Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 Scores an Eagle!
User Rating: 9.2 | Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 PS2
Have you ever dreamed of creating your very own image on your television screen, and then using that image as a character in a video game? Well, if you are even remotely a fan of golf, your time has come. With the Gameface II system in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005, options for customization of your player are nearly endless. Your golfer can have the hair color of your choice, piercings, dimples, scars, wrinkles and more. You control the amount of aging on his/her face, as well as numerous other sliders that influence how he/she will ultimately look. But even though creating (and re-creating) and dressing your own personal golfer can be quite fun, the place that this game really excels is its season mode. In this mode, you take your golfer from PGA rookie to PGA pro. Along the way you will compete in Legends Tour challenges and Legends Tour matches. These will all be tied to many awards and will eventually pit you against the likenesses of such golfing greats as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. One of the best things about Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005, though, is its incredibly massive list of options. From Gameface II to the pro shop, to the Legends Tour and PGA Season, exploring and trying out everything the game has to offer will take some time. Then you get to try your hand at being an architect. That’s right, with the new system called Tiger-Proofing; you are in control of what the course looks like. You can create your Dream 18, or buy a course and change it to your liking. Make the fairways narrow and the greens undulated, add some wind and foliage or shorten the rough to make those approach shots a little easier. Whatever your desire, you can make it happen. Game difficulty has been a point of argument for many a sports game. Most seasoned veterans of the series will find the game a little on the easy side, but this also allows new players to jump right in without becoming too frustrated. With “Tour Difficulty” mode, though, players can take away the caddy tips that make putting so manageable, and do it all by site on their own. This makes the game much more challenging and allows all levels of gamer to enjoy it to the fullest. The graphics in this year’s version of the game are good, as always. The number of playable courses was scaled way back, most likely to make room for all of the Tiger-Proofing options. This is somewhat of a downer, but the ability to change courses should make up for this to most players. The commentary is still outstanding and some of the best in any video game I’ve ever played. Occasionally it can be redundant, but what sports game commentary isn’t? Online play is another strength of this year’s version. For players seeking a little more of a challenge, there are websites devoted to online league and tournament play. You can also try your hand at mini-games and make wagers with your opponent. All-in-all, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 has exceeded my expectations. There will always be imperfections in video games, like the decrease in playable courses and lack of challenge to hard-core players. But overall, I couldn’t be happier with the product.
