PGA Tour 2K23 Review: We hit the green for a golf tournament

Later, to replicate the winning partnership created by EA and Tiger Woods, 2K first acquired the discontinued PGA Tour license and subsequently signed the legendary golfer to have him exclusively in his simulation. It’s been two years since PGA Tour 2K21 (here the review of PGA Tour 2K21): now it’s the turn of PGA Tour 2K23, what to all intents and purposes we can as the title of the definitive maturity for the boys of HB Studios. All in anticipation of the EA Sports PGA Tour which should debut in spring 2023 and which marks the return of the Redwood City house in the world of golf simulations.

HB Studios relies on three global icons such as Tiger, MJ and Steph

After projecting virtual golf into the world of the videogame mass market, the legendary Tiger accompanied by His Highness Michael Jordan and the deadliest of the “Splash Brothers” Steph Curry promises to replicate the success achieved in its time with EA. This is what 2K and HB Studios expect and the premises are largely positive. PGA Tour 2K23, in fact, offers much more content than its predecessor, more golfers (pros and famous people) and an improved simulation realism thanks to the introduction of a new three-click control system and the refinement work done on the physics engine. of game.

In short, a PGA Tour 2K23 more mature than the previous version. In addition to the proven control system with double analog stick, HB Studios proposed a personal reinterpretation of the classic three-click system brought into vogue by EA’s Tiger Woods series (which in turn had taken it from a series of old PC titles ). A choice dictated by the online game that needed a more reliable system, born from the needs of a community that was clamoring for an alternative easier to master.

For the avoidance of doubt, the new three-click swing is not that simple and straightforward as expected: it requires some practice (the tutorial remains highly recommended) and good timing to complete the movement of your golfer, which is divided into three phases (in this case three circles). IS always available the old system with analog sticks: luckily HB Studios has taken it up and improved it, especially as regards the indicator that manages the backswing phase. Overall the motion handling has become more natural while the shots are much more precise than what was experienced in the PGA Tour 2K21.

It is always possible to change the type of swing at any time and raise or lower the difficulty level among the six available. This year HB Studios has paid a lot of attention to the simulation of the loft, ie the inclination of the club face: the greater the number of degrees of the head, the higher the trajectory of the ball and the shorter the distance traveled and so on. This improvement allows for more realistic trajectories in flight and greater realism in the use of irons outside the fairway or rough or in the sand. In PGA Tour 2K21, unfortunately, it was possible to get out of the tall grass and go directly to the green even using unorthodox sticks: in PGA Tour 2K23 the situation was significantly improved. What changes is mainly the bounce of the ball, especially when using long game irons. Steps forward also for the putt phase: now it is possible to approach the hole in a more precise way and fortunately the prank shots have decreased, the famous lip-outs.

The faces of the new PGA Tour

Unlike the PGA Tour 2K21, in the new chapter of the HB Studios golf series you can go down to the green with the legendary Tiger but also with the other pros included: Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Tony Finau, Collin Morikawa, Will Zalatoris, Brooke Henderson, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler, without forgetting Michael Jordan and Steph Curry (other characters / athletes are coming famous) or LPGA champions like Lexi Thompson and Lydia Ko. There is also the rebel Cameron Smith who recently abandoned the PGA Tour to move to the competition, the LIV Golf Tour run by the legendary “white shark” Greg Norman and sponsored by another legend like Phil Mickelsonwhich is recruiting many players from the American circuit (there is a legal battle between the two federations).

Regarding the reproduction of the athletes, HB Studios has made some progress though the animations and facial models of the golfers they do not reach the magnificence exhibited by Visual Concepts in NBA 2K23 from the same stable as 2K (by the way, here’s our review of NBA 2K23). Also the caddies and the public, which seem to come from an old version of the game, and above all the replays, which continue to not be up to the most recent sports productions, should also be improved.

Becoming a Designer

There will be twenty routes made available by HB Studios, others will arrive in the months following the publication of the game: however, the most prestigious tournaments are missing, namely the 4 majors (The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and The Open Championship). To remedy, it is always possible to use the course designer (called “Designer” in the game) who provides “something” like 300,000 fields created by the community which – fortunately – can be imported into PGA 2K23.

The editor interface has been improved and new options have been added that allow you to create even more beautiful fields. In this regard, the twenty scenarios proposed by HB Studios alternate valuable elements with other less convincing ones: despite the transition to the new generation we continue to miss a truly amazing visual presentation.

The water hazards or the sea surrounding some suggestive greens seem to have been stuck; much better the sand bunkers, tall grass and tree branches, which have been embellished compared to the previous version. What is often not convincing are objects / obstacles and structures surrounding the eighteen holes: nothing serious, however. As for the framerate, patch 1.03 fixed the occasional slowdowns that had plagued the game at the dayone: the update also introduced the expected support for HDR.

Top golf

There hilarious Topgolf mode is one of the novelties of the season and brings a bit of liveliness and lightheartedness to the PGA Tour 2K23. On a special indoor court in Las Vegas you can do some training by hitting a dozen balls and trying to get close or hit a series of targets. Each shot allows you to earn a certain score and the fun alone or in company (you can also play online) is certainly not lacking.

There MyCareer mode, on the other hand, it comes with some interesting updates: the editor has been enhanced – it is not yet possible to customize your swing – while the five archetypes inserted are able to guarantee a more balanced development of your alter ego. As in the previous edition, you compete in about thirty events of the PGA Tour (always starting from the Q-School) trying to get the pass for the FedEx Cup playoffs. There is not only golf played and you will also have to manage sponsorships, face fierce rivals and study the purchase of new materials. As per the tradition of 2K titles, it is possible to use microtransactions to make your champion cool (clothing, accessories, clubs and other equipment) but also to improve performance on the golf course. The materials in PGA Tour 2K23 can make a difference and the archetypes combined with clubs and balls grant the player bonuses / boosts that affect the performance on the green, while undermining the realism of the simulation.

There robust online multiplayer section it allows you to organize games of all kinds and is able to please everyone: there is still a lack of a points ranking that would give more impetus to challenges between friends. The excellent Company mode (allows you to play multiple seasons online) instead returns with no big news in PGA Tour 2K23. There are always plenty of clubs to join but the options to customize the experience are few. Finally, in the control room the technical commentary was entrusted to Henni Koyack, who joins the crew of the last edition.