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Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09

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8.5 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 41 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 20 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: EA Tiburon

Genre(s): Golf, Sports

Players: 4

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: August 26, 2008

Summary

This year's Tiger features dynamic, personalized gameplay via Tiger Woods' personal coach, Hank Haney. Looking to drive the ball long and straight? Trying to nail the pin with the approach shot? An all-new addition to this year’s game, Haney will assist gamers as they hit the links and try to advance their career to win the FedExCup. In Tiger Woods PGA Tout 09, a player's skill level is dynamic, constantly adjusting throughout the round just as it would during a real afternoon out on the links. Following each round, Haney will deliver customized feedback on a player's performance. This feedback system allows all gamers, rookies or PGA TOUR pros, to compete and enjoy the game at any level. EA SPORTS GamerNet is a ground-breaking online innovation that features a refined, easy-to-use interface in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09. EA SPORTS GamerNet challenges, such as long drive, approach shots and putting will be delivered instantly throughout all game modes and players have the ability to post their challenges from the fairways. EA SPORTS GamerNet also features an all-new daily leaderboard and challenges customized to fit an individual's playing style. Online play has also been enhanced with Simultaneous Play. This all-new online engine gives up to four players the ability to play each hole at the same time, allowing players to get in a rhythm, swing when they are ready and make one round of golf even faster and more competitive than ever before possible. [Electronic Arts]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

1UP

Tiger 09 is remarkably improved across the board.

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WonderwallWeb

The best golf game money can buy. It has so much on offer and the new Dynamic Skills will keep you on your toes.

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Console Monster

A serious contender for the best golf game of all-time and rightly so.

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MEGamers

Tiger Woods 09 is a fantastic all around effort. The developers took everything good about previous editions in the series, fixed them up and presented us with the best golf game to date.

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XboxAddict

When it all boils down to it, Tiger 09 is the best golf game to hit a console in quite a long time and it should be a welcome addition to any virtual golfer's gaming library.

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Eurogamer

This is yet another solid improvement over its predecessor that nudges the series back into "must buy" status, even if it sometimes feels more like the game is taking steps forward rather then leaps.

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Game Over Online

As I said, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 is a more polished and better-organized version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08.

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GameDaily

After a lackluster performance from last year, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 excels in every area imaginable. The addition of Woods' personal coach, Hank Haney, introduces a significant new skill improvement system with a series of practice drills and advice.

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Xbox360Achievements

The game has taken Tiburon’s first outing, shaken it by the horns and ironed out any flaws that last year’s game had, replacing them with some great new features.

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Worth Playing

It finally feels that enough improvements have been made in the challenge system, load time and game mechanics that it's more than the usual yearly rebranding.

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Video Game Talk

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 is a fantastic entry into this series of games, and really restored some faith in what EA has been doing to the series.

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Game Chronicles

There are numerous new additions and enhancements, and while features like the Game Face continue to disappoint, others like the GamerNet Challenges, Performance Coach, and Club Tuner really elevate the experience and add a whole new level of realism and immersion into the Tiger Woods franchise.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

In terms of visuals, features, quality of courses and online play, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 is a really great golf game. It would probably be easier to recommend if the series wasn’t prone to such inconsistent yearly updates, but at least EA has focused on making the game better than just bigger.

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Team Xbox

And even though it’s not exactly a major overhaul of the game, the improvements are great, the game looks great and it’s as fun as ever. Good job, EA.

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Games Master UK

The best Tiger for a while thanks to some cunning and captivating new features. [Nov 2008, p.66]

Gameplanet

Another fantastic effort from EA, building on solid foundations from last year's iteration. Enough entertainment to keep you on the fairway for months to come.

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Official Xbox Magazine

It's great that Tiger 09 doesn't add 17 new mini-games, but instead reformulates its approach to your golfer's skills and gear with dramatically improved results. [Oct 2008, p.81]

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Game Informer

I’m not sure why EA stripped away features that already worked beautifully. I wish this year’s five new courses were just the beginning of the additions instead of one of the highlights, but it’ll have to do while we wait for a course creator.

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Gaming Age

If it weren't for the commentary crew messing things up so badly, Tiger would have scored in the A range, but alas, there comes another sand trap EA really needs to fix before next year. Otherwise, if you can ignore the commentary crew, you will find a very deep and very fulfilling game of golf that newbies and veterans can enjoy equally.

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GameFocus

If you’re still playing Tiger 06 or 07, you should seriously consider upgrading to this one. The variety of modes, the tweaked thumb-stick control and the addition of EA GamerNet to offline and online play adds an excellent replay value to your virtual golfing experience by giving you a far more complete game.

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HellBored

Tiger Woods 09 is like a visit to a strip club – you know what to expect, but it’s always worth a look.

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IGN

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09, like so many other sports games, doesn’t have a headlining feature, but the handful of new additions perform fairly well.

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X360 Magazine UK

Still brilliant, but the amount that’s gone in to please noobs is grossly disproportionate to that which aims to please fans. Nonetheless, Tiger keeps up his impressive run.

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GameSpot

Friendlier controls and a host of other improvements make Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 great.

