Rory McIlroy Golf review – deep in simulation but shallow in content

EA Sports has abandoned Tiger Woods in favour of a new star and the result includes richly detailed visuals, and feels like a fresh start for the series

For 24 years, the PGA Tour series has dominated the world of golfing simulations, its hegemony threatened only by the mostly PC-based Links series - and the more approachable Everybody's Golf. Tiger Woods has been the cover star since 1998, but considering his wane in fortunes, it is understandable that he has been bundled into a golf cart and sent on his way. Now Rory McIlroy, who looks just as fiercely motivated and skilled as the young Tiger once did, will front a fresh chapter for the series.

At first, long-time fans will most likely find the absence of Woods jarring, at first. It feels strange to begin the "Prologue" section of the game and find McIlroy staring back at you recanting his own experiences, rather than reliving some of Tiger's many achievements. But the nostalgia fades as McIlroy, directly addressing the player, talks about how it feels to stand on the opening tee in the final round of a major championship. It is unusually candid, offering a lot more insight than most golfers ever would in a TV interview.