Get The Green Jacket in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters [VIDEO GAMES]

By jnherder March 29, 2011 3:35 pm Posted in Cool Stuff, culture, golf, Sports, Video, Video Games jnherder g+ page

Every April, golf’s greatest players descend upon Augusta, Georgia for the Masters Tournament. To piggyback on the excitement surrounding the competition, Electronic Arts has released its latest and greatest installment of the PGA / Tiger Woods franchise better known as Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters. This time around they’ve included seven new pro golfers to the roster and six brand spankin’ new courses, including – of course – the Augusta National. Check out our full review below.

Touted by EA as the most complete golf game experience they’ve ever created, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters allows you to create your own golfer in career mode, a.k.a. “Road to the Masters,” and work your way up – starting at the very bottom with a 9 hole hometown event. From there you’ll automatically advance to the EA Sports AM Tour, the Nationwide Tour, and then finally the PGA Tour. Provided that you’re good enough, you’ll receive an invitation to partake in golf’s most prestigious tournament in the world – the Masters!

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters hasn’t changed entirely too much from its predecessor, but you will find that EA has stepped up and given you a Jack-of-all-trades caddie to help you off the tee, in the fairways and on the greens. To be frank, I find him annoying and his presence seems to slow the game considerably, but if you actually listen to your caddie I can promise that you’ll stay out of the water and the sand traps more often than not – which in return will shave a lot of strokes off your total. Along with your caddie you get access to the caddie book as well. The caddie book is your map of the course, fully stocked with all the info you’ll need to shoot well under par.

TIP: Don’t forget to play the “Masters Moments.” In this mode you must recreate 9 historic Masters moments. Early on, these challenges will help you gain experience points and help boost your skills.

Other NEW Gameplay Features Include:

Choke- Adding choke will decrease ball flight distance and allow lower trajectories.
Lie Indicator – See the exact angles where your ball is lying.
Pressure Moments – During clutch shots on the course, your heart rate will heighten and your HUD indicators will fade out, making everything extremely hard. Remember to use your focus button to counteract the pressure.
Improved AI System – Provides a more realistic (and challenging) experience.
Drop Zones – For example, if you hit your ball into the water on par 3 you will not have to start over from the tee. The game now allows you to play from drop zones just like you would in real life.
The Presidents Cup – It’s U.S.A. v.s. The World (minus Europe) in team play at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club, this year’s actual host.

Multiplayer has always been a huge part of the Tiger Woods franchise and number 12 is no different with both online and local multiplayer modes available. Online, you can challenge players from all over the world. EA’s gamer net allows you to post your best shots and rounds for anyone and everyone to see, all while earning EA gamer net points.

Key Features

Tiger at the Masters – In this all-new mode, relive each of Tiger’s four wins at the Masters by attempting to equal or beat his scores in each round of the Tournament.
Broadcast Presentation – Jim Nantz teams up with David Feherty to lead the all-new broadcast presentation package. Enhanced visuals showcase high fidelity character models and course details that bring to life all the sights and sounds of a round of golf at the Augusta National. Plus, for the first time in the franchise’s history, the game will feature grass with an improved physics engine which will react accordingly to contact with the golf club and ball.
Climb the World Ranking – Feel the pressure of an all-important putt while working your way through the Amateur Tour, Qualifying School and the Nationwide Tour. Perform well enough to earn a spot on the PGA! The game’s all-new career mode closely mirrors the real-life journey of an amateur golfer as they strive to make it on to the PGA Tour.
Gameplay Enhancements – Enjoy new features like “Fast Golf” which allow you to complete a full round in half the time. The new save system provides the flexibility to save, and later resume, your round at any point. Players have the option to jump start their career mode as they will be able to carry over their XP from last year’s game.
The Best Golfers in the World – Hit the links with the top talent in golf including PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, Rickie Fowler; past Masters champion Zach Johnson; Ryder Cup participant Bubba Watson and many more.
Championship Courses – Take on the best of the best on sixteen of the world’s most celebrated courses, including the Augusta National Golf Club, the Royal Melbourne Golf Club (Australia), the Atlanta Athletic Club, the TPC San Antonio, the St. Andrews Links and Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Pros

Voice acting – Jim Nantz and David Feherty… Need I say more?
Beautiful graphics.
This is as close to actually playing the Augusta National most of us will ever get!
Play with the pros. Choose from 24 pros including: Tiger, Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler and Ian Poulter.
Player customization – EA is the best at this, and once again it truly shines.

Cons

Seasoned Tiger Woods PGA Tour players might find it difficult to adjust to the new button layout
Load times between holes can try your patience.

Overall

We give Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters a 9 out of 10. EA has lived up to their initial claim that this is the most complete golf game they’ve ever created. The replay value is off the charts and the game feels truly authentic, you really get to know every aspect of the Augusta National and the other 15 courses! Adding the Masters to the franchise was long over due and we were happy to see that they took the time to get it right. Do yourself a favor now that you’ve read our thoughts on this incredible game – go out and find a copy of this gaming masterpiece!

Retail Price: $59.95