T his year's Tiger Woods golf game is the best yet, but it's so similar to last year's that it's hard to recommend as a full-priced title. Instead, it's more of an upgrade. What do you get for your hard-earned green? The coolest feature allows players to get "in the game" by adding a likeness of their face to a player model. The process takes about 20 minutes, but if clear and properly lighted photos are uploaded, the results can be impressive. Fantastic-looking new courses have been added, including East Lake, Westchester Country Club, TPC Boston and Cog Hill.
A putt preview can now be used once per hole. Pressing a button shows how the ball will break, which makes the putting game a lot easier. A "confidence" rating tracks results on each hole of a course. Do well, and accuracy improves the next time the hole is played. The controls have also been tweaked. The most obvious is the addition of vicious hooks and slices to the analog stick. Move it slightly off center during the front-to-back swing and the ball will frustratingly sail into the rough or a lake. The option of using the old-school three-click method of striking the ball returns. Most will want to stick to the more-fluid analog stick for longer shots, but the button method provides better touch when less than a full swing is required, such as a short approach shot. Career mode, where a rookie pro is created and has to polish his skills in mini-games to have a chance on the PGA Tour, remains the big draw. Get good enough, and there's an invite waiting to the FedEx Cup, a tournament that tosses the season's top 144 players into a four-day playoff.
Online play is smooth, and allows up to four players to enjoy a virtual, hours-long round. There's plenty to like about PGA Tour 08, but it's a lot like buying new headcovers for old clubs. It doesn't really change your game.
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