Great gameplay - horrible online experience - few courses - beautiful graphics. This pretty much sums up this game.
I would like to preface this review by stating that it is indeed harsh in text while my number rating is good. This is because the rating system does not ask about online playability - and that is almost entirely what the following review covers.
EA Sports has had a history these past few years of releasing what I consider to be a mediocre gaming product. It’s apparent to me that they don’t put their best effort into this game when compared to some of their other titles but it has always been playable and my love of the series keeps me coming back. I realize that every game has its glitches, and even though PGA Tour always seems to have more than it’s share, I have continued to play for the ONLINE experience.
But unfortunately this year’s version is another story all together. It’s become completely apparent that EA Sports has allowed this game to take a back seat when it comes to development and testing before release (this is an area that we consider to be of the utmost importance in a console version of the game as it cannot be corrected later as in a PC version). Instead of each year’s version getting a bit better as it does in EA’s other titles, ever since TW03, it has been a slow and painful decline, bottoming out with the latest release of PGA Tour 2006. (this is unacceptable in regards to ANY video game if you plan on keeping a players interest from year to year and earn their repeat business).
1) The Online Server –
a) EA Sports advertises that it offers broadband capabilities for the TW06 game. Yes it does, but poor server service makes it almost unbearable at times. This game is based 100% on swing timing, spin timing, etc, etc…. as all video games are. The online server produces so much “lag” that correct timing is nearly impossible. At one moment a swing might take 1.5 seconds….. the next, it can literally take the golfer 3 seconds just to take a back swing. This, of course, is the #1 pet peeve of any video gamer.
b) The Daily Tournament does not record any scores and if it does, they are randomly erased throughout the day.
c) EA Sports did not release a stat page for this game, meaning that no one who plays online has any clue on how well they are doing. This is inconsistant from all other EA Sports games.
d) Passwords for created rooms are inapplicable this year. Players cannot create a room and lock out unwanted guests with a password.
2) General Game Play –
a) Occasionally when a ball is hit into the hole, the game will tell you that you just hit it into the water and you are penalized.
b) Occasionally, a ball hit in a bunker will magically appear on the green. This is very specific to certain holes in the game, it’s as if they decided not to include those bunkers as hazards on certain holes. The same goes for shots landing in the rough and around water on some holes. The computer will just put a players ball out of harms way for no apparent reason.
c) The tour mode option initiates a random glitch that for no apparent reason, will make the ball roll directly over the hole as if there was a sheet of glass over the hole; some reports have even experienced that ball hovering over the center of the hole without falling in. A similar glitch can be observed with a ball that misses the hole by inches and miraculously gets sucked backward into the hole.
In conclusion - I would sum the game up as:
GREAT offline - HORRID online.
* Again, I sure wish that there was a rating category for "Online Play" - especially with XBox games on Live. Had there been this category - it would be a 1 out of 10.