Tiger Woods 10 is the best golf simulator on the market, period.
THE GOOD
-Life-like controls
-Fun and challenging career mode
-Plenty of mini-games and other golfing modes
-Beautiful graphics for the golf courses
-Excellent multiplayer
-Great audio
-Real time weather incorporation is a nice touch
-Difficulty range keeps the game from getting too easy
THE BAD
-Judging distance is a bit deceiving at times
-Commentators sometimes ruin the suspenseful moments
OVERVIEW
Tiger Woods is back and this year's version is heads above the rest because of the Wii Motion Plus adapter. The Wii Motion Plus comes bundled with the game to give you an almost one to one life-like control. From driving off the tee to your short game, the look and feel of this game is almost just as fun as playing the real sport. This game doesn't just offer great golfing excitement but there are a bunch of extra features and a stellar multiplayer to keep you coming back for more. Tiger Woods 10 is by far the best golf simulator on the market.
GAMEPLAY
Alright so first things first; let's talk about the controls. The Wii Motion Plus gives this game extremely realistic control. Just like the previous games, in the series, the same "golfing" motion is used just like in real golf. This time around you'll be able to precisely control your backswing and follow through and you won't have to worry about miss-hits anymore. New to the series is the draw/fade option which lets you curve the ball around hazards just by turning your hands when you strike the ball. Another new feature that greatly enhances the realism is the precision putting option. With precision putting you'll be able to direct your ball on the green with incredible accuracy just like the pros. There are three different control settings for all skill levels to keep this game from getting too easy, which is a nice touch. However, there are times where I've noticed that even when you account for the wind, ball placement, and swing control, sometimes the ball goes where you didn't plan on it going even if you strike the ball correctly; a minor setback but doesn't impact the greatness this game has to offer.
The main mode in Tiger Woods 10 is the My Career mode. Here you'll be able to create yourself which includes shaping your physical features, adjusting your swing, and fitting clothes for your character. Once you create your own persona, you'll have the option to start your PGA career as an amateur. You can pick the tournaments that you would like to participate in and you'll earn money and experience based on your performance. The money you earn can be used to buy new attires and clubs while the experience can be used to increase your golfing stats like driving, putting and luck. The goal here is to try and become the greatest golfer to ever play the game. This journey is a long one and will prove to be a fun challenge. I know that there were plenty of exciting moments, for me, like making a key 50 foot putt to save par or chipping in an eagle and I'll admit that I did a few "Tiger Fist Pumps" in my living room. This game does a great job in providing a fun environment that the pros typically go through every Sunday.
Besides the Regular Season you'll be able to participate in the FedEx Cup which skips to the end of the regular season so that you can play the four tournaments that make up the playoffs. There is another new mode to the My Career mode and that is the Tournament Challenge. Here you can try and rewrite history by replaying some of the most historic events in PGA history.
Tiger Woods 10 incorporates a fun feature that spices up game play; real-time weather. This feature uses the weather channel, incorporated by the Nintendo network, to give you real time weather conditions for the course that you're playing. So, rain or shine you're still playing and the weather does change the playing conditions so watch out.
The online multiplayer mode works well with Nintendo's Wi-Fi connection. Here you'll be able to play with your friends that aren't in your home. There are also some live tournaments to participate in which is a lot of fun because you'll be able to play against people from all across the globe.
Tiger Woods 10 is loaded with extra features. Aside from the main career mode there are plenty of other fun modes for you and your friends to partake in. You'll get to choose from over thirty real life golfers along with your created character and there are three different categories to choose from: Traditional, Arcade, and Mini-Games. The Traditional game modes consist of stroke play, match play, best ball, alternate shooting and some others. Each of these games involves a regular golf type match with some slight variations to the rules. The Arcade games incorporate games that require a different strategy then what a normal golfer would use. Some of the games here are elimination, one-ball and battle golf. There is a new feature to the Arcade section which complements the Wii Motion Plus perfectly; Disc Golf. With the tight controls you'll be able to throw your disc with complete accuracy while being able to bend your disc around trees. The last of the extra features involve a bunch of simpler type mini-games like mini-putt, target shooting and capture the flag. Most of the extra features in Tiger Woods 10 are fantastic and prove to be excellent for parties of all sizes.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
Each of the golf courses look amazing for Nintendo Wii standards. The developers for Tiger Woods 10 did a great job piecing together the actual courses for this game like the popular island hole #17 at TPC Sawgrass. Unfortunately, the character designs and animations are jagged and awkward; kind of like a bad PS1 game.
The golfing sound effects work well in Tiger Woods 10 from the ball striking to the ball dropping in the hole. Unfortunately, the commentators are downright awful and can even take away some of the suspenseful moments. For example, say you have a 50 foot putt that you've lined up well but aren't quite sure if you can make it or not. Then you give it a good poke and watch the ball head towards the hole. Well, sometimes the commentator will say something like "We are going to have a celebration" as soon as you hit the ball. Well every time they say some key lines like this one, the ball always goes in so you can see how it can ruin the suspense.
CONCLUSION
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is an incredible golf simulator. From the beautiful courses to the solid controls to the multitude of game modes, there is a lot to take in with this game. I would highly recommend this game to golf fans and I would recommend this game to practically anyone because you can adjust the difficultly settings so that even your grandma can have a shot at being a golf pro. Tiger Woods 10 is so amazing and life-like that it'll almost feel like you're out there for real.