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I have no interest in play golf. I have no interest in watching golf. Perhaps weekly drunken golf rambling from my dad as I was growing up put me off for life. Despite my lack of interest in the sport, I’ve always enjoyed playing golf video games and I’ve always favoured the EA’s PGA series over the more fun, less realistic games. Makes little sense to me too.
Unlike most of EA’s sports games, the PGA golf games aren’t on a yearly cycle. It is understandable really; developers perfected the golf swing a long time ago and there isn’t really an awful lot that can be added to make the game feel different but retain the golf feel. After a little break, the PGA series is back for its debut on the new consoles. Along the way it has lost Tiger Woods but picked up Rory McIlroy and he doesn’t seem to be affected by his football related injury in the game… pffft, not very realistic is it?
The game starts you off with a tutorial if you wish. It’s familiar ground for PGA veterans but there is no harm in a reminder. Tutorials tend to get a bit of stick but I actually thought this one was very well done. The game takes you through the various types of shots and the factors you need to consider before taking your shot; for the newcomer, there is probably more to a game of golf than your realise. To put what you have learned into practice, you play out a scenario as Rory competing in the US Open. It is an interesting way to practice what you have learned and lets you subsequently wreck Rory’s chances of winning. You are also presented with some chit chat from the man himself and he discusses the importance of a good tee shot and shares some thoughts and feelings from his competition participation. It is a nice touch but I felt there was a little too much watching and not enough playing; Rory’s words of wisdom are not to be skipped, I did try. Many times.
And incase you can’t get enough of Rory, there is plenty of Rory trivia to read during loading. He’s all over this game, you’d think his name is on the cover.
The tutorial also allows you to sample the various control schemes and the offerings can cater for novices through to pros. I’ve always preferred the 3 click scheme where you press to start the swing, press at the top of the swing and press again to whack the ball. Using the analogue sticks is still an option and this is something I liked on the PS2 but as the sensitivity of these sticks has progressed it became clear I had issues with moving the stick back and forth in a straight line and I’ve stuck with the 3 click approach ever since.
It will all be very familiar to those who have partaken in a round or 2 in recent PGA games. What is new however (or at least new to me, someone who didn’t play the last game) is the aiming arc. The pointer for where you ball will land is joined by a nice blue aiming arc. It sounds like nothing more than a visual nicety but it is useful, ever so useful. The pointer doesn’t take into account elevation, wind or the lie of your ball which are crucial factors to consider before swinging. The elevation arc on the other hand, takes these factors into account and gives a true picture of where your ball will lie. This was always one of my main grips in recent games; the travel distance of too many of my shots seemed inexplicable. Whether that was the fault of the game or with my understanding, it isn’t an issue now. Of course, this does make things a little easier, especially since the arc will take into account trees. At one point I got in a mild panic as I couldn’t see my arc; I had come to depend on my trusty blue friend more than I realised. A quick spin of the camera and there he was, stick in the trees. It does remove a bit of challenge in the game but the aiming arc is not a guarantee of where the ball will go, you still have to get the swing and power right to get the ball to follow the arc. And of course, if you’ve nailed the swing then you can simply turn the arc off.
The career mode is as before; create your own golfer and set off to conquer the world of golf. The character creation is relatively basic compared to other games but it is quick and easy to create someone to send out on the course. Naturally you can’t just send them out until you have picked the outfit and clubs. The standard rules apply here, the bare minimum is available from the off and the rest you will need to unlock.
The start of the career is interesting, it treats you like a newcomer. Of course, you are a newcomer but I’ve never really felt like I’ve been treated as such. The tournaments you enter at the beginning are all full 18 hole rounds but you don’t get to play all 18 holes. Instead, you get a handful of holes to play as if you aren’t capable of completing all 18. For the holes you don’t play, the game uses your attributes to decide how your player performed. What is more interesting is the order of the holes. At one point I was about to tee off on the 17th and noticed the number of holes left. I began to wonder if there was a beer drinking mini game for the ‘19th hole’ but no, instead of playing the 18th next I was back on the 9th hole. Peculiar but it does mean you can whizz through the initial tournaments.
