Customer Reviews

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 DVD

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

Tiger Challenge is totally different in `08 as the scenarios and skill tests are on a HexGrid with individual nodes making up the whole matrix. (It looks like a piece of Honeycomb). Six nodes surround a central hub, which is where the final challenge is for that section (out of multiple sections). Completing certain areas for bronze, silver, and gold medals open the adjacent spaces and it's all color coded to let you know what's completed and what's still available. The final test of course being to conquer Mr. Woods himself at the end of the HexGrid.

More new additions are the FedExCup and the confidence meter. FedExCup can be played straight from the menu while skipping the PGA season. This will let you play the 4 tournament playoffs - The Barclays, Deutsche Bank Championship, BMW Championship, and The Tour Championship. The confidence meter uses statistics from previous rounds played to determine your confidence when starting a new shot and how it will end up. You can even get an attribute boost if your confidence is really high which improves your chances of hitting a great shot.

The PGA tour season is pretty much the same as is the large variety of games (stroke, match, stableford, 4 ball, etc.). The Pro Shop looks a little more stocked than last year and the Game Face option has been tweaked a bit too. Something enticing for those that have them, this game will let you use the Xbox 360 controller to play the game. The menus are different looking now but not hard to navigate and the music, sound effects, and commentary are all decent but not exceptional.

A total of 14 courses this year (up from 11 in TW `07) offer some really nice variety and challenge and they are as follows:
Cog Hill Dubsdread
Doral
East Lake Golf Club
Firestone Country Club
Harbour Town Golf Links
St. Andrews Links
Pebble Beach
The Riviera
The Palmer Course at the K Club
Moonah at the National Golf Club
Ocean course at Kiawah Golf Resort
TPC Boston
TPC Sawgrass
Westchester Golf Club

EA sports did well again, in my opinion with this continuing golf line from Tiger Woods. As usual, there are some good changes, some mediocre, and much of the same from previous years. It's not perfect and never will be but the fun factor remains high and that's what really counts.

First let me say that this is one of the best golf games you can buy for the PC. If you don't have any other TW title and money isn't the deciding factor then this is the one to get. If you do have some of the more recent titles you may want to sit this title out. If you are looking to enter into the TW universe and money is a factor you would probably be better off picking up 06 or 07 as the last three incarnations have been very similar and previous versions can be picked up at a much cheaper price.

For those that have some of the more recent PC versions of TW... they have made slight improvements over previous versions but I'd be hard pressed to say that they are anything that warrants buying it at the current full retail price. In some ways this is a good thing. They didn't "fix" anything that wasn't broken. Oh the other hand they didn't do much to merit the full retail price of a new game either. They've mixed up the presentation of the scenarios a bit this year but it really amounts to the same scenarios of the last 2 or 3 versions of the game.

I believe it was 05 when they had the scenarios separate from playing the legends (which were arranged in a pyramid). The next version still had both but they were mixed together. Things really haven't changed since the version where they mixed them together... it's just that they update it with a new interface each year. One year it was time travel. This year it's a honeycomb.

The graphics have improved a bit but following in Maddens footsteps EA didn't take the PC version of the game to the next generation's level. My now somewhat dated PC can still run the game quite smoothly so I can only assume that they are doing this to ensure that those of us with older computers can still play the game. I guess I have somewhat mixed feelings on this. It would be nice to have next gen graphics but not at the expense of not being able to play it without massive upgrades. It seems like they could have developed it with paths for older systems to run it at reduced levels while giving those with better rigs the ability to take it to the next level.

I haven't noticed any difference in the game face character design going on a 3rd year now. I don't think they've even so much as added a new hair style or single piece of extra clothing. I haven't seen the new feature that allows you to import your face yet. I believe it is absent from the PC version. That and the absence of next generation graphics may push many to opt for getting one of the console versions of this game.

Experience points develop your attributes using the same system as '07.

Sad to say that the commentary is the exact same as the previous 3 or 4 years. "You've gotta be happy with that birdie, you've got to be happy with any birdie" "What do you see? I see a straight shot, 150 yards to the hole, and I see dead people" (yes, they've probably been doing that one since the movie came out in '99). It's pretty bad when they don't even update the commentary parts that date it to a movie that came out 8 years ago.

They've changed the on course HUD to match the game's honeycomb motif. One improvement that I did like was the honeycomb that is dedicated to telling you the current distance that your club will hit the ball. In previous versions you had to mouse over the club selection, adjust your shot, re-mouse over the club selection to see what your adjustment did, and repeat until you got it right. Now when you adjust your shot the distance is updated right on the screen. No more back and forth. This is the only feature that really made an improvement on the game for me.

