Tiger Woods (the man) has had quite a run in the past year – he won the U.S. Open on a broken leg, had a baby boy, and roared back to the top of the golf heap in record time. Tiger Woods (the PS2 game) can hardly claim that wild of a ride. In fact, this carbon copy of last year’s bare-bones title continues the desultory trajectory of the series on PS2 in recent seasons. Whether it’s the lack of significant gameplay modes, a dearth of enjoyable professionals to play as or against, or the absence of any online matchups, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is a shell of its former glorious self.

Tiger’s PS2 calling card (such that it is) remains the ability to shoot three different ways; two separate analog controls along with the tried-and-true “three click” method. We still don’t love the analog modes, since it’s exceedingly tough to nail down anything between half- and full-power with any precision. These concerns are nothing new from last season; it’s a shame they haven’t been addressed between iterations.

The PGA Tour remains the only mode with any meat on its bones, which may explain why it’s pretty rough seas when you start off with your created character. You’ll have to earn your way bit by bit through the rigors of the season, earning cash to unlock the goods needed to become a champ. This is all old news to vets of the series; anyone using this year’s Tiger as an introduction to the series is likely to get frustrated by the initial awfulness of your duffer.

The Tour is pretty much all Tiger has to offer; a customizable EA Cup tournament and Play Now option are the only other, ahem, “modes” available. Once again, there’s no standalone Tiger Challenges, Minigames, or online offerings to choose from. Other than a few new courses, it’s exactly the same as last season’s disappointing effort.

To be blunt, EA should’ve done one of three things with Tiger on the PS2 – restore some features that all other platforms enjoy, sell it for $10 as a “roster update” of sorts, or just put it out to pasture once and for all. Until one of these happens, it’ll continue to be irrelevant even when it shouldn’t be.

Aug 4, 2009