Graphically the game is very nice and not surprisingly, the best looking golf game there has been. I do find a little grainy look around some edges at times and the courses seem to have a fly problem, or perhaps the camera man just needs a wash. Naturally the glorious weather and the very scenic US based courses add to the visual appeal. On the audio side, a special mention has to be made for the commentary team. Babbling away are Rick Lerner and Frank Nobio, I’ve no idea who they are but the commentary is very good and just like on the tv. It does need a little more variety and I was most disappointed that they didn’t stop talking to praise my chip from the rough that went right into the hole. The game itself appreciated it with a slightly slow motion speed and a heart-beat like vibration through the pad. Of course, these touches were needless as I knew it was in the moment I hit it. Perhaps.
Where the game does seem to fall short is with the number of course and golfers. This doesn’t seem to have gone down well at all and understandably, there seems to be no justification for less content than previous games. I played this using the 10 hour trial from EA Access so it hasn’t been an issue for me but based on how much they charge for the full game, the complaints are justified. EA have promised some free content but it should have been there at the start. There are some fantasy courses as usual and the one based on Battlefield one might please some but I’m sure golf fans would prefer more of the real courses.
To accompany the career is the nightclub challenge mode. There seems to be very little in the way of dancing but it is a night setting with plenty of neon lights. It looks nice and makes a change from the green. The challenge mode setup is a little like a mobile phone game in that there is a path through the stages with 3 stars to be won for each one. The rules of golf get a little more relaxed here with things like turbo boosts for your ball to give it extra height to get through the hoop. It is a bit of fun and naturally the challenge rises. There is also an online mode with a variety of options but being the antisocial gamer, I don’t dabble.
As before, the new PGA golf still plays a fine game of golf and I certainly enjoyed my time with it. There isn’t anything particularly new with it but the aiming arc is a fine addition for me and makes the experience much less frustrating which can only be a good thing. The main issue is the lack of content and it is hard to accept that but ignoring that, this is another worthy addition to the series but questions have to be raised about content versus price here.
8
Unlike most of EA’s sports games, the PGA golf games aren’t on a yearly cycle. It is understandable really; developers perfected the golf swing a long time ago and there isn’t really an awful lot that can be added to make the game feel different but retain the golf feel. After a little break, the PGA series is back for its debut on the new consoles. Along the way it has lost Tiger Woods but picked up Rory McIlroy and he doesn’t seem to be affected by his football related injury in the game… pffft, not very realistic is it?
The game starts you off with a tutorial if you wish. It’s familiar ground for PGA veterans but there is no harm in a reminder. Tutorials tend to get a bit of stick but I actually thought this one was very well done. The game takes you through the various types of shots and the factors you need to consider before taking your shot; for the newcomer, there is probably more to a game of golf than your realise. To put what you have learned into practice, you play out a scenario as Rory competing in the US Open. It is an interesting way to practice what you have learned and lets you subsequently wreck Rory’s chances of winning. You are also presented with some chit chat from the man himself and he discusses the importance of a good tee shot and shares some thoughts and feelings from his competition participation. It is a nice touch but I felt there was a little too much watching and not enough playing; Rory’s words of wisdom are not to be skipped, I did try. Many times.
And incase you can’t get enough of Rory, there is plenty of Rory trivia to read during loading. He’s all over this game, you’d think his name is on the cover.
The tutorial also allows you to sample the various control schemes and the offerings can cater for novices through to pros. I’ve always preferred the 3 click scheme where you press to start the swing, press at the top of the swing and press again to whack the ball. Using the analogue sticks is still an option and this is something I liked on the PS2 but as the sensitivity of these sticks has progressed it became clear I had issues with moving the stick back and forth in a straight line and I’ve stuck with the 3 click approach ever since.
