The new swing mechanic is very flexible. Don’t slip your thumb on accident!Up until this past weekend, the real-life Tiger Woods couldn't seem to get his mojo back. His videogame has mirrored his tumultuous life in recent years, including this year’s Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13, a golf sim that, while doing a lot right, fails to inspire passion or, really, any emotion whatsoever.
With a throng of courses and a host of game modes — including the mildly creepy Tiger Legacy, in which you play as a two-year-old Tiger Woods on up through his teen years and into adulthood — there’s certainly plenty to do in Tiger 13. We’re particularly intrigued by the Country Clubs, which promise the ability to join with friends and compete online against other Clubs, a la Forza’s car groups.
And on the course, an all-new, well-functioning swing mechanic tracks the tempo of your shot, while seamless Kinect integration lets you do anything you can do with the gamepad. The game actually does a great job of this, with little lost in the controller-free translation. We did find that applying mid-air spin to the ball — a simple task using a controller — is cumbersome and tough to pull off mid-flight with Kinect, though.
Unfortunately, it all feels very hollow. Minimal Jim Nantz commentary and crowd noise, limited facial emotions or post-shot reactions, and an overriding... silence makes Tiger 13 feel lifeless. We know golf is supposed to be serene, but it all feels unfinished here, as if the developers meant to take another pass on the audio, animation, and overall presentation.
PUBLISHER: EA • DEVELOPER: EA Tiburon • ESRB: Everyone • MULTIPLAYER: 2–4 locally or on Xbox Live • ACHIEVEMENTS: Semi-stringent • COST: $60
+ Plenty of quality content stuffed onto the disc.
+ Legitimately good, fun, and seamless Kinect integration
– Gameplay feels lifeless; tough to put spin on ball in Kinect mode.
? How many people will ruin their house swinging a real golf club with Kinect mode?
gkicker2
March 29, 2012 at 8:58pm
For years now, one of my main gripes with the game has been a lack of celebration after major accomplishment.. ie tourney wins, great shots, finishing a tour season. I think that feeds into your 'lifeless' analysis. Cut scenes are now an important part of all games, yet TW usually has little to do with them. One think worth mentioning is the new Boost Pin and Coin model. It works very well and is smooth... also saving up for the 15k 'Refill only Pack' is worthwhile. My last bit of opinion is on the improvements made to acquiring sponsonships and Course Masteries... both have been made more intuative and have been a highlight to my game experience.
Ryan_OXM
March 30, 2012 at 12:48pm
Well-stated gkicker2. I definitely agree with you on all those points. And yes, the lack of celebration is a big part of the game's lifelessness, IMO.
chuckratm
March 28, 2012 at 11:24am
That's right OXM, don't make mention of the ridiculous amount of Day One DLC. How many times are we expected to bend over and take it on the same courses we purchased just 1 year ago.
