Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07

It is rather rudimentary – address the ball, swing, curse, find the ball and try to figure out how to get back on track. Well, that was once the way it seemed, but with the new controls of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07, the player has greater control over the swing mechanics, and can really fine-tune their game with practice.

And there is the opportunity for practice. The game features a number of mini-games that will help you earn cash for the pro shop, but also allow you to work on your targeting for the ball. The mini games are target oriented, but as a precursor to actually stepping on to the links, they offer a chance to skill up your game.

Add to that the attribute system, which will allow golfers to create a virtual player and then improve skills and you have a robust golf experience that takes the Tiger Woods franchise to the next level.

There is a new emphasis on team play, and more than one person can grab a controller and take part in the team game, which features the Team Tour, One Ball, Team One Ball and Elimination mode. There is the PGA Tour Season Mode, Traditional Game Modes (also new overall, but with some familiar and new games – stroke play, match play, Bloodsome, Greensome, Skins, Practice, Stableford, Alternate Shot, Best Ball, Four Ball), Skills 18, Skillzone, Real Time Event Calendar and Battle Golf (multiplayer).

By now you should have guessed, this game is rife with gaming options. Xbox Live support, the one-console multiplayer, and the deep facial/golfer customization make this a truly robust experience.

The game has a wonderful array of golfers available to play as, both real life professionals and a few fictional ones. The same holds true for the golf courses, and yes, the fictional ones have been “Tiger proofed,” which is EA’s way of making sure Tiger does not drive the daylights out of the courses.

The controls schemes begin with using the right analog stick to mark the point of impact on the ball. The left analog stick controls the backswing and follow through. Pull down to initiated the swing, and then push forward to descend the club to the impact zone and through on the follow. But it does not end there. Tapping the white button on the analog control during the backswing will give you more power. Then tapping the black button and using the directional pad during the ball’s flight will apply spin. You can carry the shot or apply backspin to pull the ball back.

Power on the greens is handled well, and the challenge there is to pay attention to the greens and the slopes that can make a difference between one-putting and three-putting.

One of the nice features is that these golfers have attitude. After creating a golfer and entering the Desert Classic, the controls were fumbled a bit and the first hole was a three-over. The golfer deftly plucked the ball from the cup and punted it off the course.

The course environments are about what one would expect from the Xbox (expectations are much higher for the next-gen release), with the whole scheme looking a bit sparse. The ball physics are good though. The ball lands, generally and on the fairways and greens, with a solid thud and you hear the crowd, even if not seen.

The commentary is solid and does not get too repetitively annoying.

Online features a daily tourney, with scores recorded on the leaderboards for posterity.

While Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 is showing its age in the majority of the graphics department, this is still a deep and exceeding enjoyable console golf game. The options package is superb and while this may be the last outing on the links for the Xbox franchise, EA Sports has definitely teed up a winner.

Gameplay: 8.8
The game mode options, the control schemes all add up to a truly entertaining console experience. This is the type of game that can frustrate you – while laying the blame for the bad shows squarely on the player – but will still have you driving to improve with each swing of the clubs.

Graphics: 8.4
Still solid, but showing a bit of their age, the game still manages to put solid ball physics and decent game mechanics together, along with a great variety of courses, for a game that is easy on the eyes.

Sound: 8.3
Solid but a little sparse at times; it seems as though the sound went for a more minimalist experience but the results are still decent.

Difficulty: Medium
You can adjust your difficulty settings in character creation and when creating a tour profile to match your abilities. Don’t, however, expect the courses to give you many breaks.

Concept: 8.8
The new swing mechanics are terrific and the team elements add another measure of fun.

Multiplayer: 8.5
Offline (same console) or online – this game is a solid winner. A daily tourney – need anything else be mentioned?

Overall: 8.7
The environments are looking a little dated, graphically, but the swing mechanics are terrific and the game is a lot of fun, from the moment you tee off in your first PGA event to the host of mini games, to the team elements.