Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 Review (360/PS3)

[RaychelSnr]

This year's iteration of the Tiger Woods franchise brings with it a reliable simulation, but the developers have also experimented with a couple of key features. A few of these new modes and features don't quite hit the mark — and there's a mean-spirited setup to some of the unlockable courses — but the core gameplay is very strong, with lots of value to be found in the offline and online areas.

Read More - Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 Review (360/PS3)

[Dazraz]

I've always used the 3 click system in the past so I was a bit concerned over it's omission this year. However the analog system is alot more refined than in previous iterations & works well.
In regards to the DLC at least EA have given us the option to pay less for a course & play it a limited a number of times. Most courses I only place once or twice so this option works for me. As for whether the costs are justified, well that's another story altogether.
Commentary is woeful with EA even removing the short intoduction on each hole that was provided on most courses. There is obviously a large number of gamers that click through such presentation moments & won't miss them at all, but for those like myself, who enjoy the immersion of such broadcast elements PGA 13 does disappoint.
The best PGA game in the series it is, but the game falls short in terms of a quality career mode, commentary & atmosphere.

[ps3veron]

Loved the review, perfect mark I'd say too.

Its genuinely a fun game, the only thing that puts me off are those darn coins, makes me feel like I am playing some free app on the Pad!

But overall, a very strong iteration.

[PAPERNUT]

Solid review. I give it an 8.0 as I have been hooked just playing the courses themselves online with friends. Career mode does suck compared to other games and the DLC content I actually like since we can work towards unlocking it free for play unlike other games that limit it completely. People need to face it that DLC is here to stay and until people stop paying for it, they will continue to do it. Of course that will never happen, so look for the value of what the game has itself and choose to buy it or not. Well worth it for me this year as I have enjoyed it.

[MrArlingtonBeach]

"...mean-spirited setup to some of the unlockable courses..."

As a PS3 user, I find the exact opposite is true. I can use the in-game coins to unlock courses without having to spend time on course mastery or money to get them. It's very customer-friendly. In just one week, I have unlocked Spyglass Hill and am more than 2/3 of the way to being able to unlock another course. I have spent no extra money and have not rented a round at any DLC course.

The mean-spirited part, according to the game's developers, is that Microsoft refused to allow this system in the Xbox version of the game, so Xbox players have to either master each DLC course or buy them with MS Points. Coins can't be used outright to buy unlimited use of DLC courses on the Xbox version of the game.

[kerosene31]

The one thing I don't get is how DLC is a "problem" this year. The number of courses on the disc is pretty much the same as it has been. The extra option to earn rounds seems like a plus to me, and for those who don't like it can still buy the courses.

Also, I did wonder why country clubs were only briefly mentioned. Seems like a pretty big feature this year (or at least popular based on posts here), but it kind of only got a quick mention.

To me the score seems low based on what was added, but of course that's just my opinion. The game feels like a big improvement over past years, especially last year.

[mcmax3000]

Quote: Originally Posted by MrArlingtonBeach

The mean-spirited part, according to the game's developers, is that Microsoft refused to allow this system in the Xbox version of the game, so Xbox players have to either master each DLC course or buy them with MS Points. Coins can't be used outright to buy unlimited use of DLC courses on the Xbox version of the game.

I can't help but think that there's more to that situation than EA is telling us.

We can still earn coins and unlock the DLC without paying a cent on the 360 (yes, it's more work than on the PS3 version, but the course mastery objectives aren't that overly difficult), so how is that any different from Microsoft's point of view than us being able to earn enough coins to just unlock it outright?

Either way, Microsoft isn't seeing any money so I don't get why they will supposedly allow one but not the other.

I could understand why they would maybe require EA to sell the courses on the Marketplace instead of just with in game coins like they do on PS3, but the rest seems pretty strange to me.

[MrArlingtonBeach]

Quote: Originally Posted by mcmax3000

I can't help but think that there's more to that situation than EA is telling us. We can still earn coins and unlock the DLC without paying a cent on the 360 (yes, it's more work than on the PS3 version, but the course mastery objectives aren't that overly difficult), so how is that any different from Microsoft's point of view than us being able to earn enough coins to just unlock it outright? Either way, Microsoft isn't seeing any money so I don't get why they will supposedly allow one but not the other. I could understand why they would maybe require EA to sell the courses on the Marketplace instead of just with in game coins like they do on PS3, but the rest seems pretty strange to me.

How many people though are going to look at the system in place on the Xbox and say, "I'll just buy the courses instead of putting in that extra time"?

It makes it a lot easier to just pay for the courses when your only other option is to first earn coins to rent rounds, and then put extra time into mastering and unlocking them. I would have to think MS figured they could earn more money by not allowing courses to be bought with coins.

Granted, I don't know why Sony would not want a part of that extra income. But, from all the info I can gather, it was a decision made by MS and Sony, not EA. Why would EA want it different on both consoles?

That said, and no matter what console you are on, the fact that you can get free DLC courses is not 'mean-spirited' at all. After the complaints people had after last year's DLC handling, the way DLC is done in TW 13 is much better.