The other new feature is the confidence meter. I haven't found it to be very useful. The HUD seems to be just as touchy as it has been in previous years. When using the click golf swing method you have to take extreme care to make sure you don't accidentally initiate your golf swing when doing things like changing clubs, adjusting your shot, or changing the shot type.

You also have the ability to jump right into the FedEx playoff. That didn't appeal to me too much since you play tournaments all the time in PGA mode. It didn't really add to the game.

This is a fun game for me. For those that haven't experienced TW, pick it up. For those that have you'd probably be better off waiting for a price drop. If next gen graphics are your thing, definitely go with one of the console versions.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2008 is quite simply one of the best golf games ever. I am really into first-person shooters (Battlefield 2, Rainbow Six), racing games (GTR2, Race 07 WTCC, Need for Speed), and adventure games (Oblivion) and found it easy to become immersed in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2008.

The graphics are very detailed and precise. The scenery is gorgeous and everything runs smoothly with full details (on the auto adjustment setting) on a P4 3.0 GHz rig with a Radeon X1950 GT.

The sound quality is top notch. The ambient noises such as duck quacks and bird chirps immerse the player in the golf environment.

The custom character system is similar to the system used in The Godfather where you can adjust the character's facial and body features. One can also select a randomly developed player, or select a PGA Tour pro such as Tiger Woods or Annika Sorenstam. You can also accessorize your player with real-world products like Oakley M-Frame sunglasses, Oakley watches, Adidas Traxion golf shoes, Ping/Callaway/Taylormade clubs, and different types of clothing.

My gripe is that while the game was released in 2007, much of the clothing/accessories were based on those available from 2005-2006. With respect to the software developers, they could not have foreseen changes in clothing lineups, but I kind of hoped there was the ability to import new clothing products so you can keep your character "up to date" with golf fashion.

The game does not include hybrid golf clubs, like Taylormade's Rescue line of hybrids. While Hybrids are relatively new in the sport of golf, they are slowly overtaking the sale of fairway woods and long irons. I just felt that EA should have focused on the latest in golfing equipment as well as the tried-and-true traditional clubs.

The installation of the game takes a bit long due to the large number of MP3 commentary files.

Some of my complaints about gameplay pertain to how the bystanders get in the way of some of your shots. Granted, PGA Tour pros generally do not aim for the rough or bystanders, it just seems odd that many of my balls would hit a bystander/spectator and bounce off them like it just hit a wall. OUCH would probably be a better result!

I also wished there was a way to control your character like one from a first-person shooter, where you can walk/jog your way to your ball or tee box and then address the ball. There is also a LOT of potential for implementing vehicles, such as golf carts, into the game where you can drive it around and wreak havoc in a multiplayer game with some buddies. Granted, none of these are in the "spirit" of professional golfing, it would fall within the scope of computer games and simulations and add a certain sandbox appeal to the genre. There is a lot of potential for adding vehicles and other tweaks found in games like Battlefield 2 while maintaining the seriousness of PGA Tour golf.

Pros: Robust graphics engine, excellent sound effects, intuitive user interface, and bug-free. You can start golfing as soon as you finish the installation!

Cons: No way to update clothing/accessories to reflect current golf fashion, bystanders/spectators are treated as unmovable solid objects, and you can't control your character like in a first-person shooter.

Overall: If you don't like golf, you will NOT like this game (obviously). However, if you do enjoy golfing there's a good chance you will like this game. I found it to be a bargain especially with the quality of the graphics and interface. I've paid more for games that provided much less value.

Overall I think the game is very good. However, it is still quite similar to PGA Tour 07. The new courses are great and add new variety to the game, and the tiger challenge is fun but nearly impossible. The confidence meter is also not very helpful, but does influence your shot. If you really like Tiger 07, buy this gaame. If you like it but don't love it, the new differences will seem trivial and unexciting, but to a true fan, they will really spice it up. I recommend this game to the true fan, but not the gamer who didn't love Tiger 07. Overall I give it a B+.

I had high hopes that TW 2008 would elevate the game to new heights.

Instead, it aspires to new heights of mediocrity.Actually, IMHO, it is a major step backwards from 2007.

True, they threw us a few bones in the FedEx courses.But all the inherent anomolies of 2007 have been copied in 2008, along with many annoying (and backward) changes from 2007 that frankly make you wonder why EA even bothered to release 2008.

Oh yes...the cash register will ring.But only because of Tig's stature and prominence...not due to any real improvements in the playability or enjoyability of the game experience.

I have spent countless hours on 2007 and won something like 276 consecutive tournaments with a 57.5 scoring average.

I installed and uninstalled TW 2008 3 times...it was like watching home videos of some Mickey Mouse family event again. Why bother?

If you have TW 2007,save your money on 2008.

