes, as everything runs off EA’s servers, so hitting the links with a friend couldn’t be simpler. There are also quite a few party games to play through, which seem more suited to younger/casual fans.

The big addition to the party-themed games comes in the form of mini-golf. With 36 holes, EA Tiburon really went all out. Again, this has a more casual focus, but for those who are having a bit of trouble with a particular course, it’s a great diversion to help you relax. Unfortunately, for some reason, mini-golf is solely offline, yet disc-golf, which appeared last year is online, and it’s far less appealing, to be honest. Still, given the amount of gameplay on offer here, one minor slip up is hardly anything to complain about. 

Conclusion

For the hardcore golf fans, and the casual fans who haven’t already played a Woods title, there’s some great features to be found in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11. For those who have played before but aren’t absolutely ravenous for all things golf, there’s still some gems to be found, but you’re also going to see a lot of familiar territory.

That said, Woods on the Wii is the definitive experience. If you’re looking for a game of golf that plays like a game of golf, this is as close as you can possibly get.