Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005

Tiger, tiger, burning bright?

A game like this would normally necessitate an opening paragraph from me concerning EA's annual update business and their persistence in re-releasing near identical versions of a game year upon year. But this time I shall refrain, unless you consider that previous statement to be a condemnation in its own right. Yes, it's much like Tiger Woods 2004 and that in turn was much like 2003. Do you need to buy this if you already own 2004? No, absolutely not. Is it still a good game? Why, of course it is. Out of all the annual updates EA offers, the Tiger Woods series has consistently been arguably the best and this title does nothing to dent that trend.

There's no point in claiming that TW 2005 does anything sufficiently new because it doesn't. What it does do though, it does very well and even those who insist on continually berating EA (and I myself must admit to a bit of this on occasion) would surely have to admit that TW is a very good game. It's slick, easy to play and does a great job of expanding a sports genre title into a very time consuming game.

Of course, this year we have more courses, more options and more things to unlock. As usual, the course selection is large and varied, ranging from accurate representations of real life courses as well as a great selection of fictional courses embracing a fantastic number of themes. As well as this, EA's penchant for customisation has been taken considerably further and it's now possible to sculpt and mould your golfer to a very impressive level. As well as this, as you progress throughout the game the way in which you can develop your character is equally striking. Not only can you use your winnings to stat up things like power and accuracy, but further augmentation is also possible through buying a range of ability-enhancing accessories ranging from clubs and balls to more obscure items like lucky hats and wristbands.

The dressings don't end there. Achieve certain milestones in your career and you'll be greeted with video snippets from assorted players from the real PGA tour, as well as some quite unintentionally hilarious clips provided by Tiger himself. The usual broad range of play modes surface once again, ranging from regular rounds of golf to mini-games and individual situation specific challenges. These task you with completing a certain number of holes that follow a theme (such as an offering of a par 3 course or a succession of bunker escapes) within a set number of strokes. As your career progresses you'll also be able to access the Legend challenges, a set of harder tasks that see you facing off against some of the game's seasoned pros.

These presentational elements cannot be faulted on the whole. There are lots of lovely touches that continually impress, such as the commentators correcting themselves if they make a wrong prediction - how nice it would be to hear the commentators in Pro Evolution Soccer 4 admitting that the last shot was not in fact "just over the bar" but instead twenty metres wide! There are some elements that prove slightly less amusing, like the horrible dancing celebration animations that sometimes kick in after a good hole, or the "amusing" quips occasionally muttered by the commentators. It's really in the gameplay department that Tiger Woods falls down a little. That's not to say it's bad - far from it in fact. It plays a very enjoyable game, undoubtedly, but the truth is that whilst Tiger Woods excels in presentation it fails to reach such heights with the gameplay.

Putting, for starters, is consistent and does indeed work fine, but in comparison to the wonderfully fluid, instinctual and organic putting system in Links it is left feeling a little sparse. There are two ways to play it - the default mode aides you with the "caddy tip", a guide that tells you how far away from the hole you should be aiming your shot. Turn on Tour Difficulty and this feature is stripped, a must if you want any sort of challenge. This way you're left to judge the putt yourself using a combination of the estimated ball path indicator and examining the contours of the green. It does the job, for sure, but it doesn't manage to engage you in the same way as Links.

Hit the fairways and it wouldn't be unreasonable to apply the same criticisms. TW 2005 still uses the same analogue swing mechanic that it re-invigorated the genre with all those years ago and it still works very well, utilising the same draw and fade mechanic that places emphasis on the timing and consistency of your strokes. The main problem I found with it though was that it's far less demanding when using the S Pad. Playing TW 2003 on the PS2 required a great deal of practice to get your drives to place accurately on the fairway; in this iteration it seems comparatively effortless. Whilst this may please some, for those seeking a good challenge this effect can conspire to simply make the game far too easy.

It's this "ease of play" ethos that actually damages the title in the long run. The possibilities of spin, for instance, whilst undoubtedly adding an extra layer of control, do at the same time allow the player to too easily compensate for wayward shots. Also, unlike in Links where the environmental conditions need to be carefully accounted for when making your shot selection, TW 2005 seems to all too often take most elements into account automatically. There is a certain amount of deliberation required to tackle more awkward shots successfully, though their implementation in the game can sometimes feel somewhat random, often leaving you unsure of what adjustments are needed to land a shot successfully.

Despite these quibbles, which are admittedly minor in comparison to the overall high quality, the main gripe is simply that the game is too easy. Most players can expect to finish a good forty of fifty shots under par in their first PGA Event. The first time you hole an approach shot from the apron and land yourself an eagle you'll be really chuffed; when after a few hours of play you've managed this feat several times it certainly becomes less impressive. As you progress further throughout the PGA season the courses do start to get tougher and the opposition more able, but I'm yet to play a game where I haven't either led from the off or pushed for the winning spot throughout. Turning on Tour Difficulty does make the putting a little more challenging, but the fairway play is not affected. The easy difficulty level is in keeping with the relaxed play that the title offers so well but after time it dampens your enthusiasm to persist.

There's no denying though that TW 2005 is a very solid title with a commendable lifespan. Whilst I would always still prefer a round of Links, especially when you consider that online play has criminally been stripped for the PAL release of this title, that's not to say that TW 2005 doesn't deserve a place in your collection. If, however, you already own one of the previous versions, then the reasons to consider an upgrade are negligible. Whilst the saying "if something is good then more of it is better" is definitely true of the series, to say this game is £40 better than the last is way off the mark. A great game? Yes. A great update? Come on now....

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By Ben Parfitt