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EA Sports' latest golf sim may put the final nail in Links' coffin. There is simply no need to own another golf game. Find out why!

A long time ago, in a gaming galaxy far, far away, a golf sim ruled the universe. The game was called Links, and it was produced by a small Utah company named Access Software. The little golf game revolutionized the genre. It ruled PCs and less well-known platforms like the Commodore 64, by providing graphics and game-play second to none.

So good was Links that Access Software was soon acquired by the United Federation of Software Companies, also known as Microsoft. Every now and then a challenger came forward, not the least of which was a company called Accolade with a series of superb golf games under the title Jack Nicklaus Golf.

But Links rolled on, conquering all, slaying even the superb Sierra game, PGA Championship Golf 2000. But PGACG didn’t die in vain. A little invention called True Swing survived to find its way into the inferior competition from EA Sports named after the great golfer, Tiger Woods.

With a total graphics overhaul and TrueSwing refined, the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002 leaped to the level of the mighty Links. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 stepped ahead of Links with a new career mode and a tweaked TrueSwing, making the older game seem old-fashioned and boring.

EA Sports’ Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 (TW2K4) may put the final nail in Links’ coffin. Forgive the use of another cliché but the best just got better. Much better. There is simply no need to own another golf game. Here are the reasons why.

If you’ve read our reviews of TW2K2 and TW2K3, believe them. Now add more. This year’s graphics surpass last year’s game. TW2K4 lets you select your graphical resolution up to 1280 x 1024. Select a high res and take a look at the water on TPC Avenel or Coeur d’Alene. It's as impressive as the water in Comanche 4. The graphical representation of water in a golf game is hardly a critical issue. Still, it enhances the overall immersion or “wow” factor.

Now you can create a golfer almost from scratch. Give him a big or small head. Make him bald; give him a ‘60s Afro or a Mohawk. Put him in a T-shirt with tattoos on his (or her) arms. Dress him in knickers, shorts, earrings, even sandals with golf studs on the soles. Give him wrinkles, scars, facial tats or even acne. Make him black, white, Chicano or Chinese. You decide. The feature -called “Game Face”- gives you the tools to be a junior Michelangelo.

You can even create a specific body type. Give your golfer biceps like Arnold Schwarzenegger or bug eyes and a gut like Rodney Dangerfield. Give your on-screen character a beard, mustache, and sunglasses. Dress up your golfer to look like a street punk, complete with a ‘do-rag and a defiant expression. Add a pair of knickers with no socks to really put the fashion police on red alert.

While “Game Face” has absolutely nothing to do with golf, it has everything to do with fun. The ability to create a reasonable likeness of oneself instead of having to play as The Tigermeister, or some generic-looking character, is very motivating. It is a smart addition to an already superb golf sim.

The best thing about TW2K4 is the career mode. It is deeper than the same mode in last year’s game. There are five levels to go through to “complete” career mode: Amateur, Pro, Tour, Championship, and Master. To advance from one level to another you have to earn a minimum amount of attribute points, which are specific golfing skills, including power, long game, recovery, short game and putting.
To accumulate the necessary points you have to complete lessons in things like chipping, sand shots, advanced driving, advanced chipping, introductory high spin shots, etc. The difficulty of the shot or lesson is dictated by the level you are on.

Another way to accumulate attribute points is to go on World Tour and compete in events in various parts of the world. Again, the available events are dictated by your level. As you advance in level, more tour events are unlocked.

You can also go straight to tournaments while in career mode. Earn enough attribute points to get through Amateur “Q” School (Qualifying School) and you can unlock pro tournaments. Advance through Pro “Q” School and unlock Tour-level tournaments and so on.

TW2K4 comes with 18 courses, including two user-made gems that will tax the most skilled virtual golfer, especially on expert level of difficulty. “The Highlands” looks like it sounds. A castle is part of the scenery at some of the holes. “The Predator” is a twisting, dog-legged monster that seems to require more than a few impossible shots. Both courses are featured in the screen shots accompanying this review. Take a look at the rough on these courses. The grass looks like it hasn’t been cut in years! Forget about irons. You need a sickle to hack your way out of that jungle.

Another cool feature is sponsorships. Even before completing Amateur Q School, if you play well sports equipment companies might approach you and offer to sponsor your career. You get to wear their clothes and use some of their equipment in exchange for money. I’m currently sponsored by Ping, but I have my eye on Nike, Tiger’s sponsor.

There is little to dislike about TW2K4. What there is to dislike is hugely annoying. While the announcers will sometimes make some surprisingly interesting and funny comments, like McCord’s “I see deep rough and I see dead people,” many of the comments are boring, repetitive and even incorrect.

I played an entire 18-hole round in which half the play-by-play was erroneous. I hit several very long putts dead solid perfect, only to hear the bobo announcers groan along with the crowd about my “near miss.” “Too bad” the announcers said, after I chipped in spectacularly from 35 feet on the fringe with a sand wedge. It’s too bad EA spent so little time on the announcing. One would think they could’ve at least made sure the announcing was correct if not exciting. At times the announcing was so bad I wanted to turn it off.

Another “bug” reared its ugly head on a hole on Pebble Beach. I was on the fringe and wanted to use my putter. For some unknown reason the program wouldn’t let me. The default club selected by the game wanted me to use the sand wedge. It took 45 mouse clicks, each one angrier than the one before it, and some high decibel screaming before I finally saw my putter appear in my golfer’s hand.

Multiplayer, however, is one of TW2K4’s strengths. Included in the screen shots are a couple of multiplayer set-up screens. TW2K4 allows you the choice of playing via IP or LAN, or at the click of a mouse button, you can zip to EA’s excellent Internet matching service. Figuring out what to do when you get there is a snap. And there appear to be an abundance of anxious opponents available at all levels of difficulty, from novice to expert.

In my very first Internet game I got owned by some dude from Sweden. Fortunately, it was match play so the massacre was over after only seven holes. Thousands are online during peak periods, so there is no excuse for not being able to find a game against real human opponents when you’re in the mood. Just avoid Superman from Sweden.

Whether your preference is single-player or multi-player, TW2K4 is easily the best golf sim ever made. Now, if EA would put a little time into fixing the announcing, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 would be dead solid perfect.


Review by Walter Hurdle.