Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002
Score: 90% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: EA Sports Developer: Headgate Studios Media: CD/2 Players: 1 - 8 Genre: Sports
Graphics & Sound: You wouldn't expect a simple golf game to slow down your computer, but for you unbelievers out there, here is a bit of evidence that should change your mind. Detailed trees and shrubbery, the animated gallery (not to mention the quality of the golfers themselves), and some very nice water effects have the capability of slowing down even the most monstrous of machines. Needless to say, this is probably the nicest looking golfing game out there. Golf, a naturally quiet sport, doesn't present the loudest of crowds. There are no bone shattering collisions, no roars of the mob. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002 makes up for this lack of audio candy with a generous helping of announcer commentary from the people who actually know the sport. Occasionally, the crowd will show its appreciation for your skills, just don't expect your speakers to get blown out.
Gameplay: You can expect everything the professional world of golf has to offer from Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002. With 10 professional golfers, 15 different game modes, and 6 different golf courses, they haven't strayed too far from the mark on this one. One of the many options you have to choose from is the Tour mode, where you take any golfer through a series of challenges and build up their stats. The Tour mode basically offers another whole slew of playing options, but each has to be beaten in turn in order for you to go on to the next. It would be futile to go into detail on all the other options here, but suffice it to say that the replay value is astonishing. Game modes range from a regular match to playing for money on each hole. Any of these modes can also be played online with up to 8 people per game. Combined with the fact that there are 6 different courses with 18 holes each, you shouldn't be getting bored any time soon. On the off chance that things get a little repetitive, the game allows you to create your own golfers and even courses. The Course Creator makes it easy to construct the course of your dreams in seconds, and you'll be playing on it in minutes.
Difficulty: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002 attempts to cater to all people, no matter how experienced (or inexperienced) they are in golf. Difficulty levels can be changed, but the real problem comes in the form of communication, or lack thereof. A lot of terms and items are thrown around and aren't explained enough for people just picking up the sport. It can all be figured out through trial and error, but it just makes the learning process take that much longer.
Game Mechanics: Apart from actually hitting a ball with a club, there isn't much more to it. Fortunately, for those of you who are new to the sport, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002 provides 4 different ways to accomplish this. The first two are simple, requiring you only to face in the general direction of the whole and hit the space bar a few times. The other two are a bit more difficult, and recommended only for golf veterans. They involve using the mouse to swing your club, so if you don't have a steady hand, these really aren't for you. They don't make you play any better, they just make you feel like you're actually hitting the ball. If you can get past the slightly steep learning curve (or you already have a love for the sport), you can't go wrong with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002. Long time golfers and newbies alike should definitely check this one out. There isn't another golf game on the face of the planet that can compare with the realism of this one.
-Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications AKA Andrew Horwitz
Minimum System Requirements: Windows XP/Me/2K/98, 400 MHz Processor, 64 MB RAM, 8X CD - ROM, 500 MB Hard Disk Space, 8 MB Video Card   Test System: Windows 98, 1.4GHz AMD Athlon, GeForce 2 mx 32MB video card, 40 Gig HD, 56x CD-ROM, 256MB DDR Ram, Sound Blaster Live! sound card, T1 Internet connection
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