Well, July seems to start the EA Sports franchises rearing their heads.  The problem with it is that it is hard to judge how far advanced the game has become from last year's version. So with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 in our hands we need to look past what we already know.

Like almost all the other EA sports games that we have come to expect year after year like clockwork, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 delivers what it promises and does so in a very workmanlike, efficient manner.

Nice visuals; only improves from last year's game; comes with free subscriptions if bought new

As with all sports titles; if you bought 2010 then the changes in 2011 will probably not matter

has arrived with an arsenal of minor improvements this year. The development team also clearly focused on creating a golf simulation that catered to the needs and wants of the franchise's biggest fans and die-hards.

True-Aim puts you in the shoes of the pros; Much needed gameplay improvements; Ryder Cup/Online team play adds depth

Core game remains the same; Lack of total customiztion for online; Career mode emains virtually unchanged

Recent Tiger Woods games have essentially been a copy/paste of the previous year's edition, with the addition of a couple of new courses and a handful of interesting yet minor tweaks.

Focus and team-play make this the coolest Tiger yet

Very dull sounds and menus

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 has so many different modes of play to choose from that the menu screens can be overwhelming. For example, simply hitting the "play now" option takes you to a second menu where you can choose from a dozen traditional modes (stroke play, match play, bingo bango bongo, four...

Optional true-aim controls make the game much more realistic; Focus system brilliantly limits the use of powerful player aids; Loads of different modes and rule sets; Includes 17 great real-world courses; Numerous minor gameplay tweaks and improvements over last year's game

Not enough pros on the roster for the new Ryder Cup mode; Occasionally awkward camera

It's all too easy for us to moralise with regards to Tiger Woods. His 'situation' has been pored over by seemingly every journalist with even a semblance of interest in a touch of sensationalism. Which means all of them essentially.

PGA Tour 11 can be considered another major step forward for the series, which has struggled recently towards yearly updates becoming insignificant. The addition of the ‘Focus' mechanic is superbly handled, ensuring gamers can finally be held from exploiting the artificiality of the game.

Despite being a big sports fan, I've noticed my consumption of sports games dwindling over the past few years. I'll play a game for three or four weeks and then it begins to collect dust.

Tiger 11 just trickles into the great category thanks to the few new features that do make a difference, although the core game mechanics remain the same. The Ryder Cup was a solid addition but could have done with an extra layer of dazzle – which is strange considering EA are normally top drawer in...

You'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger name in sports video games than Tiger Woods. Even though he's been quite the controversial figure recently, the man is a superstar and an instantly recognizable name in the world of golf and otherwise.