The Nineteenth hole...armpit ache has crept in
Navigating through the options is easy with the wii-pointer and far quicker than if you were using a joy-pad and EA have laid it out in a way so it’s user friendly and simple to use. There are numerous game modes on offer, including the Tiger Challenge where you take the world’s best golfers earning cash to buy better equipment and skills. In addition there’s the standard PGA Tour season and an abundance of traditional gameplay modes such as stroke play and skins. If you want to practice your golfing swing there are plenty of mini games that will test out your skills and an interesting mode called ‘battle golf’ where the winner of each hole is allowed to remove a club from his opponents bag or adds one back to his own.
The graphics in PGA Tour 07 obviously don’t compete with the games on the other next-gen consoles, for example there’s isn’t a mass of fans gathered around each green waving their arms and cheering when you sink a putt or trees that sway in the wind, but in all fairness, despite a few ugly textures, the game's 18 courses are modelled clearly and accurately and the golfers themselves look like their real life counterparts.
The audio in the game isn’t quite on a par with the Xbox 360 version, but the sound of a bird chorus, the 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the crowd and even a planes flying overhead adds to the feeling of being out of the golf course. The superb commentary lends a hand in creating the overall experience and David Feherty and Gary McCord’s humorous comments work well alongside the action,even though they can become slightly repetitive.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 does lack the laid back ambience of the 360 version, probably because I’m not sitting on my arse watching the clouds drift by, but there always seems to be time to play one more hole. Aside from a few frustrations, such as the occasionally over sensitive control system or the annoyance of not being able to ever sink a long putt, the game does what it says on the tin. Tiger Woods PGA Tour is a fine interactive sport’s title that has set a benchmark for anyone who dares to step up to the challenge of making a better golfing title.
Pros
The closest thing to playing real golf
Tons of game modes
Authentic courses
Great fun with friends
Cons
Difficult to master
Sensitive controls
A superb interactive sport's title, setting the benchmark for future golf titles on Wii.