Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2000

Golf is a touchy sport. Making a game that can appeal to everyone is pretty much impossible. Fans of the club-swinging genre enjoy a more sim-like experience that accurately captures the methodical pace of the real-life counterpart, while more casual gamers are looking for something that moves a little faster. Tiger Woods PGA 2000 makes no bones about it?s sim foundation, but has a few gameplay adaptations that could?ve made it interesting for even the casual gamer? if only the presentation wasn?t so marred by terrible graphics and unfaithful sim elements.
Gameplay
For the most part, players aren?t going to find anything new here. The tried and true three-point swing system is still in full effect, but TW: PGA 2K actually adds a little innovation to the tired conventions of dimpled ball smacking. Using the left analog stick, players pull back to ?power-up? the shot (the longer you hold back, the harder the ball will be hit, while pulling back-left or -right will hook or slice the shot), then press it forward to launch the ball into orbit. Pressing up and left will fade the shot, and up and right will draw it. While difficult to master at first, the new control scheme pays of ten-fold when you finally grasp the nuances of the system and need to lay down that perfect shot.

Unfortunately, there?s also a small feature that nearly destroys the game?s sim credibility: controlling the ball in mid-flight to its target. Yes, it appears that Tiger Woods (or any other golfer in the game) now has uncanny psychic abilities. The ability to alter the spin of a ball, thus changing the balls trajectory in mid-air MIGHT have worked for the ghastly CyberTiger, but it has no place in a sim.

Following in the footsteps of the Tiger-less PGA series, the 2000 edition is chock-full of depth. Play stroke, skins, shoot-out, four ball, or foursomes as Tiger, Lee Janzen, Brad Faxton, Mark O?Meara, or Justin Leonard across five full courses. Or, if you so choose, spend your time honing your skills on one hole, a single course, or the driving range. The wide range of options insures that you?ll have plenty of gameplay- if you can deal with the graphics.

Graphics
TW: PGA 2K?s graphics are horrible, even for a golf game. Whereas many of the traditional golf sims (the PGA series included) make an effort to keep the on-screen player immersed in his environment, 2K?s players look more like characters on South Park; the stiff, jerky animations not only stand out, but they appear layered on top of the 3D environments. The animations themselves, whether a celebration or ?I suck,? cause a pause while loading that throws a hiccup into the already slow pace.

Sound
Let?s be honest: you?re not looking for Rage Against The Machine when you?re playing 18 holes. And so it comes as no surprise that Tiger Woods 2K is devoid of on-course music. From fairway to green, you?ll get crisp, clean sounds that match the on-screen action, without taking anything away from the rest of the gameplay.



While a marginal increase in quality over last year?s PGA and Tiger games, the combo of the two still can?t resuscitate the poor fool who tries to take in 18 holes, much less a tournament. Bland graphics and a horrible frame rate destroy the calm, methodic pace of golf. Hopefully next year?s offering will be better.