
	Platform PC Genre Sports Publisher Electronic Arts Developer EA Tiburon ESRB E (Everyone) Released August 28, 2007

- Driving off the tee is more responsive, and putting is somewhat improved - Taunting doesn’t do anything gameplay-wise, but sure it is fun teasing your opponents - More courses than last year to challenge you

- Questionable need to release two versions of Tiger Woods on the Wii within six months - No online play - Putting problems still aren’t completely fixed from Tiger Woods 07

Review: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 (Wii) Review: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (360) Review: Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (GC)
Newsletter
Be notified of site updates. Sign-up for the Newsletter sent out twice weekly. Enter E-Mail Address Below: Subscribe \| Unsubscribe

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08

Score: 7.5 / 10

In golf, you can be the biggest hitter off the tee shot, but if you don’t have a good putting game, you’re not going to find much success on the links. Just ask Happy Gilmore. (OK, don’t, if you’re not into talking to fictional movie characters). In Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 on the Wii, (released just six months earlier than Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 – was there a real need for two Tiger Woods games within six months?) inconsistent putting controls using the Wiimote could make for some frustrating rounds of virtual golf.

That Wiimote putting has been somewhat seemingly improved in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08, but not completely, as putting still hasn’t found its “Happy” medium of being challenging enough to the gamer without being maddeningly erratic. It’s still difficult to precisely and accurately putt consistently enough to avoid high-scoring rounds of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 golf. However, the mechanics are definitely improved from Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 (or so it seems, unless

Advertisement

- Sports Game Reviews
- Games Published by Electronic Arts

this reviewer has just adjusted to using the Wiimote to putt), so your putting game isn’t as tough to master. That also goes for the driving controls. Hitting off the tee and any other drive shots seem to be improved and more responsive, aligned more closely with actual movement as read by the Wii’s infrared sensor.

Advertisement

But the driving game also has some unevenness to it, too. Hitting straight drives? No problem. Driving the ball when a right or left slice is needed? Tiger, we’ve got a problem. When trying to slice the ball, it’s not easy to get that left or right slice, because the required move to do it isn’t simple to do, taking a lot of practice.

Once you do figure out the Wiimote controls, though, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 is actually a good golf game for Wii owners, although it can’t measure up to its Xbox 360 equivalent, which is a more complete golf game with better controls and online play. The lack of online play on the Wii version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 can be somewhat forgiven, as the Wii as a console isn’t really heavy on the online element and instead focuses on the social gathering aspect, which in the case of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 can have four golfers in the same gaming area competing. That’s where the taunting feature that’s available on the Wii comes into play: what better way to rub in that great shot you just hit that gives you the lead over your Wii golfing family or friends than with a good old-fashioned sports taunting?

As far as modes go, there’s the requisite content one would expect from the FedExCup Playoffs, PGA Season and Tiger Challenge. There’s also mini-games, including the one mode that helped yours truly actually get a better putting game, the Wii-exclusive MiniPutt, which is all putting, all the time. Along with the modes, there’ even more courses than before, 19 in all.

On the Wii, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 hasn’t completely gotten into the swing of things provided by its Xbox 360 counterpart: namely, online play and precision swinging and putting. There are still enough fun offerings and gameplay, including a plethora of different game modes and more courses and golfers than before. So while Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 doesn’t quite hit a hole in one (it’s even a little over par with the uneven swinging and putting controls), it certainly is a solid golf title once you’ve practiced and learned the little nuances that are needed to putt and drive effectively.

- Lee Cieniawa

lcieniawa@armchairempire.com

(October 31, 2007)