Tiger Woods returns yet again for a new round of golf with EA's latest release in the perrenial golf series. As is the case for most EA Sports games, this release builds upon last year's release and introduces new modes, features and the mandatory roster update. The real star, though, is the inclusion of Wii Motion Plus support which adds a new level of depth, fidelity and difficulty to the game.
The game comes with the Wii Motion Plus accessory for an extran 10 bucks on top of the normal $49.99 for a new Wii game. This is a pretty good deal and the support for the peripheral is great. You notice it's impact immediately on your first drive, where you either draw or fade the shot. You start to notice your tendancies in your swing and can compensate by aiming. Also the curvature is something that can become handy for getting around certain obstacles on the course. It makes for deeper gameplay than just aiming and swinging and having the only twist in the balls flight path come from the wind. It just feels more like what you would experience on a real course because no one's swing(except maybe Tiger's) is perfect. So far this is the best showcase of Wii Motion Plus support and the deepest use of it as well.
The game comes with an updated roster of golfers with Rocco Mediate being the biggest inclusion considering how famous he became after taking Tiger the distance, and breaking his leg. Also new courses are now in the game including Beth Page (black course) which is where the US Open is held. This also means that USPGA rules are now in the game. What the big deal about this is, I don't know but I guess it is just cool to have them associated with the game now.
The game still retains all play support and the classic Wii game mechanic support. But the gameplay really shines when using the Wii Motion Plus. Putting is a lot harder but feels more natural. Swinging and getting the right power on the swing is also more intuitive. It just feels good.
New modes include Disc golf which can be a fun distraction and a nice addition. Not really that engaging for me but its easy to see how some could really get into it. Online support is pretty barren and considering this is on the Wii, it's not really a surprise.
The graphics can be good at times, when the camera flies through a course, the water and landscape look beautiful. When being up close, however, it can be bad. Tiger has a good model and animation but the textures on him and on the grass can look terrible. Every time I drive, and my ball passes by trees, I wish the trees looked less like cardboard cut outs. I don't know if they are really pushing the Wii here but I don't see why textures on the land and player can be better. While I am at it, I wish that there would be a higher resolution on this thing.
Tiger 10 is the game I had been waiting for to turn my Wii back on after having finished Super Mario Galaxy. It has a great feature set and amazing gameplay enhanced by Wii Motion Plus. Though the graphics have their ups and downs, the game is at its best right after you swing and wait to see where your ball drops. A great experience that any adult who owns a Wii should own.
9/10 - Must Own!
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