Drivers Ed- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 Review

Despite an existence inching toward a fourth year of life, the Wii has provided a scant number of titles which truly necessitate the functionality of its motion-sensing controller. With a library overflowing with Gamecube ports, Classic Controller-compatible titles, and insipid mini-game compilations, the Wiimote’s potential often seems widely underutilized. This quandary became even more perceptible when the Wiimotion Plus was released last year. Although the attachment supplements the controllers capabilities, allowing on-screen objects to flawlessly mimic the device’s movement, even fewer games have tapped the potential of the peripheral.

Two of the early titles which did demonstrate the capacity of the Wiimotion Plus were Wii Sports Resort and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10. The latter game was especially noteworthy, as it recreated the physicality of a golf swing far better than a snap of an analog stick. This year’s iteration of the title doesn’t offer a radical redesign, instead offering both refinement and a substantial amount of supplemental material.

Some of the most perceptible modifications have been to Tiger Woods 11 swing mechanic. Last year, players merely needed to keep their wrists straight as their virtual club made contact with the ball. With the inclusion of Advanced Plus the title now tracks the player’s full swing, which allows the game to feel eerily lifelike, allowing participants to either draw or fade a shot around a dogleg.  Tour Pro scrutinizes a player’s swing even more, allowing virtual duffers to miss the ball completely. Fortunately, amateur hackers may hit the link on a less challenging difficulty level, allowing gamers of all skill levels to enjoy themselves.

PGA Tour 11 also allows players to compete from a first-person perspective, recreating a golfer’s perspective from backswing to follow-through. While this True View mode illustrates the power of the Wiimotion Plus peripheral, giving players 1:1 tracking, it can also be slightly disorienting. Looking straight ahead to inspect your swing on a television screen, instead of instinctively looking toward your feet can feel unintuitive. Even the game’s tutorial suggests placing a real golf ball on the floor to help neophytes through their adjustment period. Like Tiger Woods 11, now-gen counterparts, the first-person perspective forgoes the game’s distinctive aiming circle, forcing players to aim toward yardage markers.

Complementing the game’s move toward a more realistic swing mechanic and playing perspective is a handful of changes made to the career mode. EA has eliminated the stat-boosting clothing found in last year’s iteration, focusing on an experience system which pays dividends based on your on-course performance. Players may also tackle the game’s Ryder Cup, a trans-Atlantic competition, which can be enjoyed online. While Tiger‘s pleasing disc golf diversion can also be played over an internet connection, the game’s other new supplement- miniature golf is inexplicably limited to a local competition.

Visually, Tiger Woods 11 sports a set of new texture maps, which improves the quality of the title’s fairways, traps, waterways, and greens across it’s twenty-eight courses. With the exception of the low-resolution close-up in True View mode and the sporadic awkward facial expression, the game offers a proficient presentation which manages to keep the framerate solid.

With one of the most remarkably accurate swing mechanics of any current console title, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 will certainly appeal to golfing enthusiasts yearning for an accurate recreation of the sport. Wisely, the game’s scales itself to allow newcomers to enjoy the a substantial selection of courses, mini-games, and supplementary amusements. Those with the slightest interest in golf are encouraged to pick the title up; Tigers latest offering is the equivalent of a gimme- a diversion you shouldn’t miss.