Par for the course

Few video games are able to blur the lines between reality and fantasy. No matter how realistic the players or crowds look, you still know you're not intercepting an errant Brett Favre pass or dunking over Shaq. But when you're in "Tiger Woods PGA Tour '07", you cross that line. You can feel the pressure as your video game-self prepares to tee off on the 17th at TPC at Sawgrass, the gale-force wind just waiting to take your ball into the water, Tiger breathing down your neck as you compete in match play. \nI couldn't wait for the XBOX 360 version of this game to be released. With last year's version quickly reformatted from regular XBOX, it barely had any of the features of the original classic -- already established as the best golf game out there. This year's edition is a complete game. The player list is adequately sized with all the usual suspects (Woods, Singh, Goosen, Furyk, and of course John Daly), and there's 12 stunningly realistic courses, with create-a-course options as well. \nBut the best part of the game is definitely the career mode. You start by creating a golfer, selecting from seemingly endless possibilities of physical appearance, accessories, and clothing. Then you can hit up the practice facility and train, improving your skills from rookie to legend. You can also compete in the Tiger Challenge, where you face random competitors and pros alike in match play in order to u lock courses, players, increase your skill, and eventually take on the ultimate challenger in Tiger Woods. Not to mention a little thing called the PGA Tour season, where you can compete in the same events as the pros in an effort to make a name for your created self. \nOf course, the game added some features as well. "Tournament atmosphere" allows you to play under the watchful eyes of a full gallery of people, there to cheer you on or get in the way of your shots as they're pelted with shots gone awry. There's also the "true aiming" system, which allows you to add a draw or fade on your shot by manipulating the joystick. \nOverall, the game's great, but it still isn't quite up to the level that the original XBOX version was. Great graphics, good gameplay, could use some more courses and players. It's still as close to shooting under par at Pebble Beach I'll get.