Source: 2K / PGA Tour 2K23
Golf, immediately a few terms come to mind when thinking about the sport, boring, complicated, and insanely difficult. But your favorite hoopers and politicians love to play it for whatever reason. This leads to gamers asking the burning question, can the folks at 2K turn it into a successful sports video game franchise that F U N? The answer is yes, yes; they can.
It turns out 2K deciding to skip PGA Tour 2K22 and build off the momentum of PGA Tour 2K21 was wise. Outside of fans of the sport, nobody is running to their local video game retailer or their console of choice to download PGA Tour 2K23, but let’s say they did out of curiosity. There is a good chance they will become a fan of the sport.
Steep Learning Curve But Rewarding Experience
Source: 2K / PGA Tour 2K23
Before you tee off, PGA Tour 2K23 will take on a mandatory crash course teaching you the basics of the game and allowing you to choose how you will swing your golf clubs.
You will be presented with three options; you can choose to use the left or right analog sticks or button controls to use the new three-click swing mechanic.
Yes, the tutorial session is a pain in the you-know-what for those who like to jump into the game and learn that way, but trust us when we say you will appreciate the brief lessons.
Once you’re on greens, you will quickly find out this game is quite intimidating, and you will lose A LOT as you aimlessly swing your way through holes.
But when you master the intricacies of shot direction, hitting into and against the wind, you will often find yourself landing on the fairway.
Putting is where you make your money and pull the most frustration out of you when you can’t seem to get that birdie or eagle and have to settle for bogeys all the damn time.
When you get the gist of putting combined with smacking the golf ball accurately down the course, you will fist pumping like Tiger Woods from your gaming chair in no time.
MyCareer In PGA Tour 2K23 Gets Straight To The Point
Source: 2K / PGA Tour 2K23
Unlike NBA 2K23’s MyCareer mode, which feels like you’re playing Netflix series for good and, most times worse, PGA Tour 2K23 thankfully keeps things very much straightforward.
No, you don’t have to travel around a vast city and do little things like finding Ronnie 2K standing in front of a dumpster or take photos for Jake from State Farm for a stingy amount of XP. You have to play golf, that’s it.
You won’t have to dish out your cash to buy gear, and you can’t spend money to put your golfer on the same level as Tiger Woods, this year’s cover athlete.
Everything you earn, down to skill perks that boost your driving, chipping, and putting skills, gear, and sponsors, are hard-earned rewards for excellent golf course playing.
Source: 2K / PGA Tour 2K23
Speaking of Tiger Woods, PGA Tour 2K23 marks the first time in the franchise you will be able to play with and compete against licensed professional golfers. During your MyCareer season, you can even take on each of them as rivals and, if you defeat them, earn unique gear and other perks.
The Extras In PGA Tour 2K23
Source: 2K / PGA Tour 2K23
The gentlemen’s game is fun in PGA Tour 2K23, thanks to the addition of the Top Golf mode. Like those cheesy driving ranges, miniature golf dates, and television show Steph Curry’s, Holey Moley.
In Top Golf, players must hit their golf balls into highlighted targets to earn points. It’s pretty straightforward and doesn’t offer many gameplay options, but it is fun when playing with friends.
Source: 2K / PGA Tour 2K23
Speaking of Stephen Curry, for those who don’t know, the Golden State Warriors sharpshooter is the game and is a playable character along with his Airness Michael Jordan. Both enjoy playing golf when they are not winning NBA championships.
Source: 2K / PGA Tour 2K23
The game also features beautifully detailed golf courses that the team at 2K meticulously crafted like the arenas in its NBA 2K franchise. While we can’t say the same for the character models, outside of the licensed golfers, the crowd, your created player, and the caddie sometimes look cheesy and lifeless when performing celebrations and reactions.
Source: 2K / PGA Tour 2K23
The detail went into creating the courses, which are just as important as the other details like gameplay mechanics. You can even build and design your custom golf course and share it with the PGA Tour 2K23 community.
Final Verdict
Source: 2K / PGA Tour 2K23
The game is not a hole-in-one, but it’s an eagle. It keeps it straight to the point by not bloating it with too many features and modes, focusing solely on the MyCareer mode.
The learning curve can be intimidating, but when you do find a groove and start winning, it is a gratifying experience. Bringing home trophies, topping your rivals, and hitting the golf course in style make what is usually a dull sport for most very exciting.
While there is room for improvement regarding character design, this is still an excellent game that can do something that the PGA is having a hard time doing, generating interest in the sport on a massive level.
Now, they better add Schoolboy Q into the game. Just saying.
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Photo: 2K / PGA Tour 2K23
* PS5 review key for PGA Tour 2K23 provided by 2K*