Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters
Review
Working your way up to the top
by Liam Edwards
reviewed on X360
The Masters
We are four months into 2011 but it still feels like 2010 to me. Yet to EA it seems 2012 cannot come soon enough; they already released Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters. The major championship started on Thursday April 7th, so the game has been released just in time for the golf hype that always surrounds this event.
If you didn’t know already, the Masters is one of the golf worlds’ most prestigious events. All of the worlds’ greatest golfers get together to battle it out for the famous Green Jacket. It is no surprise that EA decided to develop the game around this event, with last year’s game focussing heavily on the Ryder Cup. But is Tiger Woods 12 just a money making gimmick or does it warrant a purchase?
“I am your caddie, welcome to the Masters…”
EA’s Tiburon, the studio behind Tiger Woods 11, had less than a year to create this new title. With the amount of changes and upgrades to the new edition that is quite a feat. Tiger Woods 12 brings the Masters home to you and doesn’t fail to deliver on the gameplay front. With hundreds of modes, mini-games and tournaments to play in, it is a big game. Although it is brimming with content, it still has problems and minor annoyances that stop it from being the perfect golfing experience.
The most significant addition this year is the caddie system. It revolutionises the way you play in Tiger Woods 12. The caddie is as you would expect your on-course guide and tipper. He will show you what shots are best to take and what club to use, ranging from the safe plays to the more risky shots. Although the riskier shots can (if messed up) leave you in trouble, the reward for pulling them off is large. But he isn’t perfect.
His suggestions are great, and 9 times out of 10 you will take them but for some shots he can be awfully wrong. On courses with harder greens he is practically useless. If he cannot determine how to play the shots he will give you what seems to be an estimated guess and this can lead to some dire situations. Especially when you have become too heavily reliant on his advice and you yourself don’t know how to read the greens or course. You can just disable him and then setup the shot yourself, but sometimes you will find yourself looking at his advice and then tweaking it slightly to get the most out of a drive or shot. He is a fantastic gameplay mechanic and really changes the way you play; he is your key to winning the Masters. He does only have a certain amount of phrases though so he can become repetitive and annoying on the ears. But when you are getting consistent birdies and eagles he is your best friend in the world.
8.7
fun score
Pros
Brings the Masters to life in your home, fantastic new modes and brilliant online.
Cons
Bland visuals and a disgusting DLC scam in the single-player.
