ike Tiger Woods making a late surge in the final round, this franchise has found its fighting spirit and came out with a stellar performance. Using the ground laid by last year’s game, this Tiger adds a few simple pieces to reinvigorate itself and make the series more fun than it’s been in a while.

It’s hard to say where this game goes so right. Yeah, it’s a brilliant idea to let people record their best shots and put them online via Gamernet for others to play and vice versa – a feature that’ll explode once players get a hold of it and really show their stuff. But I think it’s because of the whole package more than any one feature. You’ve got the addition of a three-click swing, the inclusion of a shot confidence element that records stats on your strokes, and onscreen shot info that gives you immediate feedback on your hook/slice and power. The only thing I’d change about the gameplay is that I wish there was a way to remap the analog club swing and/or the power button so they don’t interfere with each other so much during your swing. Maybe there needs to be an updated way to generate spin and power on your shots.

Thankfully Tiger 08’s Tiger Challenge mode hasn’t been overhauled – only augmented. The skill rating system with its potential tiers integrates the PGA tour, skill Challenges, and Tiger Challenge, and now the latter offers more variety in its tasks. The honeycomb grid layout of the Tiger Challenge gives you the freedom to tryout some events before taking on the pros.

Sometimes when you’re golfing you nail a hole because you bail yourself out with a superb putt, chip, or tee shot. But this game is instead like masterfully shot hole, where each stroke feels just right.