Some say golf is a waste of a good walk, whereas others can get enough of the thrill of picking an iron and trying to get that ball as close to the flag as they can. I am not a huge golf fan beyond watching highlights of the big tournaments. I haven’t seen a fairway or driving range in years. But oddly enough, I am lover of virtual golf and I have long appreciated HB Studios’ offerings which now sit under the 2K umbrella. However, PGA Tour 2K23 arrives as a bit of a mixed bag, aiming for the green, but landing just a little bit in the rough.
Climbing the Leaderboard
One thing that PGA Tour 2K23 nails, is that it knows it’s a golf game. And that you are buying it to play golf. So, every mode is unlocked from the get-go, so you can play how you want. This may seem basic but other titles, in the golf sphere and further afield, fail to do this.
Odds are you’ll jump into the My Career mode, where you start out at the bottom and work your way to golfing glory and to be a PGA Tour champ. But if you don’t fancy the grind so to say, you can jump right into the top tier tournament.
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Stick with the full career though and as you start building a name for yourself. You’ll start getting newer, better kit to improve your game. Each little upgrade seems like a minor change but, over time, your skills will develop massively. Shout-out to the hockey stick club in a suitably unsubtle nod to Happy Gilmore.
Topgolf mode offers a party spin on golf. It’s a cross between Quick Match and House Rules modes in the FIFA series. It’s the perfect place to practice aim and swing techniques, as well as have a quick game with your mates.
Swing Control
PGA Tour 2K23 offers the controls options you would expect. However, it offers more more flexibility in how and where you get to take your perfect shot.
Swinging is handled in two ways. The first uses an analogue system which takes your power, accuracy and timing to deliver the shot.
The other is a three-button input that is new to this series. This is an OG golf-sim control scheme that had survived since the Mega Drive days in other golf titles. Finding which best suits you will take time so expect lots of slices and hooks getting there.
You can also select what sort of shot you want to take during your approach, so you can chip, pitch or hit a flop shot, plus you can add spin to the ball. Each control scheme allows the full range of shot types and modifiers.
Licensed Content
With this being an official licenced title, there is a surprisingly limited selection of pro golfers to choose from. Each of the two dozen or so golfers come with their own stats as you would expect.
The roster has some big names; Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, Lexi Thomas but it lacks real depth. And a host of the sport’s stars are notably absent.
For no particular reason, basketball legends Michael Jordan and Stephen Curry are in the line-up. Though those two are only available in side-modes and versus play.
The list of courses builds on the list from past games. Wilmington Country Club, Quail Hollow Club and East Lake Golf Club are highlights of a very US-centric affair.
Like its player roster, there are a few truly iconic courses missing. The absence of Augusta National Golf Club, in particular, means the list feels a bit second-tier.
Content Creator
All is not lost on that front as the game once again has a robust course creator. Once that allows you to build your dream course or perhaps copy an already existing design from real life. Like past games with this feature, the community will fill in the line-up with the new builder.
Outside of its golfing gameplay core, PGA Tour 2K23 is more than a little unrefined. your shots. Replays are sluggish and take way too long to load at times…often to show you nothing.
Presentation also suffers. The announcers feel underdeveloped and more often than not miss calling major plays. The attendant fans are very much members of the cardboard club. Skewed shots into the crowd see them stand bravely without as much as a flinch.
It’s an extremely odd situation given 2K, this year’s NBA 2K23 brought broadcast-quality presentation to new heights.
A Creditable Near-Miss
PGA Tour 2K23 is a solid sports title that nails the golf side of things. The game is let down by unpolished edges, unrefined presentation and incomplete licensing.
Golfing superfans outside the regular gaming crowd will certainly feel the absence of their favourite golfer or course and may not have the patience to find what they are looking for within the course creation community.
Review copy provided by 2K