It will all be very familiar to those who have partaken in a round or 2 in recent PGA games. What is new however (or at least new to me, someone who didn’t play the last game) is the aiming arc. The pointer for where you ball will land is joined by a nice blue aiming arc. It sounds like nothing more than a visual nicety but it is useful, ever so useful. The pointer doesn’t take into account elevation, wind or the lie of your ball which are crucial factors to consider before swinging. The elevation arc on the other hand, takes these factors into account and gives a true picture of where your ball will lie. This was always one of my main grips in recent games; the travel distance of too many of my shots seemed inexplicable. Whether that was the fault of the game or with my understanding, it isn’t an issue now. Of course, this does make things a little easier, especially since the arc will take into account trees. At one point I got in a mild panic as I couldn’t see my arc; I had come to depend on my trusty blue friend more than I realised. A quick spin of the camera and there he was, stick in the trees. It does remove a bit of challenge in the game but the aiming arc is not a guarantee of where the ball will go, you still have to get the swing and power right to get the ball to follow the arc. And of course, if you’ve nailed the swing then you can simply turn the arc off.
The career mode is as before; create your own golfer and set off to conquer the world of golf. The character creation is relatively basic compared to other games but it is quick and easy to create someone to send out on the course. Naturally you can’t just send them out until you have picked the outfit and clubs. The standard rules apply here, the bare minimum is available from the off and the rest you will need to unlock.
The start of the career is interesting, it treats you like a newcomer. Of course, you are a newcomer but I’ve never really felt like I’ve been treated as such. The tournaments you enter at the beginning are all full 18 hole rounds but you don’t get to play all 18 holes. Instead, you get a handful of holes to play as if you aren’t capable of completing all 18. For the holes you don’t play, the game uses your attributes to decide how your player performed. What is more interesting is the order of the holes. At one point I was about to tee off on the 17th and noticed the number of holes left. I began to wonder if there was a beer drinking mini game for the ‘19th hole’ but no, instead of playing the 18th next I was back on the 9th hole. Peculiar but it does mean you can whizz through the initial tournaments.
Graphically the game is very nice and not surprisingly, the best looking golf game there has been. I do find a little grainy look around some edges at times and the courses seem to have a fly problem, or perhaps the camera man just needs a wash. Naturally the glorious weather and the very scenic US based courses add to the visual appeal. On the audio side, a special mention has to be made for the commentary team. Babbling away are Rick Lerner and Frank Nobio, I’ve no idea who they are but the commentary is very good and just like on the tv. It does need a little more variety and I was most disappointed that they didn’t stop talking to praise my chip from the rough that went right into the hole. The game itself appreciated it with a slightly slow motion speed and a heart-beat like vibration through the pad. Of course, these touches were needless as I knew it was in the moment I hit it. Perhaps.
Where the game does seem to fall short is with the number of course and golfers. This doesn’t seem to have gone down well at all and understandably, there seems to be no justification for less content than previous games. I played this using the 10 hour trial from EA Access so it hasn’t been an issue for me but based on how much they charge for the full game, the complaints are justified. EA have promised some free content but it should have been there at the start. There are some fantasy courses as usual and the one based on Battlefield one might please some but I’m sure golf fans would prefer more of the real courses.
To accompany the career is the nightclub challenge mode. There seems to be very little in the way of dancing but it is a night setting with plenty of neon lights. It looks nice and makes a change from the green. The challenge mode setup is a little like a mobile phone game in that there is a path through the stages with 3 stars to be won for each one. The rules of golf get a little more relaxed here with things like turbo boosts for your ball to give it extra height to get through the hoop. It is a bit of fun and naturally the challenge rises. There is also an online mode with a variety of options but being the antisocial gamer, I don’t dabble.
As before, the new PGA golf still plays a fine game of golf and I certainly enjoyed my time with it. There isn’t anything particularly new with it but the aiming arc is a fine addition for me and makes the experience much less frustrating which can only be a good thing. The main issue is the lack of content and it is hard to accept that but ignoring that, this is another worthy addition to the series but questions have to be raised about content versus price here.
