The standard playing interface, but still looks great..
Tiger Woods didn't exactly have the quietest of years..
A woman emerged as the golf stars additional piece on the side. Then 2 did. Then a handful. A dozen. Before you knew it, the women who alleged to have Tiger in their bunker could have filled the empty seats for a Manchester City home game (I know, I know, a slight exaggeration, I doubt Hugh Hefner's exes could fill those empty seats).
It all became public in a bizarre, yet ironic way. After much covering up, it emerged that when Tiger's wife found out about his other ladies, she chased him out the house, followed his car, and smashed the cars window to get to him with a golf club. The irony, for those wondering, is that the swing taken by his wife, was probably the best swing taken by a Woods family member this year. Since, its been no secret that Tiger has struggled to retake his form which saw him become a cover star for his own brand of computer game.
EA Sports now had to decide whether to continue with the now disgraced golfers franchise of videogame, or whether to start afresh. They obviously took a while deciding this, as it doesn't appear alot of time went into game testing.
The game (I know, I finally get onto the game bit, hip hip hooray), isn't necessarily bugged or faulty.. but it is just ridiculously hard. My lasting memories from previous Tiger Woods games, has been the pick up and play ability of it. For the amateur or pro, the game could be played relatively easily. The console controller analogue stick way of playing was easy to grasp - and allowed minor faults to go unpunished in the interest of a smooth and non frustrating game..
This year however, the game has the learning curve of diving with sharks wearing a suit made of bacon. Even on the easiest setting, you find yourself increasingly frustrated as you start off in your career. I am sure this is how hard it would be in real life - so congratulation must go if that was their plan. But the slightest movement in the wrong direction of the analogue stick feels like it results in a far too harsh movement of the ball. To start off with, the game lacks fun.
I moved therefore onto a quick round, playing as Tiger Woods. Same issue. Extremely sensitive stick, and an exaggerated swing adjustment to match it. It is possible of course to change this, which is a nice feature, but requires you to be consistently good or bad with your swing - something I apparently can't do. I should mention that after around 20 or so events, I was no longer getting a double digit bogey round, but it just seems like Tiger Woods 11 takes far too long to get into - especially for the career mode, a mode which is normally the top of my liking list on a game.
Aquiring skills on "your" player has always been the first challenge on any Tiger Woods game and for some reason EA Sports seems to think that they have to change the way to do this for every single installment of the series. They had it spot on for the 2004 version, unfortunately the 2011 versions take on it is in my opinion the worst yet. Why? You now earn XP points very, very, very slowly....
Lester Freamon, www.redcafe.net
The link for Lester's full thoughts on the game, the link is at the bottom of my review.
As Lester Freamon mentions about slow XP building, EA has a plan - along with Ultimate modes in Madden or FIFA, to grab even more money off you after you have forked out in the game. To gain XP, you can now purchase it. Very disappointing.
The graphics can't really be faulted - the courses look superb, and with the additional camera views the play looks extremely realistic. Banana shaped club and egg shaped ball aside, the physics engine is improved - and after a while, the necessity of saving "focus", (the thing which gives you the ability to power up a shot, or put spin on a ball) becomes a real drawing feature to the game.
Courses from all over the world, including the Ryder Cup match at Celtic Manor
So the game is good. Apart from the most fundamental part of it. With quite a considerable amount of practice it becomes easier though, but I still think that Tiger Woods 09 was the most enjoyable of the series, and now for less than a tenner in some shops, I don't see Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 as a £30 improvement..
Rating - 5.5/10
Fair Price - £20
O and Chile - absolutely brilliant. Congratulations, the best story there has been in years. Gives hope to alot of people. Felt sorry for the rescue worker standing there unharnessing one of the workers while he screamed "I am only alive because of god" in his face. Irony.
http://www.redcafe.net/8754677-post50.html
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