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360 Gamer Magazine UK

Exactly what you’ve come to expect; the best golf game available on any format, with a few tweaks and cosmetic touches, and perhaps just a tiny bit of dumbing down for the newcomers. Until this time next year no gaming/ golf enthusiast is likely to want for more, though we can’t see the annual updates carrying on for much longer – there isn’t much left to improve without changing the formula altogether. EA: one point docked for taking away our stats. We want them back next year.

Boomtown

In conclusion EA Sports has put together is damn good game here and one worthy of your money. There's still some work to do though before the Tiger Woods franchise becomes the definitive home of the sport it aims to simulate - as the FIFA franchise has become.

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Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

The same great game it was last year, only with more pointless bolted-on bits.

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Gamervision

The minor innovations and improvements aren’t flashy or particularly sexy, but they definitely enhance the experience and are all welcome additions to the series.

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Level7.nu

Even though there are still a lot of things that needs to be addressed in the formula, this iteration of the Tiger Woods franchise is still the best one to date with spot on gameplay mechanics. For those who have been disappointed with the series latest iterations, this is a great year to get back into it.

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Official Xbox Magazine UK

This isn't just an excellent introduction to the series, but a great expansion of it to keep veterans interested. Without Xbox Live you'll miss out on some of the really cool stuff, but for everyone else 2009 is definitely the year of the Tiger.

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G4 TV

PGA Tour 09 does not reinvent golf in the same way as "NHL 08" completely reinvigorated EA's hockey series, but it is nonetheless an extremely polished and surprisingly addictive title.

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VideoGamer

Unquestionably the best golf sim available on consoles.

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AceGamez

Thanks to this edition, the series continues to hold the title of Best Golf Simulator Ever and I really don't foresee any other game causing it undue worry over the next twelve months.

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Armchair Empire

All in all, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 offers a lot of positives, and both casual and hardcore golfers should be entertained by this game.

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MS Xbox World

The graphics may be starting to show serious signs of neglect compared to other titles from EA Sports, however the rock solid gameplay, superb selection of modes and on-line interactivity make it hard to be overly critical.

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DarkStation

Chances are owners of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 will probably be more then happy just hanging onto that version of the game. The additions to this year’s game aren’t such that make you want to run out and buy the game.

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GameTrailers

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 doesn’t shake things up, but its enhancements keep the game entertaining and addictive, which is really all that matters.

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Game Revolution

Has enough class to disguise the numbers game of golf, and clears enough distance left by its predecessor for an easy lay-up for next year's installment.

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Kombo

If you are looking for a golf game to get into that is new player friendly and instantly enjoyable, Woods 09 is a great entry point.

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GameShark

Are there enough improvements to warrant a purchase of 09 if you have 08? That’s hard for me to say. The dynamic ratings are fantastic, but with a majority of the courses being identical and the gameplay being almost identical it’s a tough sale.

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Gamestyle

Tiger Woods 09 certainly has a lot of life in it. A good online mode and lengthy career will easily keep golf enthusiasts hooked until the next edition.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.5 (out of 10) based on 20 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Todd E. gave it an8:
Plays well...but TOO easy to hit fairways and greens. The idea of player attributes needs to go away. Give a player a certain amount of points to spend on player attributes and let them choose what is important to them, that would be much more fun than playing maxed out players online EVERY match.

John C gave it an8:
A step up graphically and functionally from 08. Club Tuner allows the game to be tweaked to a reasonable challenge for all skill types. Game is still bogged down by multi-range putting system and a loosely integrated swing inteface, but the ball physics are getting closer to the real thing.

Jamie C gave it a4:
Nice graphics, although a tad 'boxy' at times. The gameplay is good, but not really that different then any of the other Tiger games. Putting is ridiculous as missing the hole by an inch when putting uphill can result in the ball stopping in its uphill motion and then rolling back down the hill past your original spot! The attributes system works in strange ways too as I managed to set a course record firing a -11, and yet all my skills decreased by at least .2 each. Tiger Challenge makes the game playable, as with all other Tiger games since the mini games and challenges are fun and rewarding. Match play against a cpu with no fast forward is tedious though. Tournament play also needs some serious tweaking as every single round at least 4 cpu players break the course record. -25 under for a 4 round tournament will get you approximately 30th place, wheres the realism? I shouldnt be able to drive the green of a par five after having the game an hour. Is this arcade style golf?

Adam K gave it a9:
I just want to say being an avid Tiger Gamer, that EA have finally put together a game that is stable and fun, and has depth. Compared to last years release that was full of bugs, this year seems to have it all sorted. Well Done EA. Although the only gripe I do have is that the game is easier than last year, and some ridiculous scores are going to be shot.

James C gave it a9:
This is a big improvement on TW 08 (which I didn't even buy because the demo had shown how horrible it was). The analog swing is much more refined - even better than TW 07. The new stats management system is great - the courses are fantastic and look better than ever. The simplicity of gamernet and how you can win gamernet points simply by playing a single player round shows fantastic implementation. Overall - I'd have to say this is the best TW yet - I'm so glad to be able to say that. Trading in TW 07 is finally an option.

Adam gave it a9:
Controls are way better this year. I like the way the stats work as well. Much Improvement EA!!!!

Leroy gave it a10:
The new club tuner is single handedly the most impressive addition in the entire tiger woods franchise and as a golfer its the coolest thing I have ever seen.

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Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09

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Summary

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What The Critics Said

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