Demo: Tiger Woods PGA Tour '07

The demo downloaded on the 'Box last night while I was cruising around in Test Drive: Unlimited.

Visually, I'm not really impressed. The courses, which I'm guessing are the real eater of polygons were outstanding, but this game isn't called Golf Courses 2007. No, it's called Tiger Woods (and he calls himself that a lot in this game). No, it's Tiger that could use a few thousand more triangles of skin. All I'm saying is that next-gen doesn't mean non-scary looking human models.

Play wise, the controls are easy to pick up and are pretty precise. 56 yards out from the pin and I could keep hitting the b-button to do it over and over again, making small changes in the club face angle, the back swing and the forward swing, and actually see the difference it made in the shot. It wasn't so sensitive that hitting 1 o'clock on the left stick meant that it would fly off into the gallery, but just a couple of degrees difference on the trajectory to make you feel like you accomplished something.

I don't quite understand the tapping-for-more-power concept. A "true swing" doesn't really have you tapping your feet for more power, so why would they ask you to tap a button? But, it does play well with the stick. It's borderline button mashing sports. Tap for power. Tap for spin and direction. Luckily, you don't have to count on it too much, though the cut-scenes for a powerful hit are borrowing a little from Mario Golf, short of the glowing stars and flaming golf ball.

Oh, wait, did a TW have that one year? No? Why the hell not?

The camera system is fine. No complaints there. Though there was an instance where I chose to move thet shot around a stroke before and the next stroke was set up 10ft in front of me into some trees. I had to spin the target around awhile to find the pin (no auto find).

If I were a golfing gamer, I would drop $40 for Tiger Woods. Too bad it costs $60.

"Tiger!!!!"