PGA 2K25 Review - Golf At Its Virtual Best
I have long been known as a lover of the virtual fairway. From the classic DOS-based titles of my youth like Links 386, through to the epic Tiger Woods years of the Xbox and PS2 to the more recent PGA 2K and EA Sports Golf titles, I have almost always had a golf game ready to go on my current system of choice. There is just something about the sport that translates so well to video games. The strategy, the pace, the knowledge required, it all combines into a challenging yet, decidedly chill experience. With that in mind, I couldn’t wait to fire up PGA 2K25 and see if HB Studios had once again improved on their previous (very solid titles) and boy, I am pleased to say that this is the best golf has been on a computer in years.
For returning players, there is a lot here that is familiar. Swing mechanics and different shot types are all pretty much the same so there is very little in the way of a learning curve. For those who are new, there is a nice range of tutorials and practice modes that will get even the newest of new golfers hitting birdies in no time. There is even a “Perfect” swing mode for those just starting out. This mode takes swing variations out of the picture so that players can just wack a ball and not worry about a filthy slice ruining their day. Most people will want to switch to a different difficulty once they have a handle on things because it takes a huge amount of challenge out of proceedings but it is perfect for people just having a casual hit with friends on the couch.
There are a host of refinements to controls that longtime players will certainly appreciate. There is a lot more information available to improve your swing, with the game giving clear indications of how each swing turned out. It gives the players info on swing timing, power, backswing and angle which really helps players to fix any issues with how they are playing. I found the information invaluable as my natural thumbstick movement was slightly to the left, causing a nasty little hook. With this info, I fixed that up quick smart. This, of course, only applies to the analogue swing methods, if you are a real old-school gamer you can use a classic three-click method, but I feel like you are missing out if you do. Once again I think that is probably more suited to a casual player and not someone looking to take on the comprehensive career mode.
Speaking of, the Career mode is where the most improvement has been made. 2K23’s career mode was a somewhat shallow experience, with little more than a string of matches and the occasional rival showdown. This year there are a host of additions that really help to sell the story of a golf professional. For starters there are press interviews that can help your popularity and determine your personality, there are sponsor interactions that boost your level and sponsor rewards and there and there are a range of other side challenges that pop up from time to time that give performance bonuses or boost fan appreciation.
The other major addition to the career mode is the new training and special events that take place before each PGA tour event. The training events consist of things like hitting a certain amount of targets when hitting out of the sand or making difficult putts and these are all beautifully designed to improve the player’s skill. I found a huge amount of benefit in completing these optional events as they helped improve my game immensely. The temporary skill boost for being successful is nice as well. The special events are a little less essential. Mostly they consist of a short 4-hole warm-up round of golf and occasionally a sponsor challenge. They offer nice rewards like VC and XP for completion, but they aren’t as exciting so, for the sake of seeing as much of the game as possible, I found myself skipping them more often than not.
One concern with 2K Sports games is always the prevalence of the dreaded VC or Virtual Currency. VC is used here to level up players and purchase outfits and clubsets and I am pleased to say that the game is actually quite fair when it comes to dolling it out. In fact, I would say it has been balanced perfectly for both players and 2K’s need to offer microtransactions. So people who want to just jump straight to Tiger Woods-level stats can still pay for the privilege but most of us will enjoy the journey, raising our skill levels at a rewarding rate. If only 2K could find this balance every time.
Graphically the game has come a long way since the last title. It is clear that the focus on the current-gen systems, as opposed to the PS4/Xbox One, has paid dividends. It looks fantastic, with a massive bump in detail for both the course and the players. If there is one area where things are still a little dull, it is the crowd but that hardly matters. I especially want to point out that the recreations of some of the world’s most famous courses, places like TPC Sawgrass, are stunning. The course creator is back and it has been amped up with new design tools that will allow players to create their own works of golf art. I can’t wait to see what these talented sods come up with and the thought of basically an unlimited number of courses to play is always a welcome one.
There are some things missing that I would have liked to have seen though. In the career mode, the interviews tend to get repetitive. After winning a few times, it doesn’t take long to come across the same questions from reporters over and over. It does take some of the joy of out these sections and forces them into the “going through the motions” category as opposed to an interesting side task. The way sponsors work is also a little odd to me. Players can sign three sponsors, one for clubs, balls and clothing, and earn rewards for playing well. But there is no requirement for players to actually use their sponsor’s equipment and frankly, most of the rewards that the sponsors offer aren’t gear, but VC or XP boosts. I find it an odd way to represent something that is core to professional sports. Hopefully, this is fixed in the next entry because it really seems like an odd choice to me.
Some of the presentation aspects need some work too. The commentary is generally fine, but there were more than a few occasions when they were describing something that wasn’t happening on the screen. The TV-style presentation of the PGA events can be a little jilted too, with flow-interrupting transitions to go and watch other player’s highlights mid-tournament. I don’t hate the idea of it, but its implementation feels too abrupt and as a result, it is something I turned off quickly. Finally, I think more could have been done with the Rival’s system. It would have been nice to be able to play with your rivals, watching their shots, and seeing how they perform like you would when playing with a friend on the couch. But as it is, you only really find out how your rival performs at the end of the tournament.
Those few negatives and missing features aside, PGA 2K25 is the best golf has been on a computer in years, if not ever. The gameplay is tight, the systems are engaging and the career mode is well structured and deep. Some refinements in the next entry could really take this franchise to the next level, but as it is, it is still a very, very good recreation of a sport that can be quite complex. HB Studios have proven themselves to be once again the masters of the virtual course and PGA 2K25 is a must-buy for any virtual or real-world golfer out there.
PGA 2K25 was reviewed on PC with code kindly supplied by the publisher.
