Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 Xbox 360 Review

Let’s be real here, we talked about Tiger Woods 08 on our podcasts and we really enjoy golf games. So now that Tiger Woods is the only golfing game out for the Xbox 360, it’s going to get looked at in a different way. It may seem unfair but when you have the only golf title out there, it comes with benefits and some responsibilities. When I first saw the game, it was under a controlled situation. I was at EA’s Tiburon Studios and had the developers answering questions and making comments.

My first impression was that this is cool. After getting the final copy, I wanted to test it out and the game holds up to my first impressions. I have to say that the longer I played the game, the more I got frustrated. It seems Tiger Woods 08 has major issues mostly due to the EA Sports Gamernet features. This is what we were told but read the full review of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 and find out the rest of the story.

Gameplay

EA had a marketing blitz surrounding the Tiger Challenge and the game face features were promising to add to the game this year. Unfortunately, there are problems with this feature. I found it nearly impossible to create a decent looking face with the Xbox Vision camera. My only option was to upload the pictures to the Sports Gamernet server. By doing this, I got a decent picture to use as my game face. Then Jason tried and had trouble with a lost password from EA and on top of that the Sports Gamernet site started to crash from all the features and stats it was holding and the amount of users. I don’t think Jason ever got his password sent or a decent picture to use for the game and soon he gave up on that feature.

Now a game face is not a huge deal but when it’s promoted and made to sound so easy to use it should work. I could see why people were frustrated that a company as huge as EA did not have an IT team that could fix a site that was going to get a massive amount of hits every day. We talked with EA about this and got updates saying they were working on a fix. The fix was to disable the NCAA and Madden features to allow the Tiger Woods features to work until they found a real fix. I think they should have found another way to have fixed the issues or tested it more before promising features in retail versions.

I will say EA has since fixed the issue and I think they learned a huge lesson in all of this. I just have to wonder at what cost to the franchise and those who are fans of the series? Overall the gameplay is the same formula as last year’s version with the Tiger Challenge added. The main draw was supposed to be the fact you could play a round, upload the game and a friend could then play against you when they had the time. They also added challenges on the server so you could try and beat them. If you succeeded in beating these challenges, you got the points. If you failed, the person who uploaded the challenge got those points. It sounded great but they needed to have the Sports Gamernet site working in order to take advantage of these options.

The single-player mode had some good changes from last year and it seemed less arcade-like in some key areas. They added a draw and fade system and even brought on most of the team from Hypnotix, the creators of the Outlaw Golf games. They added a new way to read the greens and the putting lines that were influenced from the Outlaw Golf series. They really fit well into the game and throw in the new courses and Tiger 08 is a decent game. It just should have been more solid and stable from the time of the launch.

Control

EA also wanted to add the classic three button shot style back as an option. The regular swing players are used to. There was a glitch at times that made switching from left to right hand a problem but overall the swings mechanics this year are too sensitive and it takes a lot of time and practice not to slice a ball or over swing. I know this is part of video game golfing and I have no problem with learning the controls. Overall the set-up is fine and fits the Xbox 360 controller fine.

I still think the swing is too sensitive yet the fade and draw works fine. It will take about 20-30 minutes to get down the controls and longer to learn all the tricks and be able to know the right swing or spin on each shot. The controls are decent, but it needs tweaked overall and at times seem inconsistent. The game face works but you need to practice a few times with the markers so the bitmapping creates a realistic looking creation of the gamer. Even with the issues of the game face, I think EA is onto something here. Other games like Rainbow Vegas tried this. Tiger Woods 08 has taken a deeper approach on their attempt. Perhaps next year it will be perfected.

Xbox Live

The online play is the same format as last year and works well. The lobbies are set-up well and easy enough to find friends or play ranked matches. All the issues have been fixed. I think EA spent too much time on the new challenges, the Gamernet and the game face features to really update the online mode. It works but has the feeling of last year’s version which isn’t bad but they should have added more overall.

Graphics

The pattern continues; if you liked the way the graphics looked in TW 07, then 08 will look fine to you. The game looks the same and the only new additions are the green readings.

I will say they did a good job with the pros and they all look like their real life counter part. They also added a few more items to customize your golfer with and a ton of clubs but really this does nothing for the graphics not bad but not great.

Audio

The Audio works and the commentators sound real enough although at times a bit dry even when they add humor or attempt to. Most golf games in the past have not had great audio. They do a good job but most gamers are going to worry about playing the game or sinking a putt, not the sounds of the game.

Replay Value

EA made a mistake with the launch of this one and that is clear. If you bought the game at the release date and go back you will find it plays a lot better, but still has that 07 feel to it. There are a ton of things to unlock as I stated, but those who enjoy golf want a solid game and new features that work right out of the box. Replay value is hard to judge on this one since the new courses are limited. Die-hard fans will get the most from this one and that’s the best way I can put it.

Bottom Line

Overall Score: 6.2/10.0

Additional Comments

We know the problems have been fixed but at $59.99 and the fact it’s the only golfing title out there. They needed to make a good impression right off the bat. Tiger Woods PGA 08 just isn’t the game they wanted it to be and it shows. No gamer should have to wait for months to get their password or access to a site that is needed to take full advantage of the game. Things happen and I can understand that. I only hope they learned and are ready to deliver big next year the series needs a huge boost after the problems at launch.

Links

• Tiger Woods PGA 08 Official Website

Filed under: Reviews • Xbox 360

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