Game review: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 - Sony PSP

It’s difficult to stay on top of your game for every single hole, and this same high-and-lows scenario applies to long-running video game series such as Tiger Woods PGA Tour.

The franchise has been running for more than a decade now, with a new version of the game being released annually. Every update has brought fresh features and gameplay changes.

Most years the series has been on top form, offering golf fans a smooth, accurate and fun experience.

There have also been dips over the years when the game has fallen short of its usual standards. Below par might be fine on the golf course but it’s not so good in video games, with players left frustrated by some years’ efforts. The 2009 version was widely regarded as one of the weakest.

There are no problems this year, with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 reasserting the series’ authority and in the process becoming the best golf game yet on the PSP.

As well as providing a top-notch golf simulation Tiger Woods 10 is also noteworthy for the amount of content it provides, most of it very enjoyable. Rarely has the EA Sports slogan “It’s in the game” applied more than here.

The game begins with you setting up a profile for the golfer you’ll play as. Here you design your player’s appearance (I was tempted to give mine face tattoos, a crazy hair do and pink sandals but somehow resisted), dress him or her, assign skill points and equip them with various accessories.

After this there is a tutorial which walks you through skills such as driving, approach play and putting.

Getting the basics under your belt is pretty easy – I was smacking drives straight down the fairway and pitching on to the green with acceptable accuracy in no time.

Tiger Woods 10 offers five modes of play – quick play, multiplayer, mini games, tournament challenge and career.

In quick play you go through a single round in one of four styles (stroke, match, skins, Stableford) with or without a computer opponent.

You can choose from any of the game’s 15 courses, which include St Andrews, Pebble Beach and the GPCC at Sun City.

If you prefer a human to a computer challenger then move into multiplayer mode to take on a friend in online play.

Outside of standard golf play, the mini games offer quests such as hitting targets on the driving range and sinking as many putts as possible in one minute. There are even some ‘mental’ games such as signing autographs and controlling your golfer’s heart rate. The mini games are described as pulse-racing but are mostly just bemusing. Their only benefit is to provide a skill boost when you play them.

Tournament challenge is a new mode to Tiger Woods for 2010. Here you are given scenarios from real tournaments over the years and asked to match or better the eventual outcome. This mode adds an extra layer to the game but I didn’t find it interesting enough to want to return after trying it out.

The mini games and tournament challenge modes could easily be lost from the game without affecting the overall quality.

The main and biggest part of Tiger Woods 10 is as always career mode. Your created golfer naturally starts his career as a rookie, the aim being to climb the golfing ladder by winning tournaments and finally taking the coveted FedEx Cup.

Once you’re fully immersed into the game this mode has the potential to consume years of your life. There is so much to do, from establishing yourself as a pro, winning a place on the PGA Tour, earning money and battling to become the number one player in the world. The career mode is engrossing, deep and very long.

It’s easy to see that Tiger Woods 10 is a massive game but all the modes and gimmicks in the world would count for nothing if the golf part of the experience wasn’t up to scratch. Luckily the golf part is very much up to scratch. It offers a fun and accessible representation of the sport, which in all honesty as about as realistic as golf could be on the current PSP hardware.

One of the strengths of the game is the excellent control system.

The people at EA are good but they aren’t miracle workers and they are never going to be able to create a mechanism for swinging a golf club which feels authentic on a small gaming device.

What they have done in Tiger Woods 10 is put the analogue stick to good use, resulting in something which at least feels reasonably natural. Most importantly, it works well and allows for reliable shot play.

Once you’ve settled on shot placement you start the swing by pulling the analogue stick down. At the right moment, when the power meter is at the desired level, you swing forwards by pushing the analogue stick up. You need to keep a straight line with your back and forth motion to achieve an accurate shot.

There is an even simpler alternative control system which involves clicking to stop a slider at the right points to set power and aim.

An interesting addition to the game this time is confidence. Avoid hazards, play good shots and keep your score down to boost your golfer’s confidence and in turn give a boost to his key abilities. The inclusion of a confidence meter is a neat way of involving psychology in the game.

Graphically Tiger Woods 10 is good but not groundbreaking. In terms of visual flair the game hasn’t moved on much in recent years. That said, the courses are still attractive while player movement is fluid and believable. The definition and texture of features such as the greens and fairways are not as detailed as on home consoles but this is a cross which all sports games on PSP must bear.

Sound-wise, the clank of club on ball is very solid while other effects such as crowd noises and commentary are decent enough.

As you would expect from an EA game, the overall presentation on and off the course is very slick. The user interface is clean and easy to navigate.

It’s easy to write my conclusion to this review because Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 simply has no peers on the PSP platform.

Forget its slight graphical limitations or how the new features are rather hit-and-miss – if you own a PSP and want the best golf game, here it is.

Verdict: 8.5 out of 10 – Tiger’s back with a roar for 2010 with this high-quality golf simulation awash with content and style.