8
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I have no interest in play golf. I have no interest in watching golf. Perhaps weekly drunken golf rambling from my dad as I was growing up put me off for life. Despite my lack of interest in the sport, I’ve always enjoyed playing golf video games and I’ve always favoured the EA’s PGA series over the more fun, less realistic games. Makes little sense to me too.
Unlike most of EA’s sports games, the PGA golf games aren’t on a yearly cycle. It is understandable really; developers perfected the golf swing a long time ago and there isn’t really an awful lot that can be added to make the game feel different but retain the golf feel. After a little break, the PGA series is back for its debut on the new consoles. Along the way it has lost Tiger Woods but picked up Rory McIlroy and he doesn’t seem to be affected by his football related injury in the game… pffft, not very realistic is it?
The game starts you off with a tutorial if you wish. It’s familiar ground for PGA veterans but there is no harm in a reminder. Tutorials tend to get a bit of stick but I actually thought this one was very well done. The game takes you through the various types of shots and the factors you need to consider before taking your shot; for the newcomer, there is probably more to a game of golf than your realise. To put what you have learned into practice, you play out a scenario as Rory competing in the US Open. It is an interesting way to practice what you have learned and lets you subsequently wreck Rory’s chances of winning. You are also presented with some chit chat from the man himself and he discusses the importance of a good tee shot and shares some thoughts and feelings from his competition participation. It is a nice touch but I felt there was a little too much watching and not enough playing; Rory’s words of wisdom are not to be skipped, I did try. Many times.
And incase you can’t get enough of Rory, there is plenty of Rory trivia to read during loading. He’s all over this game, you’d think his name is on the cover.
The tutorial also allows you to sample the various control schemes and the offerings can cater for novices through to pros. I’ve always preferred the 3 click scheme where you press to start the swing, press at the top of the swing and press again to whack the ball. Using the analogue sticks is still an option and this is something I liked on the PS2 but as the sensitivity of these sticks has progressed it became clear I had issues with moving the stick back and forth in a straight line and I’ve stuck with the 3 click approach ever since.
It will all be very familiar to those who have partaken in a round or 2 in recent PGA games. What is new however (or at least new to me, someone who didn’t play the last game) is the aiming arc. The pointer for where you ball will land is joined by a nice blue aiming arc. It sounds like nothing more than a visual nicety but it is useful, ever so useful. The pointer doesn’t take into account elevation, wind or the lie of your ball which are crucial factors to consider before swinging. The elevation arc on the other hand, takes these factors into account and gives a true picture of where your ball will lie. This was always one of my main grips in recent games; the travel distance of too many of my shots seemed inexplicable. Whether that was the fault of the game or with my understanding, it isn’t an issue now. Of course, this does make things a little easier, especially since the arc will take into account trees. At one point I got in a mild panic as I couldn’t see my arc; I had come to depend on my trusty blue friend more than I realised. A quick spin of the camera and there he was, stick in the trees. It does remove a bit of challenge in the game but the aiming arc is not a guarantee of where the ball will go, you still have to get the swing and power right to get the ball to follow the arc. And of course, if you’ve nailed the swing then you can simply turn the arc off.
The career mode is as before; create your own golfer and set off to conquer the world of golf. The character creation is relatively basic compared to other games but it is quick and easy to create someone to send out on the course. Naturally you can’t just send them out until you have picked the outfit and clubs. The standard rules apply here, the bare minimum is available from the off and the rest you will need to unlock.
The start of the career is interesting, it treats you like a newcomer. Of course, you are a newcomer but I’ve never really felt like I’ve been treated as such. The tournaments you enter at the beginning are all full 18 hole rounds but you don’t get to play all 18 holes. Instead, you get a handful of holes to play as if you aren’t capable of completing all 18. For the holes you don’t play, the game uses your attributes to decide how your player performed. What is more interesting is the order of the holes. At one point I was about to tee off on the 17th and noticed the number of holes left. I began to wonder if there was a beer drinking mini game for the ‘19th hole’ but no, instead of playing the 18th next I was back on the 9th hole. Peculiar but it does mean you can whizz through the initial tournaments.
