Top 10 Golf Games
01. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12
The problem with choosing any Tiger Woods PGA title from the series as the Number One pick in the countdown is that it really is not a surprise to anyone. The reason for that? When the wizards at EA first created this series it was a diamond in the rough. Then through a process of carefully vetting the good from the bad, it improved. By the time the sixth edition landed in gamer hands, it was almost perfect. So no surprise here. Number One.
What may very well BE a surprise however is that we chose Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 as our choice for the best game in the series to represent it in this slot as Number One!
A lot of the serious fans of the Tiger Woods Series actually and initially found PGA Tour 12 to be something of a letdown thanks to EA Sports removing the ability to build your swing. That was a big deal for a significant portion of the fan base, but happily once they started to play the game and began to understand the big picture reason for that decision, those attitudes began to change. For the better.
From an overview position there are facts that can not be disputed: the graphical elements of the game were never better or more realistic. The guidance offered by the pro-grade caddies was another clearly superior element, making the learning process for new players who lacked a firm knowledge of the game a major advantage.
Actually that point warrants emphasis... The instructions that the caddies offer the player goes well beyond simple advice on how to make a specific shot or the best approach to a specific hole, they include a useful and informative set of lessons to help the newbie understand the entire game of golf, which is far more than just hitting a little ball with sticks so it goes into a hole.
It is the best simulation of golf out there and if that were all that it was it would STILL be our choice for Number One - but that is not all that there is to this game.
At the risk of coming off as an enthusiast, the Tiger Woods series offers all of that plus awesome music, understated sound effects that are just the right levels of volume and effect, and a set of courses that are simply sensational.
The EA Sports commentators add a measure of excitement to the game not simply because they often have succinct and accurate assessments to offer on the play, but know enough about the game to surprise you every now and then with accurate assessments on what your strategy should be. Which is kind of odd when you think about it - particularly considering that the golfer would not have access to that input in play.
If that makes it sound like the game is perfect, that is not the correct impression. Because it is not.
There were some aspects that were regrettable, starting with the choice to split the courses into included and optional - but requiring that the player purchase the optional courses in order to be able to actually play through an entire year of tournaments.
Then there are all of the things that Tiger Woods is said to have done wrong in his personal life that has made admitting your a fan of him - or this game series - a bit of a loaded issue in certain environments that adds a very small but palpable sense of shame to it...
Experienced players also thought that the inability to disable the caddies advice was also a negative for the game. But seriously those are the only real drawbacks to the game, and you don't have to admit that you are a fan. Discretion!
All of that aside, and allowing that it is a given that any Tiger Woods PGA game in the series is going to be good - and fun - the stand-out factor that pushed PGA 12 above the rest and landed it in this spot is its focus - by which we mean its tournament focus: The Masters.
There are few destinations - or battles - that will get the blood pumping in a golfer or a golf fan for sure, but The Masters is one of them.
The reason for that has more to do with the journey than the end - but that is the point. The journey to The Masters is a long, sometimes desperate, often exciting one (yes, golf can be exciting).
So when we sum all of the different elements up - the realism, the crew you are golfing against, the mechanics, soundtrack, sound effects, and the destination, it just does not get any better than this.
Conclusions
Well there you have it - our pick of the Top 10 Best Golfing Games. How did we do? How does our picks stack up against yours? We hope you will take a moment to let us know - and share your own selections - using the comments system below!
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