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"EXCELLENCE ALL AROUND"

Written By: K. Wales

Can't beat this game in terms of fun, options, and quality. I nearly prefer to play the xbox game more than a REAL round of golf!

"I love this game!!"

Written By: F. Hoshnic

I've always been a fan of this franchise and I've been out of the loop on since 2007 so I'll be comparing this to that and previous games

Pros-
Difficulty levels are just right depending on your experience
Swing control is switchable to desired analog stick, a big help since my left hand is retarded :P
3 point swing assist is great for those who have an inconsistent swing or prefer this option
Swing is way more forgiving which I think is due to the Club Tuner
Gameface is still awesome and even better with a 360 camera
Great graphics especially on an HDTV
Sound is not bad and I usually play music from my iPod anyway

Cons-
They need to bring the old commentators back
What happened to the fantasy courses?.... should at least be downloadable content on XBLM

Will update review as the game progresses. I left the online gameplay out since I haven't played yet and I don't have a good grasp of the courses and my attributes are still average :)

"Superb xbox online golf game"

Written By: Judy M. Wawrzyniak

This game is great to play with others online. I play with my sons and grandsons and the nicest part is I can do it from the comfort of my own home. This gift is perfect for a family living in different areas. I love this game and all it has to offer. A big step up from the previous Tiger Woods xbox games.

"Hours of fun and tests your ability constantly"

Written By: Rich Jose

This is great fun. Much more fun than on a PC. The ability to go on line and play others is fantastic.

"An excellent title with a few small glitches."

Written By: Kenneth Mcdonald

Others have commented at length about the core features of this game, so I will focus on some aspects of the single-player gameplay that struck me. My last Woods title was the 07 version, so that is my basis for comparison.

I agree with the other reviews that praised the graphics and controls; this is a game that looks and plays beautifully. The new features are excellent. The Club Tuner works exactly as advertised and it helped me clean up my swing. One thing that is a bit counterintuitive is that the more expensive "expert" clubs can hurt your score, as the increased distance you get from them is often more than countered by the decline in the "sweet spot" that they provide. In other words, the "better" clubs can offer penalties that outweigh the benefits. When I first started playing I upgraded my clubs as soon as I could afford them, only to find myself shanking balls wildly that had always gone straight up the fairway before. Many players will want to keep the beginner or advanced clubs until they can hit that narrow spot that leads to perfect drives. The clubs can all be edited, however, so you can go in and adjust them until you feel comfortable with them.

Another thing that some players may find frustrating is the way that the game rapidly ramps up in challenge as you move up the difficulty level. Having had experience with the 07 version of the game, I quickly found myself posting insane scores on the championship tour on the default difficulty (in one 2-round tournament I was at -30, with Tiger far behind in second place at -10). At the next "Hard" difficulty, however, the computer-controlled golfers suddenly started posting round scores in the 50s, requiring me to play flawless rounds just to stay in contention. I remember one tournament where the game was being played in gale-force winds (~30mph) and all the CPU golfers were still posting rounds of -12 or -13. The course records and such that you can get are nice bonuses for good play, but the computer players aren't counted when those awards are calculated (for example, I was awarded an all-time course record for one round, and was still in 5th place, with 4 computer golfers ahead of me). Similarly, I occasionally saw jumps in the computer scores that were almost impossible unless the CPU was hitting Double Eagles left and right.

The in-game Pro Shop offers extensive customization but has some negatives. The idea of selling bonus gear for Microsoft Points isn't that offensive to me, since you can just ignore it, but I've heard it creates some problems for online play. There are some silly items like pirate hats and Elvis costumes, but again, those can be ignored if you're looking for a more serious game (although some of the more ridiculous items offer the best stat bonuses). If you perform decently at all in the Tiger Challenge or the Championship Tour, you'll quickly accumulate more money than you can spend (unless you're someone who accumuluates every item available for your virtual golfer).

These minor glitches tend to reduce the game's impact as a golf "sim". But if you don't mind the occasional silly scores or unrealistic situations, and just want a fun, engaging game of golf, this game provides it in spades. When you're playing a round and you're at an 18th hole Par 5, two shots behind the leader, with a million virtual dollars on the line, you get a rush that even Madden or NBA 2kx can't equal.