A serious challenger to Tiger Woods? Let's find out!
OK, so let's get the major talking point out of the way first off: The graphics - and I can't overstate this enough....they're horrible, terribly outdated and as ropey as a bog standard PS1 game. There I said it!
There are other problems too - game play is of a slower pace than it's competitors, it's like playing golf with your grandad on a Sunday afternoon. But then, golf is hardly a rushed sport! It's also prone to glitches, especially when create your own courses - yes you CAN actually create your OWN course, but more about that later!
The commentary to boot is pretty lame, boring even, and sometimes woefully inaccurate. You may put an approach shot 2 or so feet away from the pin, only for Iain Baker Finch to pipe up "Well, it's not exactly close, but at least it's on the green". I've seen Iain Baker Finch play - trust me, he never got an approach shot 2 feet away in his entire career. (sarc)
Also, The Wind Icon, which is supposed to tell you which direction the wind is going is...get this...an equilateral triangle. So it's pretty impossible to gauge a shot when it's windy.
But if you scratch the surface, look beyond the looks, Pro Stroke is probably the most pure golfing game you will ever play.
Everything about playing your shots around the healthy number of challenging courses is just like real golf - from the top-down view, to your stance (which controls just where the ball will end up), to where you hit the ball, to the right-to-left thumbstick control, even the terrible sweaters the characters wear...Everything is geared towards the real-life amateur golfer.
There's no power boosts, no mid-air spin control, 300+ yd drives are a rarity and holes in one will be even rarer. It forces the player to think more tactically, to play more sensibly, to out-think your opponent and not just blindly hack away without consequences. You get the sense that Gusto Games have really given a lot of time to look at how the game is REALLY played...hint hint EA!
There's the usual suspects when it comes to gaming modes - nothing out of the ordinary (Stroke Play, Skins, Match Play, Stableford). Your career mode is a pretty challenging 6-month season (which carries over year on year), starting as a rookie golfer and collecting enough experience along the way to compete with the big-boys. It's thorough enough to keep you playing for a long while.
The big bonus to the game though is the Course Creator. Now, we're not talking about ripping your favourite holes out of exisiting courses and clumping them together...oh no!
We're talking designing courses from scratch in an empty field with a bundle of landscapes and features at your own discretion. You want to create a course that looks like a mountain range? You can do it. You want to create a pitch and putt course, you can do that too. Hell, if you want to re-create your local course down the road from you - you can. I created a course built around a school, one I used to play during the holidays as a kid when no one was around. The only limit they say, is your imagination! This is an unbeatable addition to any game.
"So pgmonkeeuk", you're asking, "Which should I buy...Tiger Woods or Pro Stroke?"...well, to that I would ask this question.....
"What do you look for in a partner?" If you go for looks over substance, glamour over stability and excitement over charm....Then you're probably a Tiger Woods kinda person.
But if you're into a partner with personality, honesty, with a bit of quirkyness thrown in, then Pro Stroke is for you.
Me? When it comes to golfing games this year, I'm having my cake and eating it! Lol