First some bad news. Like FIFA 07, Tiger Woods on the 360 is an anaemic version of the Xbox and PS2 titles and contains only 12 courses and 20 golfers as opposed to the 21 courses and 50 golfers that have crept into the current last-gen offerings. Fortunately though, it remains the best videogame golf we’ve ever played.

Take the actual courses. All 12 show a staggering amount of detail thanks to the 360 being able to capture every course with a frightening eye for perfection. Each bunker and strategically placed hazard has been perfectly replicated in digital form and the end result is so authentic you can almost feel the breeze and smell the freshly cut grass. Then, of course, you have Tiger and the 19 other golfers you’ll face off against. Animation throughout is exemplary and the new UCAP techniques, along with the picture-in-picture mode, has enabled EA to capture each golfer’s mannerisms with a subtle brilliance that gives TW07 a realism that was painfully missing from TW06. Throw in a ridiculously comprehensive character creation mode and this update is the best-looking version to date. Hell, even the crowd is individually animated and you’ll see them writhe in pain when struck by a rogue ball or hastily run up the fairway in time for the next shot.

Still, beautiful aesthetics tell only half the story. Along with improved swing controls and several new minigames and game modes – including the highly strategic One Ball game – TW07 introduces a new True Aim system, which is fantastic. Essentially, a large circle shows where a struck ball should eventually end up. As play progresses you’ll be judged on your performance and told what skills to improve and the circle will gradually become smaller (making it far easier to make shots). It’s a great touch that constantly evolves as you improve your game, and proves to be a real masterstroke on behalf of EA (pun fully intended).

Granted, it could be argued that you’re essentially getting a cut-down version of a game that’s costing you an extra £15 for its hi-def visuals, but it still remains the greatest golf game you can currently buy and that’s good enough for us. We’ll see you at the 19th hole.

Darran Jones