I dusted off my PS3 and recently picked up a copy of Tiger Woods PGA 14 Masters Historical Edition. I thought that I would post a brief review of my first impressions on this golf video game.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour has been around since 1998. For those who are unaware, it is a golf based video game. You can develop your own character or play as one of the real PGA professionals which are on the game. In a nutshell as you play more and hit good shots, you gain experience and credits. These credits can be used to customize your character. You can change your outfits, clubs, golf balls etc.
The Masters Historical Edition is about $10 more than the basic game. But for that you get six extra courses. You can also purchase extra courses online from EA Sports. If you wish to play and complete the PGA Tour season aspect of the game, you will have to purchase at least 4 additional courses regardless of which version you use (the extra courses are $5.99 to $7.99 each).
Standard Edition
Muirfield Village (new)
Oak Hill (new)
Mission Hills (new)
TPC Louisiana (new)
Royal Troon (new)
Pinehurst No. 2 (restored version)
Valhalla
Augusta National
Pebble Beach
St. Andrews
TPC Sawgrass
Oakmont
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| Playing the Old Course, St. Andrews (historical mode) |
Royal Birkdale
Torrey Pines
East Lake
Spyglass Hill
Crooked Stick
PGA National
Atlanta Athletic Club
Kiawah Island
Historic Edition (more courses)
Augusta National (1934)
Augusta National Par 3
Sheshan
Royal County Down
Royal Melbourne
TPC Blue Monster
Downloadable Content
Bethpage Black
Pinehurst No. 2 (old version)
Whistling Straits
Colonial CC (new)
TPC Boston
TPC River Highlands
TPC Scottsdale
TPC San Antonio
Wolf Creek
Blackwolf Run
Banff Springs
Costa Navarino
The Els Club
Celtic Manor
Greek Isles (fantasy)
Highlands (fantasy)
The Predator (fantasy)
Emerald Dragon (fantasy)
The last time I played Tiger Wood’s was about 4 years ago. So I can not compare this version to the last. I will just say that the graphics seem consistent with what I have seen in the past. The graphics are not going to blow you away, but I thought they were fine and had no issues.
To play a quick round of golf takes about 30 minutes. I started off using the controller and once I had played a couple of rounds I started to pick up the mechanics and play some good shots. I then started using the Move Motion Controller. This was a lot trickier than I expected. I couldn’t get the hang of it in about 10 minutes of practice, so I switched back to the standard controller. I felt much more at ease and could play a lot better with the normal controller. I was also worried that if I played frequently with my improvised Move Motion swing, it could affect my real golf swing.
There is an online component. You can play tournaments and opponents from around the world. There is also a country club option, where you can add your friends and play your own customizable tournaments and challenges. Scores and stats are saved and rankings for the clubhouse members are displayed.
The main negative for me was the load times. It must have taken almost 5 minutes from turning on the PS3, to being able to play. Also between each hole there is a 1-2 minute wait before you can tee-off on the next hole. The frustrating thing for me was with the main menu. There were long load times, especially when trying to make changes to your golfer. I also found a few glitches. I uploaded my photo to create a “game face” and the computer froze and crashed a couple of times before it worked. I also found a glitch that you can not upload pics of people with glasses. Once you get the finished face, the glasses are removed and there are lines around the eyes on the face. It then just crashed each time when I went to save the avatar.
It is great to play at some of the best golf courses in the world from the comfort of your living room. Overall I think the game is fun and worth buying for the avid golfer. If you already have a recent version of the game, I doubt there is any need to buy this one also. I really enjoy playing all of the different famous courses and customizing my golfer. Plus there is a fun par 3 course on the game!
If you have this game and looking to play other like-minded folk online, I have set up a Richie’s World of Golf Country Club for the game. To join just search RichieGolf when you are in the country club menu.