Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 Review

Golf that is not boring. Who thought that was possible? Not me. EA Tiburn proves me wrong in the first Tiger Woods outing that I have played since 2003. While it still looks like it could run on a last-gen console (and they are still making the game for PS2), Tiger Woods is the best looking and playing that it has ever been.

One thing is obvious from my long reprieve from Tiger Woods. Online is now a major focus of the game, just as so many games these days. That’s not to say there is not still a solid single-player. There most certainly is, but Tiger Woods 08 takes things to the next level of replay value in ways more than one.

From daily tournaments to your standard match, Tiger Woods 08 gives you plenty of options for Internet play. The thing I love most though is this new feature called GamerNet. This guarantees maximum replay value as user-generated content is now the name of the game. Say you birdie 12 of 18 holes or you manage an insane 400+ yard shot. You can save an entire 18 holes, 9 holes or a single hole, upload it to GamerNet and challenge gamers to beat it. It is both the ultimate bragging tool and way to extend gameplay. I should point out though that my game froze twice while using GamerNet.

As I said, offline is still as enjoyable as ever. You can play any game of golf imaginable (skins, stroke, match, alternate shot and so on) or try one you have probably never heard of (bingo bango bongo). Then there are the arcade modes and mini games. Twenty One (first golfer to 21 points putting), Target (earn points hitting a target), T.I.G.E.R. (the PGA version of HORSE), and more.

Tiger Challenge is sort of the offline version of the GamerNet challenges. Instead of other gamers setting challenges and benchmarks, EA’s developers have. They start off rather straightforward, under par x number, beating rival golfers, including Tiger Woods, etc. Then there are the more unconventional challenges, such as one where you have three swings on the hole and the total distance from the hole of your landed ball are added but can not pass a certain number of feet.

The character models in Tiger Woods 08 are the best I have ever seen in a golf game. The expression on Tiger’s face with his signature smile never looked this real before, other than on CBS. The golf courses are not bad, but they still could use a good deal of work in making the trees, bushes and grass look more detailed. The spectators on the sidelines are at least 3D, although blocky. I had to laugh the first time I hit a spectator, but it gets annoying rather quickly that they don’t get out of the way of your ball.

Tiger Woods 08 allows you to import pictures of your face into the game. Either using the Xbox Vision or from an EA Sports website, you create an account, upload the pictures and start the game up, following the directions. You need to take a picture with good lighting and an expressionless face for the best results. I didn’t find it all that accurate after taking mine. Most people won’t even try it at all. It can be more of a hassle than anything and it is completely optional. Still, it is a nifty idea.

I came away impressed with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08. I am in no way a fan of the sport (I call it a sport dubiously) or of the franchise. Yet I still find myself emotional over a missed opportunity or a miraculous shot. This is not your father’s golf game. Tiger has come a long way in providing a fun and diverse number of different ways to tee off. I chip it… I mean, I dig it.