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Time to test drive the ever-charming Tiger Woods’ latest title. Undoubtedly the king of golf to the mainstream audience, Tiger Woods has helped golf’s image broaden a bit from the typical, retired, white man game it was previously known as. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005, the game, has a similar broad scope as the game is much more arcade oriented than you would expect.
The main mode in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005, as with other games in the series is the PGA tour mode, in which you go through the PGA tour in hopes of winning. More interesting is the legend tour where you’ll compete against a number of rather amusing and comical characters before being offered to chance to be able to play against golf legends like Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, among others. The addition of the legends will surely be pleasing to fans of the genre.
You’ll use these coins to Tiger Proof a course, which is basically editing it just a bit, i.e. changing the size of the green, but you are never given complete control over the course. The game includes eleven total courses, some of which are based on actual locales while others were designed by the developers. This is three less than the console versions, but the game includes all of the eight new courses for this edition.
The golf gameplay in the game is easy to get into but not nearly as much as the console versions. This is largely because of the removal of Tiger vision, a feature which shows you exactly how to get the shot. The game includes a TrueSwing method of swinging which makes great use of the mouse and provides analog swinging similar to that found in the console version. Overall though, the swinging aspect is more simulation-oriented than the more arcadey console versions. Moreover, serious fans will be able to unlock harder difficulties which adds wrinkles to the gameplay to make it a tad more difficult but if you’ve mastered Tiger Woods 2004, chances are that you’ll be able to do the same here even in the most difficult modes.
One of the more popular features in last year’s game was the create-a-character system which included a wide variety of variables to create truly unique characters. This system returns this year in Game Face II and gives you even more control over the characters. Additionally, the game includes a swing editor to have even more control over the character’s appearance and personality.
The PC version includes a fully functional online mode that allows you to play against another player or participate in tournaments. The usual set of features like scoreboards, are supported. We didn’t experience problems in the online gameplay.
The game’s visuals are satisfactory, nothing too great. The courses are all rather detailed for the most part, although some of the foliage is a bit on the simple side. The character models are realistically, and animate in a lifelike manner. The game tries to add a bit of flash to the game of golf with broadcast-style camera changes and it works rather well. The PC version is definitely sharpest of all the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 editions.
The game’s soundtrack is fitting to golf and relaxes you while you prepare for the next shot. The sound effects are rather vivid, though, and some seem out of place, but overall it isn’t anything major. The commentary in the game is provided by David Feherty and Gary McCord, who keep up well although some of their jokes fall flat.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 is a great game of golf with enough depth to please simulation fans while making things accessible to newcomers to the series. The game’s Game Face II feature is quite fun and will take up a few hours of players’ time on its own. -- Jake Wilson, PGNx Media
---- Nov 3, 2004
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