Sept 5, 2007

It's got to be tough for the Tiger Woods developers on PS2 these days. After all, EA's focus is clearly on the next-generation games, even though everyone and their brother still owns Sony's current-gen console. The last few Tigers have been deservedly well received, and about the only complaint people have had is that they've been pretty easy to conquer. Obviously, EA has heard you loud and clear. This season's game is virtually the same as last year's, with one big exception - the difficulty is ramped so far up that you may head out to a real course in order to blow off some steam.

The heart of any Tiger game the past few years has been the create-a-golfer mode, and this year's is no different. Except, of course, that when you start out, your created dude is simply horrific. Not only are his attributes terrible - they always are at the beginning - but the guy can't hit a shot straight with any power to save his life no matter how well you swing. It'll take you more than a few hours hacking up plenty of Tiger Challenges and PGA Season tournaments to get to a position where all but the most perfect of swings will result in something other than an embarrassment. When you finally bulk up some stats, things get a lot easier. We're just not so sure everyone will make it that far.

Putting is also treacherous, although it's a bit more consistent and there's a much-needed tool to ensure some success. Unlike its cousin on the PSP, there's no gauge to let you know how much oomph you're putting into your putts - you've got to eyeball it. That, naturally, will lead to plenty of missed shots when you leave balls short or scoot 'em way past the hole. At least the new Putt Preview feature lets you take a couple of practice shots to see how far off you'll be. Without that, chances are our controller wouldn't still be in one piece.