I jumped at the chance to play Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 with a few friends at the weekend. Trying to find a good game these days is difficult enough, my recent experiences in game shops recently feel alot like a treasure hunt that I most definately don’t win! On top of that, my mates had never been particularly into Golf games, not in the same way I am… but we all had a blast. The session stretched long into the night before we called it a tie, (I won!). I grabbed my own copy first thing on Monday morning and have played it pretty solidly since. For all the flack they receive, EA’s sports games are very rarely bad, but they are almost never as consistently brilliant as Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09.

EA ships every copy of the humorously abbreviated TWPGAT series with its own brand of slick menus, chewy sound-tracks and layers of statistical icing, but the last few of Tigers outings have been missing that spark of inspired gameplay which ignited the franchise in its early days. I am very pleased to say, Tigers got it back, and he’s on fire.

Many of EA’s sports franchise titles are better this year. Perhaps it’s the natural cycle of production; the ‘next gen’ consoles are now firmly embedded in the current generation, so it’s no wonder developers have more time for gameplay polishing rather than bug stomping. I have another theory though, I think –along with the TWPGAT09 development team—that we have one key player at EA to thank for Tigers return to form: Peter Moore.

Yes, the inimitable dystopian dome of Peter Moore, overseer of EA’s sports franchises and all round talented guy has certainly had a hand in the successful baking of this cake. EA’s GamerNet platform is more tightly integrated into the game than ever, allowing the saving of awesome or bizarre shots as clips or even challenges which can be attempted by other players. Players can take a moment out from any normal game to attempt a GamerNet challenge which will be displayed right in their single player world, completing these challenges is an immensely satisfying diversion from grinding through hole after par 5 hole. Moore has always been big on connecting gamers and his talented money making finger prints are all over these excellent new GamerNet treats. The man has been so sucsessful with his investments in commercial property, that her really doesn’t need to work any more - though we are all glad that he does. Let’s hope that Moore is baking plenty more of this high quality produce to sample during 2009.

It’s not all sugary roses and Ryder cup cakes though (…what?) The nature of the sport demands a certain pace if it wishes to stay true to Tigers talent, so of course the game takes time –lots of time. Investment is well rewarded though, with lots of item unlocking and skill 1 up’ing to keep things interesting. In the end, it’s a players’ game, and Tigers one of the biggest players of them all. If you’re looking for a golf title, or even a decent multiplayer session, then you won’t be disappointed with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09

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