Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Hone your golf swing with Kinect-supported golf sim.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13
What's It About?
As with past golf games from EA Sports, you can play as or against Tiger woods in a handful of accurately-modeled championship courses, such as Pebble Beach, St. Andrews, TPC Sawgrass, and The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island in South Carolina. It's also the only video game that lets you vie to wear the Masters green jacket at Augusta National. Along with Tiger, you can choose to play as more than 20 golf pros, including LPGA golfers; plus you can create your own custom golfer from scratch.
New to this year's game is support for Kinect for Xbox 360. Now you don't have to use the controller to swing clubs if you don't want to -- you can strike a pose in front of your television and perform a real swing to hit the ball. Also new in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 is a game mode called Tiger Legacy Challenge. This is a treat for fans of Tiger, as you can play through his entire life to date. You begin with hitting balls in his backyard and an appearance at age 2 with Bob Hope on The Mike Douglas Show; and then play through his pre-teen and teen years; followed by his professional debut, when he first won the Masters at age 22; and then as Tiger becomes a living legend.
Is It Any Good?
There is a lot of gameplay here, including many different golfers and courses to choose from, multiple single-player and head-to-head online modes, and you've got many options for controlling the action. That said, there's an issue with Kinect when it comes to navigating the small menus using your hands (it's better to use the voice option) and when you face the screen to hit the ball, your onscreen golfer is standing sideways, with their shoulder facing you, so there's a bit of a disconnect there. Other issues include long load times and a stuttering frame rate at times.
Overall, however, the addition of Kinect support, Tiger Legacy Challenge mode, and the option to host online country club matches all add to the game's appeal. It might not be a hole in one, but Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 should satisfy both new and seasoned golf fans alike. [Note: Besides Kinect and PlayStation Move support, both versions of the game look and play the same.]
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether Tiger's personal life should impact the desire to play this game. Can players, such as kids, separate the things they've heard about Tiger's personal life when they're playing this game? Does it take away the appeal to play as Tiger Woods on the golf course?
Are golf games your favorite type of sport games?
Do you like the addition of being able to play without a controller on Kinect?
Game Details
- Platforms : PlayStation 3 , Xbox 360
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : EA Sports
- Release date : March 27, 2012
- Genre : Sports
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : June 19, 2019
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