Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (PS3)

Each year Tiger Woods PGA tour has always been the best golf game available for the ps3 (and most other consoles) and once again it holds this title. It is, in my view, a very good sports game and one to rank up highly with other available sports games such as the football ones of Pro Evo 7 and Fifa 08.
This game has also had several changes and has improved quite a lot from last year's version.

There are a great variety of ...
...You can also compete in Tiger challenge in which you complete a variety of different challenges and build up in order to play against Tiger and become the ultimate golfer. The challenges range from any of the mode i discussed earlier to driving and putting challenges against different golfers. Throughout this mode you will gain money rewards and unlock more courses and players who can be used in all the other modes.
With the money you win ... more

Each year Tiger Woods PGA tour has always been the best golf game available for the ps3 (and most other consoles) and once again it holds this title. It is, in my view, a very good sports game and one to rank up highly with other available sports games such as the football ones of Pro Evo 7 and Fifa 08.
This game has also had several changes and has improved quite a lot from last year's version.

There are a great variety of modes to play and if you fancy just playing a single game on your own or against your friends then you can choose from a whole variety:
- Stroke play (every stroke counts, lowest score wins)
- Match play (point per hole, whoever wins most holes wins)
- Skins (money pot per hole whoever wins hole wins the pot, if tie carries over)
- Bingo, Bango, Bongo (new mode this year and a very fun one. points for first on green, closest to pin and best score)
- Stableford (points system based upon getting under par)
- Alternate shot (two on two mode. both take turns in hitting same ball - very amusing mode)
- Best ball (4 player 2 teams of 2, best ball from each team counts)
- Four ball ( just normal stroke play with four players, 2 teams)
- Greensome (both drive and then choose best drive from your team and alternate from there)
- Bloodsome (same as above except the toher team chooses which ball you play)

Other Arcade Modes:
- Battle Golf (has to be the best mode in the game - after you win a hole you can choose to remove a club from the opponents bag, except the putter or you can return one to your bag if need be. Great fun when you start to run out of clubs and can't hit it properly.)
- One ball (4 players and you alternate shots and must get within a circle or face missing a turn - first player to get the ball in the hole wins)

Mini-games:
- Twenty one (earn21 pints by getting closer to pin)
- Seven (same as above but 7 points)
- Target (earn money by hitting targets with 20 balls)
- Target to target (hit targets in set order)
- T-I-G-E-R (make a shot then friend has to make it or get a letter, lose when you spell tiger)
- And a few others such as longest drive and putt, etc.

You can also start your own career and create your own golfer or use an existing golfer. You can then use your golfer and compete in the PGA tour season by competing in tournament and increasing your skill levels and gaining money from doing well. If you do really well then you can compete in the FedEx cup - a very prestigious cup.
You can also compete in Tiger challenge in which you complete a variety of different challenges and build up in order to play against Tiger and become the ultimate golfer. The challenges range from any of the mode i discussed earlier to driving and putting challenges against different golfers. Throughout this mode you will gain money rewards and unlock more courses and players who can be used in all the other modes.
With the money you win in the career mode, you can visit the pro shop and buy items from clubs and balls to glasses, watches shirts and trousers. These will also contribute to your player's skills and greatly improve your game. As you progress through the game you will also unlock more gear which you can buy.

This game also includes a wide variety of new clubs and golfers. You can even play against Wayne Rooney! This years game includes 21 new professional golfers and several new courses which are all of stunning quality and realism to their real counterparts.

Actually playing the game is very realistic and you face many decisions from which club to use to the angle of elevation of the club. You can also adjust power, power boost and spin on the ball which all contribute to the great quality of this game. You hit the ball by either using the analog stick, or the more traditional 3 click system to choose power and accuracy.
Another new feature this year is confidence in which your shots will also depend on how you did last time you played a certain course, hole or type of shot.

Online play has greatly change with the all new Gamernet where you can save and post you shots, or whole rounds and set them as challenges for other gamers to try and beat. For example you can save that hole in one you got and see if others can do the same. You also gain points for the more challenges you complete and you post. You can however just play a traditional online game against up to 3 other gamers and choose one of the many game modes I mentioned earlier.

Game Face is one of the final new features in which you can use the xbox vision camera, or download a photo from the internet and upload it. The game face will then use the picture to create a character of yourself which you can then use in the game - how cool is that!

New features summary:

• All-new EA SPORTS GamerNet: Online interaction has been taken to the next level. Record everything from your greatest rounds to crazy, awe-inspiring shots, then post each challenge on EA SPORTS GamerNet for the world to beat. Earn points--and bragging rights--when players set their sights on you, or when you one-up challenges set by others.
• Put on your best photo game face: Put yourself in the game like never before. Use real-life photographs of yourself, friends, and family to create in-game characters that look just like the real thing. No artistic skill required!
• Confidence is a factor: All-new Shot Confidence tracks your performance on every hole. Analyze past performance with the Confidence Meter to identify strengths and weaknesses before every shot.
• FedEx Cup playoff courses: Experience the all-new FedExCup championship format by playing dream rounds at Westchester Country Club, TPC Boston, Cog Hill, and East Lake.
• Take on the most professional golfers ever:Featuring the greatest PGA and LPGA Tour pros, including Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh.

Price:£24.99 (play.com) - a good price for a PS3 game let alone one of this standard! 

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