OUR RATING: 8 GREAT About our ratings

TANGIBLES: Gameplay: 8 Visuals: 9 Audio: 9 Value: 7 Quality: 8

Why you should buy it: Not Available Why you should rent it: Not Available

UNIQUE RATING: 8 SUGGESTION: N/A

Tiger Woods has been the most dominate force in golf for some years now. Much of the same can be said for his signature franchise from EA Sports. Every year a new Tiger Woods game comes out and every year we are treated to the best golf game on the market. This year is no different. However, are there enough new features to warrant a renewal of subscription to this staple of golfing majesty?

On the surface the latest iteration in this franchise, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06, will be immediately familiar to fans of the series. Nevertheless, if you scratch that surface a little bit you will find some nifty little additions to the core game. One of the most notable additions is the new “rivals mode,” which is a slight variation on the “legend mode” of last years game. In 06, it is your duty to progress through the ages and defeat legends of the game until you reach the final match with Tiger Woods himself. This is managed through a set of challenges that have you traveling to different era’s to face the likes of Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer. There are also plenty of goofball fantasy characters to play against as well.

Playing through the ages will actually take you on a time-traveling journey through the different periods of golf. You will travel all the way from the games inception to present day. When you move between the different times, you will be treated to a period-specific clubhouse and period-specific equipment. Traveling back to the beginning will bring wooden clubs, rubber balls, and extremely silly looking outfits. This little touch adds a lot of depth to the game by immersing the player in the history of golf.

Before you go traveling through time to challenge the greats you will need to create a character with what is quite possibly the best player-editor in any game. The game face creator is largely the same as before but the level of detail has gone a step farther. Everything on your body can be altered any way you like. You want a seven-foot-tall fat guy with a mullet, a “mom” tattoo on his arm, and broken teeth? You can have that. Add on the ability to create children, a goofy swing, and alter your characters voice, and you have virtually endless options.

As far as actual play mechanics go, the game has been modified somewhat. The analog swing returns with the added edition of the “shape stick.” The shape stick is a more realistic way to put spin and curve on your shots. Hitting a fade or slice shot requires you to use the right analog stick to determine where you want to make contact with the ball. The spot where you make contact will directly affect the balls flight path. This method is easier to use than the Golden Tee style hooks in previous versions, but it really does not come in handy too often. The other big change is the putting. You will no longer be treated to easy-to-follow on screen instructions on how to make a putt; instead, you may need to have some actual skill. The new putting system requires you to actually measure the length of your backswing. No longer will you be able to set a marker and go full backswing on every putt. There are several different levels of power for your putter and it seems like none of them are ever the right length, this makes for lots of medium strength putts. Even though you must rely on your backswing to make putts, you still have a handy “ideal putt camera” that makes putting much easier. If you use the ideal putt camera, you can simply line up with something in the background and adjust your distance to make even the most difficult putts a lot easier. This new putting style is trying to make the game more realistic but with the addition of the ideal putt camera it somewhat nullifies the change. For the most realistic play, try not using the ideal putt camera.

There are plenty of game modes to keep you busy in 06. The usual stroke play, skins play and PGA tour play are here along with some other little things to keep you busy. In rivals mode you can play against the pros in mini challenges, like the closest to the pin and longest drive games. These break up your regular golf routine fairly well and add some depth in the replay department. If mini challenges are not your style, you can take your A-game online and challenge your friends. All the usual modes appear online but there is an online-geared game called three-hole challenge. This is basically a regular round of golf condensed into a measly three holes. While it is great fun for a quick golfing fix, there are people out there that abuse the game. This three hole type game is ideal for people to play multiple games quickly, allowing them to get their rank up high with minimal effort.

Graphically, 06 has made nearly unnoticeable upgrades. Everything from the player models to the breathtaking scenery look practically identical to their 05 brethren. Tiger Woods re-shot his motion capture for this game, but that is hardly noticeable as well. Honestly, you could probably pop 05 into your system and not even tell the difference, aside from maybe a shade more polish.

The sound department has not changed much either. The usual suspects are in place for the commentary, the ever-sarcastic David Feherty and the more subdued Gary McCord. This pairing is perfect, McCord great and Feherty will make you giggle with his ludicrous color commentating. The sounds of the club hitting the ball, and the ambient noises of birds and airplanes overhead are spectacularly done as well.

Overall 06 is a great game, but telling you this is a must have title is just silly. While the game is extremely well done, there is just not enough here to warrant adding another Tiger game to your collection. If you do not own a Tiger Woods game, then by all means, buy this one. If you already have 05, rent this one first to see if it is worth it for you to add another Tiger to your zoo.