Wednesday, October 20, 2004

Games - Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005

Since NHL 2005 won't work for me, I find myself gameless. So I picked up Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 . (Smart, huh? Give EA some more of my money!)

I've been a fan of PC golf games for years and years - anyone remember Mean 18? Every few years I'll pick up the latest in the EA or Links golf series, and I'm usually impressed. The advances in graphics and ball physics have amazed me, and PGA Tour 2005 is no exception.

The opening cutscene gives you a good idea of where EA has gone with this version - fun! After starting with your standard live footage of a dramatic shot from Tiger, it breaks into a riot of uptempo music and dancing avatars! A parade of golfer avatars strut their stuff and shake their booties in hilarious sequences. EA has populated the game with a whole cast of characters for you to compete against, from beer-bellied truckers to beehived matrons to pimped-out urbanites. They made me laugh outright (and still do). I really appreciate that EA has injected some goofiness into the game without sacrificing its realistic golf feel.

Personalization is another area where PGA Tour 2005 stands out. EA has taken customization of your avatar to new heights with their "Game Face II" system. You can change most anything about your golfer - height, weight, head shape, mouth, eyes, teeth, eyebrows, tatoos, scars, skin complexion - the list is comprehensive to say the least. And you can specify the type of clothing, hats, watches, gloves, shoes, clubs, and putters. You can unlock still more items as you progress in the game. It's almost overwhelming - in a good way. My wife and I were able to create golfers that look just like us! Seeing Virtual Me doing a goofy celebration dance after a birdie putt cracks me up!

PGA Tour 2005 provides a great environment for advancement, something that is key for a game's longevity. My new golfer started as an Amateur Prodigy who couldn't hit a 250yd drive if his life depended on it. But as he's played tournaments and won some money, he's been able to buy attributes such as Power or Shot Mastery. And with the increased attributes, he is able to take lessons and gain new strokes like High Spin or Flop Shot. After a week or so of moderate play, my golfer is now an Amateur Phenom, and he's about to challenge Jim Furyk in match play. These advancement steps keep you coming back for more and greatly add to the game's appeal.

Gameplay itself is very good. The graphics have taken another step up - grass blowing in the wind, ducks swimming in the pond, birds flying overhead, the galleries clapping, and the very realistic animation of your avatar. Amazing stuff. Sound is also very good (I swear I've heard a bear roar in the distance when playing Lake Tahoe). CBS's David Feherty and Gary McCord provide the commentary, and do a great job.

As for downsides, the only one I can think of is the utter lack of instructions in the manual. I had no idea how to buy attributes, unlock lessons, or buy clubs. The on-screen instructions to unlock a lesson said to pull up the "My Golfer" screen and buy Shot Mastery points. Problem is, there's no "My Golfer" screen! Turns out this feature is on the Game Face II -> Attributes screen. Without help from a message board, I doubt I would have found it. Stuff like that must be in the manual!

All in all, a very good game. A little more effort spent on the documentation would have made this an absolutely perfect game. 4.5 out of 5.

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