Review: Real Golf 2011 by GameLoft

Overview

Real Golf 2011

Gameloft has been known for their arcade style golfing games in the Let’s Golf series. Now they’re moving on to a more realistic simulation with Real Golf 2011 which is closer to Tiger Woods PGA Tour. You get to take on real courses around the world with real players, and all the cartoon animations are retained for Let’s Golf.

Features

The game includes 10 pro golfers including Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia, and Jim Furyk and you get to play at real courses like Bethpage, Royal Loch Course, and Harbour Town. The heart of the game is career mode where you play different events throughout the calendar year earning money, and trying to be ranked #1 in the world. There is also a challenge mode with specific types of events, and multiplayer mode online over WiFi, and Bluetooth.

Swing Features

The Good

If you’ve played Let’s Golf 1 or 2 then you know Gameloft makes the most fun golf games in the App Store. Well, now with Real Golf 2011 they make the best realistic golf games in the App Store. From the courses to the players and their motions everything is geared to give you with the feeling of playing actual golf.

The cartoon effects are lost, the crazy locations are no more, but the same speed of the game remains from Let’s Golf. You can play the slow moving game that is Golf rather quickly on the go. You can get in and out of your shots with the greatest of ease, and then when other players shoot you can watch their shot or fast forward through it so you’re shooting again.

Better Equipment Becomes Available as You Progress

With the fast movement of the game you can feel this is as much action as Golf can have. If you want to care about wind speed, which club you’re using, and the lay of the course then this is the golf game for you. The career mode is extremely deluxe with multiple types of events at each different location, the game will keep you coming back for more and more golf.

Every course is designed very well, and it’s great to see the various camera angles with the ball in flight. The player animations are extremely smooth and realistic whether they’re driving, putting, or reacting to their shot. The game has realistic lack of sounds as you would expect for golf, and also features a voice over announcer for everyone’s shots.

The Bad

Since the game isn’t the officially licensed Tiger Woods PGA Tour game by EA it lacks most of the famous players, courses and events. Obviously you can’t play with Tiger Woods, but there are many others you also can’t play with because only 10 players are included. The courses are also relatively obscure as you don’t get to play at Augusta or the Masters for example.

Putt Previews

The gameplay itself is great, but the licensing does take away from some of the golfing experience. The computer opponents are relatively easy especially when you’re playing head to head or a group of four so the challenge is only in dealing with the course. You are also made to wait on the players before you can shoot during Match Play or 4-Ball Match games.


The Decision

This is a golf game at its finest on the idevice with the realistic feel of an actual round of golf. The authentic feel of everything in the game coupled with the ability to play quickly makes it an enjoyable experience each and every time. The lack of licensing limits who you can play with, and where you can play which hampers the fun of the game a bit.

Rating: 4 Stars

In-Game Tip: Putting Grid

The putting grid's colors represent the slope of the green. Blue indicates downhill, red indicates uphill, and green indicates flat.

When putting, the default power displayed doesn't take into account the elevation of the putt.

Crashing, Slow Game Play, etc.

When the game crashes or just quits and goes back to the main screen, just go back into the game and resume from you left off. If the game play is slow and fragmented, do a hard reset of your device. This will NOT lose your progress on a current game. Also, and most importantly, do not EVER delete the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 icon from your iPhone or iPad. This will delete everything you have worked so hard to build with your player.

PGA Tour Action - St. Andrews Winner 55 Under Par

Just won the PGA Tour Event at St. Andrews shooting 52 under par. St. Andrews is by far the easiest of all the course available on Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 for iPhone. Nonetheless, I thought 52 under par was worthy enough to share.

Difficulty Level: Easy (I'm not that good!)

PGA Tour Action - Greenbriar Results after 2nd Round

Greenbriar, behind St. Andrews, is the easiest course on Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 golf for the iPhone. After the 2nd round in PGA Tour play on the Greenbriar Course I'm 22 under.

Game Tip: Hitting from the Sand

When you find yourself in the sand, whether you're close to the hole or in a fairway bunker, the best tip I can offer is to move the aiming marker about 10-15 feet beyond the pin (or the spot its on in the fairway). Then, take a full swing with as much power boost as possible.

This tip will also work if you're in the rough but don't move the aiming marker as far as you did when and if you were in a bunker.

PGA Tour Action - The Predator Results

Results: Didn't make the cut

Thoughts: The Predator course can bend down and kiss my ass. Whoever designed that piece of crap course should be shot!

Take-Away: Now that The Predator is out of my way for PGA Tour play, I will NEVER feel the need to play that cluster-#$!@ of a course ever again.