Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13

The Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise from EA Sports is back with its 2013 installment and I’m excited! 

All the main game modes are back; stroke play, matchplay, stableford, skins, create your own player (still very good) and many more that can be played solo or multiplayer. On commencement of my first round I immediately noticed that they had done a major overhaul of the swing system. Instead of just pulling the left analog stick back then pushing it forward in a vaguely straight line and hitting fairways regularly like in recent editions, the new swing system is extremely sensitive to any slight movement.   

Just before striking the ball an arc of the golfers swing appears, you don't have to follow the arc with the analog stick you just have to swing it straight which is easier said then done. The sensitivity of the new swing system can veer your pull-back and release ever so slightly causing you to slice or hook the ball, which can cost you big time in the game of golf. It’s an added pressure to the game which I suppose resembles actual golf, as any variation to your swing in real life can be disastrous.

Another factor intertwined in the new swing system is the tempo of your swing. To hit the perfect drive down the fairway or approach shot to the green, your back and forward swings must be of the same pace and with fluency.

Moving on from the swing most of the other gameplay features are the same or similar. You have the options of adding/reducing loft, draw/fade, back/forward spin and ball strike position which gives you an in depth golfing experience. 

Sometimes this can all be a little confusing which is why Tiger Woods PGA 2013 has added the ‘Ask Caddy’ feature. This gives you specific advice on the aforementioned stroke options, telling you how much loft etc. Having this at your disposal can come in handy especially when beginning as it trains you on how to set up to the ball and take use of all the options.   

Although it helps at the start, after a while it felt like cheating because it was so easy to ask the caddy what to do, instead of figuring it out for yourself. Fortunately the ‘Ask Caddy’ option can be switched off once your ready to fly solo.

Your favourite golfers such as Jim Furyk and Rory McIlroy are back with 5 new players making their debut including Dustin Johnson and Hunter Mahan. The graphics are fantastic, the golfers faces are designed to a tee (no pun intended) and the courses (5 new ones) are so life-like and marvelous they simply jump off the screen. Included in these courses is the Augusta National Golf Club, yes you can finally compete in the U.S Masters.

A new game mode featured on the 2013 installment is the Tiger Legacy Challenge. This allows you to re-live Tiger’s golfing accomplishments from the age of 2 right up to his estimated Hall of Fame induction in 2019 through a range of challenges. Whether it be chipping intro Earl’s (Tigers father) backyard swimming pool or playing amateur tournaments it gives you a thorough play through of Tigers achievements.

Online gaming is back with the same ranked and unranked competition world wide in the aim to increase your overall skill level and I guess, online ego. An added feature to the online gameplay this year is Online Country Clubs. You can create your own exclusive country club and invite your friends, or join an already made one. The country club allows you to compete against each other for the club championship or team up with each other to unlock exclusive courses easier.