I’m an avid golfer, both in real life and in the video game realm. However, I decided to skip Tiger Woods ’10 with the game having very little new compared to ’09, which I own for the Wii. With the 2011 version making big strides, it was time to jump back on the course. The team at EA turned up the realism and added plenty of content to make this a must buy for golf fans.
A laundry list of new features were added to Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11 – Ryder Cup play, online Team Play, all new golfers, course, Skill Challenges, and my personal favorite, the Focus meter. In previous years, you could spam the Power Boost and Spin on every single shot, turning a golf round into an effort to shoot under 50, an event that’s virtually impossible in real life (I’ve witnessed Steve shoot a 45 in a Tiger Woods game). With the Focus meter, every boost feature uses a bit of Focus. Power boosting, putting spin on the ball, boosting your shot accuracy, or using your putting line all take a bit of Focus, so you have to choose wisely on how you’ll play each round, closing the gap between the arcade and simulation game types. Normal shots without any boosts will refill your Focus meter, so playing conservatively for a hole or two will pay off later in the round.
EA introduced a new XP system for your created golfer to increase each area independently, whether it be power, boost, accuracy, balance, draw/fade/touch controls, green reader, putting touch, etc. This allows you to put your earned XP from each round into the area that suits your play style the best. You can also use your XP to purchase new clothing and clubs, which can give performance enhancements to areas of your play.
The Team Play online feature is one of my favorite new modes, although finding a 12 vs. 12 match has been a futile effort thus far. The game was just released publicly yesterday, so I expect that to become easier in the coming days and weeks. Standard online features are there and what you’ve come to expect from a Tiger Woods game.
I have one issue with Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11 – loading times. Our review is based on the PS3 version of the game, which I’ve been playing for the past week. Loading between holes in a round takes too long. The load times before rounds and in the menus are acceptable, but the game should move quicker from hole to hole in a round. Otherwise, it’s the best golf game I’ve ever played.
Even if you picked up Tiger Woods ’10, the new Ryder Cup, Team Play, Focus meter, and XP systems make this is a no brainer purchase for sports gaming fans out there. If you’re Achievement/Trophy whores, you’ll fall in love with the game immediately. If you want a solid round of golf, you’ll fall in love right away too. I’m just waiting for the PlayStation Move release to play the PS3 version with motion controls.
[A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes.]
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I purchased TW 11 the other day and have a HUGE problem with the classic putting mode. In the past, you would move the putt arrow back… thus reseting the % guage to give you the next round of power as you putt. On this version, you can move it back 200 yards but if the slope is too steep, it will not get there. STUPID. This absolutely pisses me off numberous times through a round. Honestly, it is ruining the game for me. How are you supposed to beat anything if this glitch exists!?!?!?!?
I agree. I hate the precision putter, but I almost being forced into using it. Certain puts just absolutely will not go in! It is driving me nuts. Not to blow my own horn, but I can one putt pretty much everything inside 45-50 yards…then I get a hole hear and there where the putt preview shows it lined up perfect…I know it is perfect and it will not go in.
Personally i wanna try and make life a bit easier, i feel i’m not putting power on due to needing the focus boost later then my shot lands shot and in the rough messing my next 2 or 3 shots up.
I don’t have a photographic memory so putting is well annoying for me, i use the preview and i’m gonna have to start drawing on my tv as to where it said to aim and hit so i don’t look more than once and use up all my focus in 1 hole!
Must admit i do agree on the missed puts though, they’re way too often comming close rather than going in when you’ve clerly got it spot on.
thanks ea for ruining a really good game the pin positions on some courses are laughable and the putt preview shows the ball in the hole you hit it dead centre and it doesnt even go close to going in ive enjoyed the tiger woods games of past but this one is a bag of bollox so thanks for charging me 40 quid for this shit
yeah couldn’t agree more some numbnuts who thought up the putting idea should be fired , it is a pile of poo, on short puts you have to pull the lever back so little that it wont even putt , which dim witted yank thought of that
Your misses puts are do to the fact that your created player does not have perfect putting attributes. If this is not the case, make sure you keep the wind in consideration. The creators tried to make this as realistic as possible.
lol at all the rage for the putting problems
i had the same problem aswell but when i realised the put preview not only shows movement left to right…it also shows distance…..where the line stops is where the ball stops so make sure on an uphill putt you move the putting cursor further forward