Laid back and immersive
The visuals in Tiger Woods are the best yet, the players are looking realistic, the courses are lush and the sand and water effects enhance this relaxing, yet challenging game. You’ll also notice the mass of crowds on the side lines watching the action. As you take a shot they’ll cheer or try and put you off, as you finish your shot they’ll run up the side of the course in order to gain the best viewpoint for your next stroke and they’ll jump out of the way if the ball comes hurtling towards them. During the PGA Tour season the crowds gather in huge numbers and add to the atmosphere both on the fairway and around the greens. Although many of the animations do move independently of each other, many of them do appear clone-like and robotic as they move or clap in unison to the action. There’s a fair amount of copying and pasting going on around every hole and course, but for the most part EA have done a decent job in capturing the feel of a major tournament.
Click for larger imageEach shot that is taken in Tiger Wood’s PGA Tour 07 is captured with some style. The camera follows the action like the BBC are filming it themselves, cutting to the crowd scenes, panning across the fairways, and moving in close to watch the golfer’s reactions.
Tiger Woods character is also extremely well designed, his eye movements, mannerisms and golfing swing are spot-on and all of the golfers on show animate well and move around the screen.
Click for larger imageThe audio in the game is also well worth a mention. The commentary is well executed, without every becoming repetitive, and the sound of a bird chorus, the 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the crowd and even planes flying overhead add to the feeling of being in the great outdoors. As you’re travelling around the world’s most challenging courses you can also listen to live updates from the world of sport, receive the latest news or watch the ESPN ticker. For the UK audience it’s won’t all be relevant as you’ll hear updates from the world of baseball of American Football, but it does give you a feeling of being part of something more substantial than just a run-of-the-mill golf game.