Reviewed: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 (Masters Collection Series, XBOX 360)

Admittedly, my first experience with the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series was back in 2008, when I first got my hands on Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 for the Wii.  It kept me addicted for days; I spent hours carefully swinging the Wii controller to get that Eagle or Birdie, engrossing myself in single player and multiplayer action.

This year, Electronic Arts has returned with a new version: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13.  The difference here, aside from the name, is that it's for the XBox, which doesn't contain the same controls as the Wii.  Fortunately, the makers behind Tiger Woods PGA have worked around this by introducing the Kinect as an alternative to the Wii controller, adding an additional layer of complexity to the game.

The Controls

The controls for this game, unlike other games, is more sensitive than before; simply trying to smack the ball as hard as you can won't work here.  Instead, you'll need to to tweak your swing and stance to best fit the course, which you'll do through the Kinect device.

Unlike any game before, the Kinect takes much more into account than just your hand moving in front of it.  During the swing, it checks for tiny details, such as the height of your backswing, your aim, and how fast you hit the ball.  All of this--plus outside factors, such as the wind or weather--help influence how far, or where, the ball lands, making hitting the ball far more complex than before.  

Learning these controls are no easy task: It's even challenging for those who are familiar with this series.  Admittedly, I found it hard to adapt my swing to the Kinect, and struggled to keep my hits accurate and on course.  However, other people did not struggle as much and found it easy to learn.  

New Additions

In addition to the new Kinect controls, this edition of Tiger Woods PGA introduces two new things: new golfers and courses.  Now featuring 22 golfers, you can now choose to play golf greats such as Rory McIlroy or Rickie Fowler, as well as Tiger Woods.  You'll also get access to a new feature not offered in previous editions, called Tiger's Legacy, which allows you to live through Tiger Woods' greatest moments in golf history.  During gameplay I found Tiger's Legacy extremely dull and self-serving; there wasn't anything truly appealing about this, and I opted for a round of golf instead.  Sorry Tiger--if I wanted to relieve these moments, I'd turn on a TV or go on Youtube.

Improvements

Overall, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 looks nearly identical to its predecessors, even down to its graphics.  Little has changes since its previous installment, which disappointed me, as I definitely think improvements could be made to the terrain of courses and golf players.  This edition still has a 3-D cartoony feel that I really disliked, and certainly improvement could be made in this area.

The changes to the controls were the most noticeable modifications in this game.  Although I prefer using the Wii, the Kinect serves as a great substitute, though the learning curve can be high.  The sensitivity of the Kinect also forces you to be careful with your swing, adding a layer of realism to this game.

What the Customers Say

Now here's the bad part: Most customers hate this video game.  This is no exaggeration--they literally hate it.  Here's what they had to say:

"One of my favorite thing about Tiger 2012 was the fact that you don't have to use the swing stick; in the amateur mode, it gives you the option to use the buttons.  Not so on Tiger 13... you have to either use the swing stick or the Kinnect feature.  If I had known this, I wouldn't have dropped 70 bucks on this game."

"This wasn't worth the box it came in....news flash..We don't all have the move or kinect."

Conclusion

Although it hasn't changed dramatically from its previous release, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 is still a fairly decent and engaging game.  Learning the new controls can be daunting however--and you'll need to shell out money for the Kinect if you don't have it already.