Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 Review (PS3, Xbox 360) By Sayed Islam Published: 07/18/09 PrintEmail
Do golf fans easily forget the epic 2008 United States Open Championship? Of course golf enthusiasts would be lax if they did not remember that major golf tournament. Along with countless flabbergasting memories Tiger Woods was responsible for, he added one more memory to his resume by winning the US Open during a playoff against Rocco Mediate. With the release of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, it makes gamers wonder if this entry can recapture that same magic from that tournament.
The gameplay does little to completely overhaul the sport of golf, but it is more of a refinement from last year’s Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 than anything else. All of the modes from the aforementioned Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 make their triumphant return. Tournament challenge is replaying some pivotal moments in golf history and macthplay have been virtually untouched from last year’s iteration. Much akin to its predecessors, this year you start from scratch with a customizable golfer and work your way up the ranks. If you continue to advance, then you will accrue more experience in a variety of attributes. The controls are eerily reminiscent to any other Tiger Woods game, but one new addition is the changes to putting. When you are putting, there will be a gauge with a yellow segment. Your job is to start and stop your swing when the indicator reaches the yellow section. Albeit there is no guarantee that the putt will go in, the likelihood of the ball entering the hole is higher if the indicator is stopped in the yellow portion. Experts of the Tiger Woods franchise will probably select the putting mode that was in last year’s version. The multiplayer features an online mode that allows players to experience comprehensive four round eighteen hole tournaments. Moreover, there are online mini games like online challenges that request for a goal that is unlike your traditional “put the golf ball in the hole” procedure. Instead, you will be aiming for the closest approach or longest drive. Also, you can replay or retry your shots by pressing one of the four face buttons. The lists of playable golfers includes (but are not limited to) Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, Rocco Mediate, Annika Sörenstam, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, and the unbelievably attractive Natalie Gulbis. Some glaring omissions entail Phil Mickelson and Michelle Wie. Maybe the exclusion was due to the bitter rivalry between Michelson and Woods; maybe the absence of Wie was because she has never won anything meaningful. In any case, it begs the question: why were these two notorious golfers excluded from the game? It is an insignificant issue, yet it would have been engrossing to witness bizarre duels like Michelle Wie versus Tiger Woods. This year’s adaptation has some new golf courses such as Bethpage, Hazeltine National, Oakmont CC, Pinehurst No. 2, Torrey Pines, and Turnberry. Furthermore, other courses not new to the series are the Gary Player Country Club and Bay Hill Club and Lodge. There are also a bevy of TPC courses like Boston, Sawgrass, and Scottsdale.
On the whole, the visuals are appealing. The caveat to this is some of the stiff animations from the gallery and golfers. Other than that, all of the mannerisms you have come to expect from the golfers are intact. The golf courses have plenty of detail.
The audio is adequate. ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt and The Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman are responsible for the commentary; nevertheless, that is not necessarily the best combination. Van Pelt’s upbeat attitude brings some much needed enthusiasm, and he makes you feel like you are indeed watching an episode of Sportscenter. However, Tilghman’s comments are stoic. No one wants to hear Tilghman make any controversial lynching remarks about Tiger Woods like she did back in 2008; nonetheless, it would be grandiose to see some more insightful input from her that just “that putt should’ve gone in.” You never get the sense that Tilghman is establishing a rapport between her and the audience in the same manner as Van Pelt. On the bright side, the music and audio is fine.
Overall, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 comes down to an acquired taste. You can make a compelling argument that it is a mild improvement from a year ago, but it would be remiss to overlook the new additions to the series.
Art direction 8 On the whole, the visuals are appealing. The caveat to this is some of the stiff animations from the gallery and golfers. Other than that, all of the mannerisms you have come to expect from the golfers are intact. The golf courses have plenty of detail. Audio 7 The audio is adequate. ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt and The Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman are responsible for the commentary; nevertheless, that is not necessarily the best combination. Van Pelt’s upbeat attitude brings some much needed enthusiasm, and he makes you feel like you are indeed watching an episode of Sportscenter. However, Tilghman’s comments are stoic. No one wants to hear Tilghman make any controversial lynching remarks about Tiger Woods like she did back in 2008; nonetheless, it would be grandiose to see some more insightful input from her that just “that putt should’ve gone in.” You never get the sense that Tilghman is establishing a rapport between her and the audience in the same manner as Van Pelt. On the bright side, the music and audio is fine. Gameplay 8 The gameplay does little to completely overhaul the sport of golf, but it is more of a refinement from last year’s Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 than anything else. Presentation 8 The integration of the Weather Channel to accentuate inclement weather conditions was seamless and gives a much more realistic feeling to the presentation. Some glaring omissions entail Phil Mickelson and Michelle Wie. Replay value 9 There are plenty of modes to play both online and offline. Final verdict 8 out of 10
Do golf fans easily forget the epic 2008 United States Open Championship? Of course golf enthusiasts would be lax if they did not remember that major golf tournament. Along with countless flabbergasting memories Tiger Woods was responsible for, he added one more memory to his resume by winning the US Open during a playoff against Rocco Mediate. With the release of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, it makes gamers wonder if this entry can recapture that same magic from that tournament. 