Graphically the game is very nice and not surprisingly, the best looking golf game there has been. I do find a little grainy look around some edges at times and the courses seem to have a fly problem, or perhaps the camera man just needs a wash. Naturally the glorious weather and the very scenic US based courses add to the visual appeal. On the audio side, a special mention has to be made for the commentary team. Babbling away are Rick Lerner and Frank Nobio, I’ve no idea who they are but the commentary is very good and just like on the tv. It does need a little more variety and I was most disappointed that they didn’t stop talking to praise my chip from the rough that went right into the hole. The game itself appreciated it with a slightly slow motion speed and a heart-beat like vibration through the pad. Of course, these touches were needless as I knew it was in the moment I hit it. Perhaps.
Where the game does seem to fall short is with the number of course and golfers. This doesn’t seem to have gone down well at all and understandably, there seems to be no justification for less content than previous games. I played this using the 10 hour trial from EA Access so it hasn’t been an issue for me but based on how much they charge for the full game, the complaints are justified. EA have promised some free content but it should have been there at the start. There are some fantasy courses as usual and the one based on Battlefield one might please some but I’m sure golf fans would prefer more of the real courses.
To accompany the career is the nightclub challenge mode. There seems to be very little in the way of dancing but it is a night setting with plenty of neon lights. It looks nice and makes a change from the green. The challenge mode setup is a little like a mobile phone game in that there is a path through the stages with 3 stars to be won for each one. The rules of golf get a little more relaxed here with things like turbo boosts for your ball to give it extra height to get through the hoop. It is a bit of fun and naturally the challenge rises. There is also an online mode with a variety of options but being the antisocial gamer, I don’t dabble.
As before, the new PGA golf still plays a fine game of golf and I certainly enjoyed my time with it. There isn’t anything particularly new with it but the aiming arc is a fine addition for me and makes the experience much less frustrating which can only be a good thing. The main issue is the lack of content and it is hard to accept that but ignoring that, this is another worthy addition to the series but questions have to be raised about content versus price here.
8
Unlike most of EA’s sports games, the PGA golf games aren’t on a yearly cycle. It is understandable really; developers perfected the golf swing a long time ago and there isn’t really an awful lot that can be added to make the game feel different but retain the golf feel. After a little break, the PGA series is back for its debut on the new consoles. Along the way it has lost Tiger Woods but picked up Rory McIlroy and he doesn’t seem to be affected by his football related injury in the game… pffft, not very realistic is it?
The game starts you off with a tutorial if you wish. It’s familiar ground for PGA veterans but there is no harm in a reminder. Tutorials tend to get a bit of stick but I actually thought this one was very well done. The game takes you through the various types of shots and the factors you need to consider before taking your shot; for the newcomer, there is probably more to a game of golf than your realise. To put what you have learned into practice, you play out a scenario as Rory competing in the US Open. It is an interesting way to practice what you have learned and lets you subsequently wreck Rory’s chances of winning. You are also presented with some chit chat from the man himself and he discusses the importance of a good tee shot and shares some thoughts and feelings from his competition participation. It is a nice touch but I felt there was a little too much watching and not enough playing; Rory’s words of wisdom are not to be skipped, I did try. Many times.
And incase you can’t get enough of Rory, there is plenty of Rory trivia to read during loading. He’s all over this game, you’d think his name is on the cover.
The tutorial also allows you to sample the various control schemes and the offerings can cater for novices through to pros. I’ve always preferred the 3 click scheme where you press to start the swing, press at the top of the swing and press again to whack the ball. Using the analogue sticks is still an option and this is something I liked on the PS2 but as the sensitivity of these sticks has progressed it became clear I had issues with moving the stick back and forth in a straight line and I’ve stuck with the 3 click approach ever since.
