By Logan Swinkels
Rory McIlroy PGA Tour is the first golf game by EA Sports since 1998 to not feature Tiger Woods on the cover or in the title.
It's time for a new superstar to emerge and dominate the virtual links.
The PGA Tour series is one I've played for a long time. I don't find watching golf to be of any interest at all, but I can't say no to a solid golf videogame. The concentration and patience required for mastering all the different elements in these games really appeals to me.
EA Sports have suffered a bit of criticism from fans on social media that the new game is 'unfinished' by only having twelve golf courses and twelve PGA pros to play as. Let's be honest, most of us will only want to play as Rory McIlroy or man of the moment, Jordan Spieth.
When you see how beautifully crafted these eight real-life courses and four fantasy courses are, you'll find this criticism unfounded. The courses, such as the beloved St Andrews, look precisely like their real-life counterparts and play just as well. Your approach shot will bounce harder off a links green, softer on others. And thanks to the Frostbite 3 engine from DICE, load times are so fast and fluid, you'll breeze from hole to hole without delay.
Florida courses like TPC Sawgrass and Bay Hill have flies everywhere and there are also alligators roaming around the waters of Bay Hill, which might remind you of Happy Gilmore.
The Cliffs at Lighthouse Pointe is one of the fantasy courses and it's a thing of beauty. It's spectacular seeing the Atlantic Ocean running along the edge of the course, with the sounds of waves crashing along the cliffs.
The controls are simple. You have three options, two of which rely heavily on the left stick, or there's the classic 3-click swing mechanic. Twenty years on from my first golf game, the 3-click still works a treat.
There's also a focus arc that acts as a guide for how your shot will shape - great for trying to avoid those pesky trees that hang over the fairway. The focus arc also teaches you how the wind, lie of the ball and elevation of the pin can affect your next shot.
There's a fun online component to the game as well, with daily and weekly tournaments available. It's a simple but effective way to emulate how a tournament would play out on the real PGA Tour.
A good amount of practice is needed before you can realistically expect a good placing amongst your online golfing peers, as the focus arc is gone and it's down to you to judge all the elements in play.
My first online tournament was at TPC Sawgrass and the 16th hole gave me nightmares. I hit the gaping water hazard three times on a par 5, reaching the stroke limit and was forced to retire from the hole.
I was surprised that the infamous 17th hole didn't see my ball go for another swim, but after being three-under-par at one point in the tournament, I ended up finishing in 61st position at the time with a 5-over. As the day went on, my position on the tournament ladder continued to slip.
You might wonder how much longevity a golf game might have, but the Tour Pro mode will keep you coming back as you start off as a lowly rated 60-something and work your way up the ranks towards PGA Tour glory.
If you don't want to spend the half hour or so required to play the full 18 holes, there's an option to only play a few holes each round. Every round played will earn XP points as your pro gains more experience. It would be nice if you could allocate the XP points yourself to address the weaknesses in your game, but they are automatically allocated for you.
A new mode called Night Club Challenge arrives in this latest incarnation of the series, inspiring the tagline 'Golf Without Limits'. It's golf, charged up - with a few fantasy golf courses added on.
Neon lights outline the fairways and greens as you hit your ball through hoops, aim for targets and smash plates. It's a bit of fun but I struggled to see the lasting appeal of this mode. With its over-the-top arcade vibe, Night Club Challenge feels like it belongs on your phone or tablet as a standalone app.
This year EA have introduced two new 'moments' to slick up the presentation and peak your interest at certain moments in the game. The 'BOSE Big Hit' moment activates on the tee when you're about to crush the ball with a powerful, precise drive.
The swing animation plays out in super slow motion and you'll feel a vibrating thud from the controller as you hit the ball - plus there's a flaming-streak behind the ball as it whistles through the air on your ridiculous 300+ yard tee shot.
This moment is cool the first few times, but as you get the hang of the game and nail the swing mechanics, it happens too often to feel special.
The second moment is the 'BOSE Heartbeat' moment. It only occurs on those rare moments when you've hit an approach shot that hugs the edge of the hole, or you've nailed that long difficult putt. The super slow-motion triggers, a heartbeat beats slowly, the controller vibrates slowly and you are stuck in suspense.
The first time I triggered the heartbeat, the ball was stuck in a bunker just off the green. I was hoping my chip shot would just make it out of the sand to save the hole from a bad score. But the heartbeat kicks in and the ball slowly rolled into the hole giving me an eagle on a par 5, causing me to jump in celebration. Not even kidding - that's how invested I was in that one shot, all because of the slow-motion treatment. I doubt I've ever been so invested in a single moment of golf before.
That's the beauty of Rory McIlroy PGA Tour. It doesn't fail to deliver the excitement you can experience from a great round of golf. Just keep practicing, because as in real-life, mastering your short game will take time.
You'll fist pump the air as you sink that crucial birdie putt. Or, if you're having a bad day, you will groan in agony over that near miss while commentator Frank Nobilo chimes in with "It feels like kissing your mother-in-law".
Overall, the presentation plays out like an NBC/Golf Channel broadcast. From the swing of the club to the applauding crowds - everything adds to that authentic environment.
While it plays a solid round, some might struggle to find a reason to keep coming back for more.
Rory McIlroy PGA Tour is for fans of the genre that are happy to grind it out leveling up your own PGA pro.
Four stars.
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Rory McIlroy PGA Tour :: Publisher: EA Sports:: Developer: EA Tiburon:: Format: PlayStation 4, Xbox One:: Rating: G
