Last month Let’s Golf [App Store] took the App Store by storm, receiving both positive reactions on our forums as well as in our review. While fans of arcade style sports games loved Let’s Golf, it failed to satisfy gamers looking for the realism previously seen in EA’s Tiger Woods series of golf games.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour [App Store] does away with Let’s Golf’s simple three tap swing system (and slightly more complicated “Advanced" swing mode) in exchange for EA’s “touch-n-drag" swing meter which allows for much more control. Swiping your finger across the screen also allows far more customization of the English you give the ball while it’s soaring through the air.
One of the first things I first noticed about Tiger Woods PGA Tour is the sky high framerate. The game runs remarkably well, and the performance is most likely a direct result of the lower detail level of your surroundings on the course. Trees and buildings are constructed from very low polygon count models with low resolution textures to match. However, the things that really matter all look great. Your golfer, the swing animations, and the actual courses themselves all look rather lifelike for an iPhone game.
Packed inside Tiger Woods PGA Tour are seven famous PGA courses as well as a line-up of top golfers to play as or against. Like all Tiger Woods games, you can also create your own golfer with a few basic customizations like my pasty white, pink shirt equipped golf master seen in these screenshots. EA even included voiceovers by Kelly Tilgman from The Golf Channel and former pro golfer Sam Torrance that get a little repetitive at times, but greatly added to the immersion of the game.
My initial impressions are positive, and I’m really blown away by the depth of this game. On top of the intricacies and difficulty involved in the unassisted swing control, there’s also a equipment shop where you can purchase upgrades with your winnings. Available upgrades include power, power boost, drive control, impact, approach, putting, recovery, and spin. Between these features and the amazing 120 holes included, I expect Tiger Woods PGA Tour should keep golf enthusiasts busy for quite some time.
Some reader reviews in our forums have been quite positive: Acidbottle and slickninja.
Here’s a brief gameplay video of one of the holes showing the swinging mechanism:
HD version encoding
App Store Link: Tiger Woods PGA Tour, $9.99
