Billowing Pantaloons (Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 (PS2))

Member Name: SlyClone2k

Product:	Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 (PS2)
Date:	27/10/03 (222 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A big big game with lots of courses, Vastly improves on previous incarnations

Disadvantages: Its golf., There will always be another one., Pricey these console games

Tiger Woods lends his name to another master piece of golfing from EA Sports money making machine. 2003 sees the release of the visionary Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004, a game that may look very similar to its predecessors in execution but provides us with a playing experience that pushes the boundaries to give you a game that'll keep you playing for days to come.

This isn't just golf. You can leave all those polo-shirts and baggie check pants at home, leave your clubs in the garage gathering dust and your body slumped in your favourite armchair safe in the knowledge that you'll barely burn off the two bottles of beer you'll have consumed whilst playing a couple of rounds. You won't have to spoil a good walk or put up with the ridiculous green fees playing this, although at £40 I'm sure the license fee is probably helping Tiger keep his up!

I'm going to cut right to the middle on this one! One of the good things about TW2004 is that it makes golf that bit more accessible. Little knowledge of golf is necessary, you don't need to know how far each iron can hit a ball, you don't have to know what a fade shot is, you don't even have to gamble real money against the bloke your playing with who can actually play the game without ever finding the rough.

Perhaps the most notable thing about TW is that the control system differs from many others, it takes the system established in TW2003 and runs with it. This system for hitting the ball utilizes the paddle, rather than requiring you to hit the X button as the power-ometer swings back and forth. Rather, as though you were hitting a ball, you start the back swing and then at the optimum moment press the paddle forward to drive. The straightness of your drive depends who accurately you can perform the action, without drawing the paddle across the left or right to produce hooks or fades. Sound complicated? It really isn't and you'll soon find your self intu
itively smashing the ball down the middle of the fairway or sinking a 25 foot put.

Perhaps I've jumped the gun though, because before you even start playing TW is a real piece of eye candy. EA have managed to introduce into 2004 items that have been available in other titles for a while, namely Career modes which span 10 years and create a player. You can, quite literally, spend an hour fine tuning your chap/chapess to look as normal or outlandish as you require, facial and body appearance can be altered as can attributes that are all nicely subtitled so you know what you are adding to. Having finished making your character you can enter the pro-shop and kit them out in some nice outfits and have a gander at the several hundred other bits of kit that can be opened up. From clubs to grip tape and putters to watches a whole variety of equipment that not only makes you look funky but also aids your game by adding extra points to your attributes. You can go back and edit your character at any time. I modeled myself on me, and after each round he plays I trim down his beer belly to give him the athletic look of todays top golfers!

EA have also introduced a new system into the 2004 series that saves various pieces of information to your memory card. Should you be interested in how much of your life you have dwindled away on their titles! From here you can see what you've achieved in this game, and certainly in TW there is plenty to keep you going, and in the other titles you may have played.

The variety of game modes is quite astounding. There are a variety of traditional games including Stroke Play, Skins and less traditional ones including alternate shot, best ball and Arcade modes. Whilst the smaller ones are great, TW really comes into its own in World Tour and PGA Tour season mode. World Tour sees you challenging some of TW2004s colourful virtual players in some of the most exotic locations, allowing you to unlock many other featu
res. Here cash is fairly easily earned, having only to play 9 holes instead of 4 lots of 18 to win you a tidy fee. It also means you can fit in a quick game during your lunch break, like I just did!

The PGA Tour is quite astounding, charting your golfing life you start as a rookie, unsponsored and ill equipped, as you play through the rounds certain aspects will earn you money, sinking birdies or saving yourself from a hazard will all see you raking up extra cash. But the big money comes with the out lay of time. A tournament is usually four rounds over four days, playing some tough competition who'll stick on your heals even if you pull of some magnificent 12 under par days. Winning pays the big bucks and will get you noticed by sponsors such as Maxflite and Nike who'll pay you to wear their kit, once you've bought it of course!

Other great innovations include the thumping of the controller at those important strokes, the ones that'll have you win the match or see you beating a personal best putt for a record ball. Increasing the tension in such a clever way doesn't make you think your going to do anything different, but the distraction can see you hooking or over putting.

Graphically the game doesn't do too much more than its predecessor, the fairways and greens all real and like, well, golf courses. Vistas can stretch off into the distance, and since they are accurately modeled on real courses you might find yourself wowing at the heather and hills of St. Andrews!

The sound is great, wonderful commentary, crowd noise and environmental sounds mean your quiet game of golf is often only accompanied by the sounds of sea gulls or a passing propeller plane. Crowds behave as they should meaning that when you hit an elusive Eagle they cheer and clap and you almost feel yourself carried away!! I saw some criticism, pre-purchase, that the commentary is always dead on with its prediction as to where your shot wil
l land. Well I'm pleased to say this simply isn't so. As often as they have been right I have seen my ball bounce out of rough to land nicely on the fringe of the fairway. Ha take that suckers!!

In closing Tiger Woods 2004 is what golf is all about, its fun to play for golfers and arm chair golfers alike. Having mates around will soon see the action hotting up with distractions flying in thick and fast. I can really recommend this game and see that its longevity far out ways 2003 and it's unlikely it'll be surpassed until 2005 makes its inevitable release!

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