One of the benefits of skipping an entry in a franchise is you get extra time to introduce new features and add more value to games that you create. For EA and the PGA TOUR series, skipping PGA TOUR 2K22 paid off, with leagues of improvements between PGA TOUR 2K21 and PGA TOUR 2K23, based on our short time playing the game with a preview build provided to us by 2K. Right on top of all of these new features and improvements, PGA TOUR 2K23 boasts the new Topgolf game mode – a more relaxed and casual but still competitive game mode that allows players to play the same Topgolf we see on TV.
Some players play golf for relaxation, and while you can do that even in the most competitive series in PGA, there's a more relaxed, more casual game mode introduced in PGA TOUR 2K23 that takes on a popular entertainment game in real life – Topgolf. The game mode in PGA TOUR 2K23 allows players to take their created MyPLAYER to the game mode and challenge players in both online and offline multiplayer (by taking turns on the controller or mouse and keyboard), or even just as a way to unwind from a long day from work alone.
For the uninitiated, Topgolf is a game where instead of just having one hole to putt your golf ball into, there are multiple targets that you need to hit with your golf ball, scoring points when you do so. There will be ten putts, and the person with the highest score (i.e., more accurate shots on the targets) will be declared the winner. These targets are actually big round circles on the course, so it's more akin to target practice, and is actually a great way to practice your swing in the game. During our preview playthrough of PGA TOUR 2K23, we spent a lot of time playing Topgolf because it's just so simple and yet fun. You can even bring it out as a party game if you wanted, because the controls in PGA TOUR 2K23 are simple enough for anyone to just pick up and play, and it's also very easy to explain to a friend who has never played PGA TOUR before.
All in all, the gameplay feel of PGA TOUR 2K23 is simple and very intuitive, the feedback is great, and it's a very relaxing game to play in general. Topgolf is just the icing on the cake for the game, as it introduces a quick-to-play casual game mode that you and your friends can play. We recommend playing this game mode when you get your hands on the game when PGA TOUR 2K23 comes out on October 14, 2022.