After the inevitable humiliation of 'Tiger' Timmy Henman's quarter-final thumping at Wimbledon, it's time to turn our attention back to the original Tiger, golf supremo Mr Woods himself. And while his real-life form continues to slump quicker than the Iraqi tourism industry, his gaming self goes from strength to strength.
The main thrust of this year's game is an all-new, tougher Tiger experience, courtesy of EA's latest innovation, Tour Mode. Unlocked after you've proved yourself with a few rounds, Tour Mode turns Tiger Woods from jolly arcade knockabout to full golfing simulation. Grass length, wind speed, course condition, bunker depth, green elevation, even the weather: everything and anything now has an adverse effect on your shot. No more hoofing the ball from tee to green on a par 5. And spinning out of the rough is definitely out. Every shot must be placed to perfection. EA reckons Tiger 2005 will add about 15 shots to your round in the 2004 version.
The rest of the line-up is packed with a heady mix of old and new features alike. The ten-year Season mode, real-time events and Pro Shop all return (with over 1,500 new items of golf accessories), while the Legends Tour (take on golfing heroes like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus), midnight golf and Tiger Proofing (hole customisation) are among the new.
Which leaves one question: where's Live? The US gets it, but not Europe. Like the saying goes, "what Tiger give with one paw, he extracts with a 7 iron from the other".
Tiger Woods 2005 will be swinging its way onto Xbox come 24 September
