EA should consider adding an option allowing rounds to be played without all the animations, before and after each shot. When animations were introduced on the PS2 several years ago, they were a lot of fun to watch. Now, it feels like the 'X' button is getting a workout as the user presses it over and over to 'fast forward' through the animations, needlessly lengthening the time it takes to complete a round.
The career mode returns with the standard three options (PGA Tour Season, Tiger Challenge, Skills Practice). The Skills Practice section of the game is unchanged. It remains a large set of mini-games which allow you to boost your golfer's skills. The PGA Tour Season is also unchanged. Each 'season' consists of 16 Tour events with some having special entry requirements. The tournaments also suffer from the horrible 'rubber-band' AI seen in previous versions of the game. For those who do not know, the AI golfers' scores adjust to match what the player's score is in any given round. For example, in the first round of a tournament, five players may shoot a 64 while your character posts a score of 80. In the second and third rounds of the tournament, the same five players who shot a 64 proceed to average 80 or so strokes on their next two rounds. EA needs to take this AI logic totally out of the game, and allow the gamer to adjust the difficulty level to his needs. They also need to find a way to control scoring to keep it at a realistic level. The current AI removes any realism or enjoyment from the tournament experience.
The Tiger Challenge has been altered slightly, but it is basically still the same game. Golfers are presented with various challenges and receive medals based on how well they do. After one task is complete, other tasks are opened up to the player. The new setup does allow players to cut corners and not have to play every single task to attempt the final task of beating Tiger Woods. That is a step in the right direction, but at its core, it is still a ladder-based game. The disappointing part of the career as a whole is that it is so tedious and unrewarding. There is no feeling of immersion in the golfer or his career. Give me a reason to dislike my competitors or an AI that provides a consistent opponent without wild variations in scoring. It's great to beat Tiger Woods in the Tiger Challenge or win a PGA tournament, but the endless repetitive tasks and goals become monotonous after a short time.
Online matches against other opponents play well and lag-free assuming you play against other players having a solid online connection. Match-making is easily done with the interface provided, but the severe lack of available opponents is a problem. I had trouble finding an opponent at 6:00 PM nearly two weeks after release of the game. This might be a PS3 issue more than anything else. Daily tournaments are also available as in past versions of the game. Players can go out and play a round of golf each day, trying to post the best score for that day.
For those that are not fans of playing human opponents, a new online mode called GamerNet is now available. GamerNet allows each online user to post up to three scenarios for other players to attempt. Each scenario has a goal set and the player receives points based on how well they do. As you complete online scenarios, your point total increases and there is a leader board to keep track of the most prolific players. It feels extremely similar to Tiger Challenge, with the only difference being user-created scenarios and a leader board. It's a good addition to online play for those who are not interested in playing human opponents. It also will provide new content for those that complete the career mode and are looking for additional challenges.
Lack of innovative new features or truly ‘next-gen’ visuals makes this a decidedly average game on the PS3. It is time for EA Sports to step up and make a Tiger Woods game worth of a full price purchase every year. This version is little more than an update.