It will all be very familiar to those who have partaken in a round or 2 in recent PGA games. What is new however (or at least new to me, someone who didn’t play the last game) is the aiming arc. The pointer for where you ball will land is joined by a nice blue aiming arc. It sounds like nothing more than a visual nicety but it is useful, ever so useful. The pointer doesn’t take into account elevation, wind or the lie of your ball which are crucial factors to consider before swinging. The elevation arc on the other hand, takes these factors into account and gives a true picture of where your ball will lie. This was always one of my main grips in recent games; the travel distance of too many of my shots seemed inexplicable. Whether that was the fault of the game or with my understanding, it isn’t an issue now. Of course, this does make things a little easier, especially since the arc will take into account trees. At one point I got in a mild panic as I couldn’t see my arc; I had come to depend on my trusty blue friend more than I realised. A quick spin of the camera and there he was, stick in the trees. It does remove a bit of challenge in the game but the aiming arc is not a guarantee of where the ball will go, you still have to get the swing and power right to get the ball to follow the arc. And of course, if you’ve nailed the swing then you can simply turn the arc off.
The career mode is as before; create your own golfer and set off to conquer the world of golf. The character creation is relatively basic compared to other games but it is quick and easy to create someone to send out on the course. Naturally you can’t just send them out until you have picked the outfit and clubs. The standard rules apply here, the bare minimum is available from the off and the rest you will need to unlock.
The start of the career is interesting, it treats you like a newcomer. Of course, you are a newcomer but I’ve never really felt like I’ve been treated as such. The tournaments you enter at the beginning are all full 18 hole rounds but you don’t get to play all 18 holes. Instead, you get a handful of holes to play as if you aren’t capable of completing all 18. For the holes you don’t play, the game uses your attributes to decide how your player performed. What is more interesting is the order of the holes. At one point I was about to tee off on the 17th and noticed the number of holes left. I began to wonder if there was a beer drinking mini game for the ‘19th hole’ but no, instead of playing the 18th next I was back on the 9th hole. Peculiar but it does mean you can whizz through the initial tournaments.
Graphically the game is very nice and not surprisingly, the best looking golf game there has been. I do find a little grainy look around some edges at times and the courses seem to have a fly problem, or perhaps the camera man just needs a wash. Naturally the glorious weather and the very scenic US based courses add to the visual appeal. On the audio side, a special mention has to be made for the commentary team. Babbling away are Rick Lerner and Frank Nobio, I’ve no idea who they are but the commentary is very good and just like on the tv. It does need a little more variety and I was most disappointed that they didn’t stop talking to praise my chip from the rough that went right into the hole. The game itself appreciated it with a slightly slow motion speed and a heart-beat like vibration through the pad. Of course, these touches were needless as I knew it was in the moment I hit it. Perhaps.
Where the game does seem to fall short is with the number of course and golfers. This doesn’t seem to have gone down well at all and understandably, there seems to be no justification for less content than previous games. I played this using the 10 hour trial from EA Access so it hasn’t been an issue for me but based on how much they charge for the full game, the complaints are justified. EA have promised some free content but it should have been there at the start. There are some fantasy courses as usual and the one based on Battlefield one might please some but I’m sure golf fans would prefer more of the real courses.
To accompany the career is the nightclub challenge mode. There seems to be very little in the way of dancing but it is a night setting with plenty of neon lights. It looks nice and makes a change from the green. The challenge mode setup is a little like a mobile phone game in that there is a path through the stages with 3 stars to be won for each one. The rules of golf get a little more relaxed here with things like turbo boosts for your ball to give it extra height to get through the hoop. It is a bit of fun and naturally the challenge rises. There is also an online mode with a variety of options but being the antisocial gamer, I don’t dabble.
As before, the new PGA golf still plays a fine game of golf and I certainly enjoyed my time with it. There isn’t anything particularly new with it but the aiming arc is a fine addition for me and makes the experience much less frustrating which can only be a good thing. The main issue is the lack of content and it is hard to accept that but ignoring that, this is another worthy addition to the series but questions have to be raised about content versus price here.
8