Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 [X360]

''What's even cooler about the confidence mechanic is that McCord and Feherty will actually remember what you did on a hole on the previous go-round. The game will also track your performance for the past ten shots on any given hole and course. You'll be able to see a graphical representation of this in the pause menu. Confidence is broken down into shot type, course, and clubs, so you'll need to be mindful of your past performance each and every time you step up to the ball.

Then there's the reconditioning of how to hit draws and fades. Rather than having to press your luck and hope that you have some seriously dexterous fingers to manipulate the analog stick just so, in Tiger 08 you'll simply lineup your shot on the fairway then tap either the right or left shoulder buttons to apply the appropriate draw or fade, depending on the hole. Essentially it's just a simpler, more accessible way to use the draw and fade techniques that the pros use all the time.

EA Sports has also fiddled with its putting mechanic yet again. This time around players will still be presented with the same old putting grid with moving lines that let you know how steep of an angle you're dealing with, but now instead of a Tiger Vision or Ideal Putt Camera you'll be able to access a Putt Preview. By simply tapping a shoulder button you'll see the exact line that your putt will move on if you hit it right then and there. You'll have to adjust your shot accordingly after using the Putt Preview, so it's important that you set your putt up prior to tapping the preview button to get as close to holing the shot as possible. The Putt Preview is taken away from players who are ballsy enough to play on Tour Pro difficulty, so it's really just a means to ready you for the big show and teach you how to read greens properly.

Even with the gameplay changes that we've mentioned, the core Tiger gameplay is still firmly intact and as familiar as ever. It's clear that the true focus of this year's was the communal aspect, that being GamerNet. You already know about the channels and how you can set your own zonky win conditions for whatever shot you want, but you don't know is how EA Sports plans to expand on this basic idea. Within Tiger Challenge you'll see a few challenges that are labeled with a Buick insignia. Beat those puppies, and the Buick channel will open up on GamerNet, housing an assortment of different challenges for you to take on.

Moreover, EA will also be adding sponsored challenges and contests for you to compete in. There's no word yet on whether it'll be as easy as completing a certain "impossible" challenge or keeping your gamertag at the top of the leaderboard until a certain date, but it'll definitely add some intensity to the usual GamerNet activities.

When the guys from EA were in the IGN offices they were kind enough to set me up with one of the challenges currently on GamerNet. The conditions were as follows: hit the ball so it bounces into a small circular area, hit the camera tower behind the green, and have the ball go into the cup. Needless to say, I didn't complete that one, but it was cool to know that it was possible, and it actually inspired me to keep on trying; adjusting my shot ever so slightly on each subsequent attempt. Yes, what you've heard is true, GamerNet is going to change videogame golf - and perhaps videogame sports as a whole - forever.

Tiger Woods 08 may not play like an entirely new golf game, even despite the myriad of small changes that have been made, but the online functionality, the retooled Tiger Challenge mode, and the addition of the FedEx Cup to the mix should give this year's game unprecedented legs. Couple the added longevity with a much more attractive design both with the in-game graphics and menu systems and you've got what could be the best Tiger Woods game ever made.

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