Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters

Well the title star is out of action (he doesn't even feature on the front cover), The Masters is old news but it was a thoughtful Father's Day gift and I'm very pleased with it. Unlike past iterations of the game I have played, this one seems like a more realistic simulation. First up the new over the shoulder view is great. No more birdseye opportunities to pick your exact landing spot you know pick your shots as you would do on the course for real. I like the caddie option especially as the real skill comes in knowing when to take their advice and when to go for your own shot. They do also seem to get better as you progress as I've noticed some subtle differences especially with approach shots and putting recommendations.

What makes the game though is playing Augusta. It looks absolutely stunning and plays as your memories of action would suggest. Putting is monstrously difficult and it gives you an appreciation of the level of skill that the professionals display to tame certain holes. I've not delved into most of the other courses yet but if they are as breathtaking I'm in for a treat. The crowds are poorly rendered and almost detract from the sumptuous backdrop.

My one bug bear is the need to purchase some courses for the career mode. Downloadable content is great and a more subtle execution (enabling purchased courses to 'appear' in career mode) woul;d have been advisable. Executing it in this way seems more of a shameless money grabbing ploy than a response to gamers demands.

This aside it is a tremendous improvement to the franchise. The last Tiger Woods game I owned on PS3 was the 07 iteration and things have certainly moved on. Whether I'll be tempted to get Playstation Move for the complete experience I am not sure, but for now it has surplanted FIFA as my 'pet game' and that takes some doing!

My rating 82%