Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13

UPC: 014633196535

Platform: Xbox 360

Publisher: EA Sports

Developer: EA Tiburon

Category: Sports

Style(s): Golf

Synopsis: Publisher Electronic Arts' flagship golf series returns to Xbox 360 with all-new swing mechanics, Kinect support, online country clubs, 16 courses, and 22 licensed golf professionals. You'll now be able to choose from millions of potential shot combinations by adjusting swing tempo, stance, ball position, and swing plane. Featured pros include Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Graeme McDowell, Ross Fisher, Luke Donald, Hunter Mahan, and Ben Crane. Test your skills at such authentic venues as Crooked Stick Golf Club, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Valhalla Golf Club, Palm Beach Gardens, Royal County Down Golf Club, and Royal Birkdale. In addition to traditional match types, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 offers the option to relive Tiger Woods' greatest achievements by following him throughout various career milestones, from a child to an adult. Players can also invite friends to join a custom-created country club and challenge other members online to win the Club Championship. Kinect features range from full-body tracking in golf swings to voice-enabled controls. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Package Contents: Online Pass Code

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 fine-tunes the existing analog-based swing system and adds more depth to shot planning, improving the gameplay in the process. While the basic mechanics are largely the same, with players executing swings by flicking the analog stick, there are now more options in how you plan for each shot. The design has also changed, with the game encouraging online play with friends with the new custom country club feature. Online play has always been an important part of the Tiger Woods series, but this time you'll feel more connected with your golfing friends through an interface that updates you on the progress and achievements of those in your golfing circle. By participating in an online country club, you'll earn status points, allowing you to earn more rewards each time you play. New to PGA Tour 13 is an in-game currency system that has you earning and spending coins on pin packs or rental fees for any of the 19 downloadable courses. As you play each hole and round, you'll receive a coin bonus for each birdie, fairway in regulation, close approach, and other milestones. These coins can then be used to "rent" a downloadable course for one to three rounds. You'll then be able to master a course by working on specific objectives over time, such as getting 100 pars or playing a hazard-free round. Once you master a downloadable course, you'll unlock it for free. You can also spend coins on pin packs, which are temporary "boosts" for your golfer while you play a round. Up to three pins can be assigned to your golf bag before you begin a round, allowing you to improve your golfer's abilities, your ball's lie, increase the number of preview putts, increase the experience points earned, and an assortment of other helpful uses. These pins aren't required, of course, but they are there for those having some trouble with the game. And the reason why you might have trouble with PGA Tour 13 is that the swing system now requires an even tempo that might lead to more errant strokes if your timing is off. No longer can you cheat the system by holding the golf club in the air for several seconds as you focus on keeping the analog stick straight; you have to perform the swing in one continuous motion at the same speed. While finding the right tempo is a challenge, the added shot options are intuitive and precise. A display in the lower right corner of the screen lets you adjust your footwork, determine where the ball is placed in your stance, and move the ball's strike point. This allows you to dig a ball out of the bunker for added loft, for instance, or bend shots around trees. The changes to the swing system don't seem like much on paper, but they all add up to a more engaging system for those who found the previous games a bit too easy to master. The putting system also uses a tempo-based approach, requiring more technique and finesse than in previous games. PGA Tour 13 once again includes a career mode that has you creating a custom athlete and attempting to make the PGA Tour by competing in various events, some of which will earn you sponsorships from actual golf manufacturers. In another mode, you'll be able to follow Woods as a young child, teen, and adult in a series of 53 challenges that will have you doing things like chipping balls into an inflatable pool or trying to drive a ball within a few feet of the pin. While PGA Tour 13 could benefit from improvements to its presentation, considering the amount of courses on offer, addictive online play, and its well-integrated progression system, PGA Tour 13 is one of the better entries in a series that was in danger of losing its stroke. ~ All Game Guide

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.