Tiger Woods 07 Hits the Green in Style
For one, it feels like the Wii controller and this game were made specifically for one another. Asking the player to swing the Wii-mote the same way they’d swing a golf club on the course, it’s obvious that any golf fan can easily become totally addicted to Tiger Woods 07. The fact that the game only requires a simple swing and barely anything else also make it very easy for anyone, regardless of their love of golf, to pick up and play also make it great in a multi-player setting.
Also adding to the multi-player setting are the great additional modes of play, such as the Tiger Challenge, One-ball and Skills 18 modes, which all add to the fun in one way or another. Despite the presence of all of these solid gameplay modes, most gamers will gravitate towards the Tiger Challenge, because it’s the only real way to unlock new content for the game.
In the Tiger Challenge, players must work their way up the PGA ranks, playing both wacky EA created-characters and PGA greats such as Stuart Appleby, John Daly and Vijay Singh, before eventually taking on Tiger Woods himself. Using a created character in this mode is a blast as well, as the character gains experience, boost their attributes and earn the cash needed to buy new clothes, clubs and everything else one needs while on the course. Taking anywhere from five to seven hours to beat, depending on your gaming proficiency, the Tiger Challenge is perhaps one of the best gameplay modes available in the game and gives the game the depth it needs to shine.
Despite the great control and gameplay modes available in the game, there are some problems in Tiger Woods 07. For instance, some gamers will have problems learning the swing and at times, the game isn’t as responsive as it should be, resulting in swings that lack the power needed to reach the pin, which can prove to be extremely tedious and annoying. Aside from that, the Wii version of the game isn’t nearly as good-looking as the X-Box 360 or PS3 version, as it sports shoddy-looking backgrounds and mediocre texture mapping on things like trees and grass that can prove to be an eyesore at times. Only slightly better looking than the PS2 version of the game, Tiger Woods 07 isn’t an ugly looking game by a long shot, but it definitely isn’t up to the task of comparing to its other current console generation competitors.
Regardless of the small control problems at times and the graphics not being up to par for this console generation, Tiger Woods 07 rocks the hardest where it counts with solid gameplay and enough options and modes to keep any gamer busy for hours, creating an end product that belongs in any Wii owners collection.
By Patrick Hickey Jr.