Tiger Woods 12: The Masters Review

The latest addition to EA’s highly established Tiger Woods PGA Tour series brings the legendary greens of Augusta into play for the first time as players battle their way through The Masters alongside some of the greatest golfers of all time. The Masters adds many new features to an already well polished franchise but can it match par with previous PGA Tour titles?

I would usually much rather sit down with a good RPG or action packed FPS but the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series has always had something that little bit special so I was happy to sit down and give this one a shot

New Features

Although the majority of the core game mechanics remain practically unchanged for the most part, EA did add in a few new features that are worth mentioning. Most notibly is the new Caddy System, for those slightly less golf savvy, a Caddy is a golfer’s partner that gives them information and advice as they play. To begin with your Caddy would be considered as a novice, giving average advice for your shots and putts, as you perform better on each course and complete certain on course objectives, your Caddy grows in experience and offers better advice on your shots. On paper it can seem to take a little away from the game but after spending some serious time playing, it really does add a whole new level to the series. A Caddy with gold level experience on any given course can give exact direction and power advice for a Hole In One shot or predict a 90ft putt perfectly, they always offer an alternative to a custom shot (well most of the time) which adds more options to each stroke.

Course Mastery is another new addition to the series combining with the Caddy system you’re given a list of set objectives such as achieving a certain score finish, a 50ft putt or even a Hole In One to achieve a bronze, silver and gold score on any given course which in turn increases your Caddy abilities and your characters experience of the course.

By far the most anticipated addition to Tiger Woods 12 is the introduction of The Masters tournament for the very first time. The most prestigious golfing tournament on the circuit, played on the legendary course Augusta with the best golfing talent in the modern game, The Masters tournament is the pinnacle of golf and the game doesn’t fail to deliver as you can follow the path of yesteryear’s golfing heroes as you tackle the most famous course in the sport.

Offering a total of 35 unique courses (Including DLC) and 22 golfers, it’s the most comprehensive PGA Tour title to date. The game does have a few minor drawbacks, the new immersion based cameras reduce visibility on many occasions and there are a number of tedious bugs with the pins system. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 is the best in the series yet and well worth picking up for a good multiplayer game.