If you don't, buy 2007 off of Amazon or Ebay and have more fun.

I have previously played Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002 and hadn't checked in on the newer versions until recently. Once I saw the screen shots, I decided to try this newer version for the newer generations graphics.

Pros: This is a good game that has been getting better each year it's released. Graphics are very nice, courses are well presented, allows online play against other humans. Confidence factor adds a little difficulty, sometimes too much.

Cons: In an interesting twist, EA has decided to no longer provide this game for the PC, only gaming consoles like Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Worse, EA no longer provides a Course Architect program or a Course Utilities program with the game, so you are stuck with only the courses included with the game.

There is a loyal following over at coursedownloads.net that has helped keep the game fresh with user created courses. You should check it out.

Bottom line: Now priced at only $9.99 it a bargain and helps me get in a round when I can't get out to the course.

I like others ran out hoping that this would be a lot diffrent from 07, but it turns out its not much different. My advice is save your money,stick with 07 (& if your lucky enough 06 which was perfect) 7 if you have to get this, wait til next year when you can probably get this for under 20 bucks. My computer is pretty strong & it was crashing all afternoon while tried to play an entire game. Very dissapointing. It will keep me from buying 09 next year. Oh & the Photo game face is not in the game itself like they were touting for months, its an online addition & so far it's been inundated with people this week, so they are having problems with it. Save your money.

I've had this game for at least a year, but for some reason it didn't occur to me to review it. I played TWG '06 for a couple of years and was very pleased. It is still the best of them all. The reviews for '07 were pretty squirrely and almost all noted that '06 was by far the best of the series and don't waste your money. When '08 came out, again the reviews suggested that it was not much better than '06 but the expanded course selections might be worth it. For $9 bucks used at the time ($5 used now) thru Amazon I figured I couldn't go wrong. The GOOD: slightly better graphics, a few more outfit variations with logo capability, extra camera angle capabilities. Also a separate FEDEX Cup competition is included. The biggie is about 10 new courses to play. The BAD: All of the tournament spectators are facing backwards! What a totally weird glitch. Since I haven't seen this incredibly obvious screwup in the other low rated reviews, it goes to show you that almost anything might show up. For example, I have no freezing problems like many of the dissatisfied users complain about, just the lagging. After a year I still can't get completely used to the backwards facing thing. The announcers Gary McCord and David Feherty which I like, still have the same ole, same ole tired and repetitious comments as '06, Very monotonous. Also, the transition/loading of the next hole after completing the current hole is way too long, sometimes up to 20-30 seconds! I run a Gateway Dual-Core Pentium D processor with 2GBs of RAM so I know it's not my system's shortcomings. '06 loads the next hole within a few seconds with all the same graphics on high res settings. Recently, a new glitch has appeared from nowhere. I can no longer save regular PGA events in progress. It offers to save, you save it, and when you return it starts you all over again at hole one anyway. It will however save a fully completed round so that you can still finish tournaments. The FedEx competition still saves mid-round however. Go figure. Between my personal glitches and the ones I've read for others, this version is a Pandora's Box of possible bugs. All in all, just having the new courses to play was worth the 9 bucks...barely. It's 2010 and now obvious they did not and will not make anymore TWG's for PC. Just as well I think. As a matter of fact, the only reason I thought to write this review is because I was in here checking out different gaming systems and games available. Looks like I'm going to have to bite the bullet on one of these things. They look positively off the charts amazing compared to anything PC anymore.

I have an old version of Links which is the prior version of Tiger Woods. It would not run on my 64 Bit machine so I looked for a reasonably priced version that would work on a 64 bit machine. This seemed like it and I was pleasantly surprised that it was indeed the one I wanted. Another great leap was being able to do strokes with the mouse. The only drawback is having to have the DVD in the drive to play, because of this I bought a second copy to use in case the DVD is damaged. At $10.00 a copy it is a bargin.

Well -first off- It disappoints me that people rate a game a 1 because they cant get it to run on their computer- when most others have no problem- fault is with user not programmer.

TW 08 is a great version of computer golf- graphics are top notch/ the true swing golf swing has been perfected- especially if you use a track ball- tempo is key along with other variables.
The ability to down load user made courses is what sets tw golf apart from the consoles.
single player mode/career would be the only thing that I would change- although this 08 version is good- the ability to insert your own non-stock courses on the tour limits the longevity.
online play is smooth with little to no disconnects- as with all online games youll run into some rude folk- but if you know people already who play- playing online will be the most fun you have golfing without actually driving to the course.

99% of the commentary matches what is actually going on in the game- the newest version of tw has a long way to go before that happens.
this is golf- no explosions or head shots/So expect a relaxing event.
if you enjoy the game of golf- and you dont have a pc version this will be a great addition to your game collection.