Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 Available Now For Season Ticket Subs, Post Your Impressions

[ComfortablyLomb]

I picked this up last night after reading the reviews about simulation mode and watching some video--I'm impressed with this year's game. I bowed out of the Tiger Woods market a few years ago due to what could best be described as "irreconcilable difference" but clearly the focus of the game has shifted. I'll definitely have more to say as I get deeper into the game but I do have a few early impressions:

1. The game is much less "goofy" that it was around, say, Tiger 10-11. It has a much more serious tone, and for a golf game, I appreciate that.
2. It looks beautiful. I'm not a graphics junky but this is a pretty game. There are some weird camera hick-ups but I understand they're being patched. Even right now, the presentation and visual package is very good.
3. Simulation mode rocks. My first few holes were played with Zach Johnson at Augusta and my first tee shot was jacked into the right treeline on the first hole. I love that since I was pounding fairways on Tour Pro a few years ago.
4. I know it was added last year but the required draw/fade strike meter really is a huge addition. Not going dead straight back and dead straight forward on every swing does require a little more skill (and introduces more margin for error).
5. It doesn't matter long-term but starting with a created golfer who has a mid-handicapper skill set remains annoying. My poor guy started off being able to drive the ball about 240 off the tee. I totally understand having a baseline skill, but I think it's a little low, and forcing me to suffer through a bunch of rounds to boost his skills to playable numbers is annoying.
6. The replacement of the Tiger Challenges with the Online and CC Tournaments is a good change. I hated the Tiger Challenges.
7. The country club system is a very neat. I joined the OS PS3 Club and promptly posted a +13 on East Lake with my under-skilled golfer. My poor guy couldn't even reach a couple par 4s in two after drives in the fairway.
8. I know people are complaining about having to buy additional courses but 20 courses are A LOT of courses out of the box, especially considering the quality of the courses. I also love that Muirfield Village made it into the game this year. I had a serious Jack Nicklaus 6 flashback while playing it.

Anyway, so far so good. Compared to the last retail Tiger that I played, 11 I believe, this game feels like night-and-day in comparison.

[tsp120]

Quote: Originally Posted by ComfortablyLomb

I picked this up last night after reading the reviews about simulation mode and watching some video--I'm impressed with this year's game. I bowed out of the Tiger Woods market a few years ago due to what could best be described as "irreconcilable difference" but clearly the focus of the game has shifted. I'll definitely have more to say as I get deeper into the game but I do have a few early impressions: 1. The game is much less "goofy" that it was around, say, Tiger 10-11. It has a much more serious tone, and for a golf game, I appreciate that. 2. It looks beautiful. I'm not a graphics junky but this is a pretty game. There are some weird camera hick-ups but I understand they're being patched. Even right now, the presentation and visual package is very good. 3. Simulation mode rocks. My first few holes were played with Zach Johnson at Augusta and my first tee shot was jacked into the right treeline on the first hole. I love that since I was pounding fairways on Tour Pro a few years ago. 4. I know it was added last year but the required draw/fade strike meter really is a huge addition. Not going dead straight back and dead straight forward on every swing does require a little more skill (and introduces more margin for error). 5. It doesn't matter long-term but starting with a created golfer who has a mid-handicapper skill set remains annoying. My poor guy started off being able to drive the ball about 240 off the tee. I totally understand having a baseline skill, but I think it's a little low, and forcing me to suffer through a bunch of rounds to boost his skills to playable numbers is annoying. 6. The replacement of the Tiger Challenges with the Online and CC Tournaments is a good change. I hated the Tiger Challenges. 7. The country club system is a very neat. I joined the OS PS3 Club and promptly posted a +13 on East Lake with my under-skilled golfer. My poor guy couldn't even reach a couple par 4s in two after drives in the fairway. 8. I know people are complaining about having to buy additional courses but 20 courses are A LOT of courses out of the box, especially considering the quality of the courses. I also love that Muirfield Village made it into the game this year. I had a serious Jack Nicklaus 6 flashback while playing it. Anyway, so far so good. Compared to the last retail Tiger that I played, 11 I believe, this game feels like night-and-day in comparison.

I completely agree with just about everything you said. And I'm in a similar boat. I've bought Tiger games before but it always felt like an arcade game. Ever since the release I have been coming here with no expectations to check the game out, knowing people will be complaining about game killers. But I was wrong. I saw very few complaints, watched some youtube videos and then decided to pick it up since it was on sale at Target. Though it's only been two days, I'm impressed at how this game feels like a simulation game for the first time ever. I started in simulation mode, though due to the learning curve I've scaled some things back a little so I can get more used to it, but I intend to play simulation once I figure it all out.

Your point on #5 is something that drives me crazy about this series though. I don't have a lot of time to play, so I don't intend to play the career mode. In fact, the addition of the quick tournaments where you play the final round from a preset position is absolutely perfect for how I want to play this game.

But the problem is, if I want to use a created golfer of my likeness, I have to start with a really bad player and work him up. I'm not interested in that. I'd like to be able to create a golfer with stats that are already on par with the other pros in the game, so I can play on an level playing field.

[Chronic Narnia]

Quote:

Your point on #5 is something that drives me crazy about this series though. I don't have a lot of time to play, so I don't intend to play the career mode. In fact, the addition of the quick tournaments where you play the final round from a preset position is absolutely perfect for how I want to play this game.

I don't have this game yet, but the quick tournament only let's you play the final round? you can't actually play all 4 rounds?

[tsp120]

Quote: Originally Posted by Chronic Narnia

I don't have this game yet, but the quick tournament only let's you play the final round? you can't actually play all 4 rounds?

I think it's only the final round. Though don't take my word for it because I haven't looked around in the options too much yet, as I'm only playing practice rounds.

I can also see how that may disappoint some people.

[OnlookerDelay]

Quote: Originally Posted by Chronic Narnia

I don't have this game yet, but the quick tournament only let's you play the final round? you can't actually play all 4 rounds?

Quick Tournaments are final round only. [EDIT] You can play the Quick Tournament with your CAG (thanks SoxFan01605)

[SoxFan01605]

Quote: Originally Posted by OnlookerDelay

Quick Tournaments are final round only and you can only play them as a licensed PGA or LPGA Tour pro.

You can play them with your CAG as well.

[OnlookerDelay]

Quote: Originally Posted by SoxFan01605

You can play them with your CAG as well.

Really? I tried to do it after reading the question and couldn't get my CAG to appear as an option...

[EDIT]: I went back and saw what I did wrong... I was unwittingly skipping past the first golfer in the list and going to the second (CPU) golfer. Thanks for correcting that! I'll go back and fix my original post so as not to mislead anyone else about this.

[bwiggy33]

I would really like to reiterate how much fun I'm having with this game. I'm a level 56 with my golfer. For about 2 or 3 tournaments in a row I was hitting 15 or more fairways per round. It was getting easy. Well in my last two tournaments that has changed. Now I'm hitting 9-11 and driving balls into the trees on some holes. Just when I thought I may have to turn up the swing difficulty I'm shown that I shouldn't.

Despite driving so well in most of my tournaments, I still have yet to come close to shooting E. It's so annoying but fun at the same time. The best part is, once I do start to play a lot better, I can bump up the swing difficulty because I believe I put it down two spots from the Sim default. It's the only change I made and I'm just having a really good time.

Also question for everyone. Am I the only one who is waiting to play Augusta until I make the PGA Tour? This is the first TW game I've bought since it was included, and I just think that the only way I deserve to play the course is if I earn the right to. I just feel that is the only way to go about it. Right now it definitely isn't happening anytime soon.