When PGA Tour 2K21 was released in August 2020, the video game received positive reviews for having a realistic feel. And now that 2K returns to the golf world with PGA Tour 2K23, die-hard golf fans won’t be the only ones who will get the game when it’s released on major consoles on Oct. 14. 2K made sure to keep the features that made the previous game enjoyable but also added some new features that make the game tough to put down.
One big move 2K made is to put Tiger Woods on the cover and make him a playable character. After being the face of golf video games for EA Sports, Woods makes to move to 2K and is happy to be back in the video game world. Other playable golf stars featured in PGA Tour 2K23 are Justin Thomas, Lexi Thompson, Xander Schauffele, Tony Finau, Lydia Ko, CollinMorikawa, Will Zalatoris and Brooke Henderson. And for NBA fans, Michael Jordan and Stephen Curry are also playable characters and look to be champions in a different sport. Playing with Jordan is enjoyable, but I think creating your own player is the way to go.
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There are a good amount of new gameplay enhancements, including the new 3-click swing option. For that feature, the timing has to be just right to have an effective swing. But if you’re not a fan of that, players can choose the stick to get more of a natural swing. And just like with the PGA Tour 2K21, gamers will get feedback on their swing to find out what they did right or what they did wrong. Personally, using the stick is easier for me than the 3-click option because of the timing, but other gamers may prefer that option if they are not fans of the stick.
When the game launches, players can choose from 20 licensed courses to master, including, East Lake, Copperhead, TPC Boston, Atlantic Beach Country Club and TPC Sawgrass. More courses will be available post-launch, but gamers can also create their courses and share them with an online community. All the courses look accurate to what is seen in person, which is important when playing a game like this.
One of the new features that stand out in a big way is Topgolf mode. PGA Tour 2K23 emulates the popular golf entertainment game where plays can aim for targets and try to get the highest score. This is all part of a new partnership Topgolf has with 2K, and the new feature is my favorite part of the game. But what makes the game great is that the overall gameplay can be challenging but not to the point where gamers will get discouraged. Swinging feels more realistic, and putting isn’t as difficult as it has been in the past.
PGA Tour 2K23 makes sure that golf fans and non-golf fans can enjoy the game. 2K is known for its success with NBA, WWE and the franchise Borderlands but is letting fans know that it can also master golf. And while PGA Tour 2K21 was a game nearly everyone enjoyed, PGA Tour 2K23 could set the standard of what sports video games should be going forward.
