Description:
EA Sports paid golf megastar Tiger Woods a bundle to star in its golf games and the money was probably worth it. The last two games weren't very good and probably needed the megastar's endorsement to sell as well as they did. Stung by criticism, EA lured away a few of the developers of rival Sierra's PGA Tour golf simulation. The presence of the experienced developers has improved this installment of the Tiger series, but a few flaws remain. The biggest update over Tiger Woods 2000 is the speed of the graphics. Last year's version was terminally slow and choppy, especially when using the chase camera. This year things are smoothed out. The scenery graphics still look great, but the golfers look tired and pasted on. All except for Woods, that is, as he must have had it in his contract that his animations would look perfect. As it stands, his are the only swing, celebration, and frustration animations that are in sync with the action. Tiger Woods 2001 still features the best three-click swing method on the block. It even gives you easy-to-follow hints while you're learning the game. These tutorials just aren't available in other golf games. Tiger's "mouse swing" is awful however, easily the worst around. The mouse doesn't track as intuitively or as well as it does in the Microsoft or Sierra golf games. Tiger Woods 2001 contains a few great courses and the gameplay is solid. It's recommendable to golf fans looking for a "lighter" game, even if at the expense of a decent mouse swing and a certain amount of realism. It's also the only game in town featuring the inestimable Mr. Woods. --Bob Andrews Pros: - 3-click swing is smooth and easy
- Beautiful scenery
- Tiger looks great
Cons: - Other golfers look fake
- The physics are still a bit off
| 
