Golf is elegant and has a reputation for being luxurious, relaxing but boring, and exclusive to the rich. PGA TOUR 2K23, as fantastic as a golf game it turned out to be, does nothing to dissuade this reputation. In fact, HB Studios may have worked with a philosophy of keeping the image of golf to be as pristine as possible, with pinpoint accuracy in its presentation and depiction of everything licensed for the game, but by doing so may have limited themselves from introducing mechanics or features that could have made the game more fun and enjoyable for your average player. In this PGA TOUR 2K23 review, we talk about the many things that HB Studios did right for the game, and also talk about why, with all of these good things, PGA TOUR 2K23 is still one stroke over par.
PGA TOUR 2K23 Review: What is PGA TOUR 2K23?
After skipping a year, HB Studios is back with another swing at professional golf simulation with PGA TOUR 2K23. HB Studios delivered on the promise of More Golf on their “More Golf, More Game” tagline this year, but didn't quite hit the mark in the latter half. PGA TOUR 2K23 is just the second game under the PGA TOUR 2K brand, which is currently the only licensed PGA golf game in the market. Outside of more casual games like Mario Golf and Pangya, this is the best one could get when looking for a golf simulation game.
PGA TOUR 2K23 is not as 2K as WWE 2K or NBA 2K, and that's both a good thing and a bad thing. Let me explain.
The good thing is, PGA TOUR 2K isn't as monetization heavy as either of its two elder siblings. The game has a $10 Clubhouse Pass, which has 50 premium tiers and 10 regular tiers, but the rewards are mostly cosmetic, and all of the items you can earn are shown upfront, with no loot boxes or randomized rewards. On top of this, everything you can get from the Clubhouse Pass, you can otherwise gain through regular gameplay. So, there's really nothing here that would make people feel like they're missing out, with FOMO forcing them to pay up. Instead, you can play PGA TOUR 2K23 as zen as you'd like, with nothing to pressure you at all. No tight time limits, no limited-time cosmetics that you'll only get within the next few days. So, with that, PGA TOUR 2K23 gets a win in our book.
However, PGA TOUR 2K isn't also as proficient as Visual Concepts is in getting the likeness of its stars. I feel that HB Studios had a great opportunity in getting the likeness of everyone as best as possible with only fourteen athletes to mo-cap for, but being developed in Unity may have limited things for them (I'm not sure, I'm just speculating). On top of this, PGA TOUR 2K also doesn't have the MyPLAYER and MyCAREER finesse that the other 2K games have: there isn't any story or plot here to follow (which is both a good and bad thing), and the character creator isn't as in-depth as the other two, and there's no option to capture your likeness on a camera to use it as a template for your MyPLAYER. These will surely make PGA TOUR 2K feel a bit behind in terms of technology compared to the other 2K games we mentioned, but at the same time these are in no way deal-breaking.
Gameplay
Most people, we imagine, will spend their time playing the game's Career Mode: a mode where you take either a MyPLAYER creation or one of the pros as you try to climb your way from Q School to PGA TOUR, and ultimately, to the FedEx Cup. This is done by going through a series of courses – mostly licensed versions of accurately-recreated real-life courses, although there are also many notable exclusions. The game does a great job in communicating what the player needs in order to move on from one tour to another, but it's mostly just performing well = moving forward with your career.
As for the game's controls, there are three control schemes players can use while playing. One of the more popular control scheme gets the players to simulate a golf club swing with their pro sticks, which is arguably the most immersive control scheme of the three. Another control scheme has players holding the swing button for power, and then pressing the swing button two more times for accuracy and precision. This latter control scheme is more reminiscent of older games' button-centric controls. Whichever control scheme you use, they all feel fair and skill-based, leaving no room for chance in your performance in the game. All of them also has its own tutorial on how to use, so we imagine players will be able to master their strokes in no time whichever control scheme they choose to use. In my assessment, all of the control schemes feel fair and rewarding to use, although I have a slight preference towards the button-pressing option.
The game's golf ball physics is also intricate and accurate, with the game's wind systems, friction, and ball weight being taken into account at every second the golf ball is not on the pin. All of these are also communicated well enough to the player, giving players a clear picture of the situation, and informing them of what kind of swing, stroke, angle, etc., they have to use at any given situation. This is important because PGA TOUR 2K23 also does a great job in providing multiple options for players in terms of the kind of swing they'll make, with control over the ball's spin, the kind of club to use, and the direction of the hit they'll make.
Moving on to the golf clubs. Golf clubs themselves don't have stats – each part of the golf club can be modified with fittings to affect the club's stats – power, accuracy, transition, etc. These fittings will cost players with in-game currency, and the fittings themselves need to be purchased. This adds a layer of strategy to the game.
On top of this, MyPLAYER also has an RPG component – with a skill tree that allows players to build a character that is specialized in different aspects of the game. Are they strong when momentum is on their side? How well do they respond to bad shots? Are they good on the rough? In the green? All of these can be improved when players progress in their career and earn new skill points.
However, all of these fittings and role-playing elements only so much provide very subtle differences. Compounded, these small improvements can be felt, sure, but the changes are very subtle that I imagine people could actually live without them. This isn't really much of a problem – this isn't an RPG anyway, wherein you learn new abilities and magic powers when you level up. But that also puts into question the necessity for such a system. If it doesn't add a lot to the game, then why include it in the first place?
The same goes for the game's different pros – none of them feel any more special than the other. The good news is you can play as anyone and still just rely on your skill on your timing to do well. However, it also means the pro selection is mostly just a skin choice. To clarify – each pro has its own stats, which affect the timing windows you have with your swings, and how far they can send the golf ball flying. But these are very microscopic differences that a person who knows nothing about golf could just choose a random pro and have the same results as any other pro.
Apart from the career mode, there's nothing else much to talk about. There's an exhibition mode that lets you play through any of the courses available. A course designer that lets you create or download community-created courses. A multiplayer mode that lets you play golf with friends and strangers. And a Topgolf game mode that simulates the casual golf game that amounts to just scored target practice. None of these will really extend your experience with the game past the Career Mode, which is why I say that the game does have More Golf, but not More Game.
To be fair, the game's course designer deserves a lot of praise for how versatile it is and how many options players have in creating their own golf courses from scratch. But the course designer is cursed to be trapped in a game where the gameplay gets old fast.
Story
As mentioned earlier, the Career Mode lacks the narrative and drama that is available in NBA 2K and WWE 2K, but in its stead, PGA TOUR 2K23 offers a half-baked rivalry system. The rivalry system pits the player against one of the pros, tracking both players' performance on the track currently being played, with additional rewards given to the players if they beat their rival. I find this system great for beginners as it gives players a smaller, much more achievable goal (i.e., beating their rival) while they're still in their early career. They can worry about winning their tours later. However, in terms of adding drama to the game? This was a paltry attempt.
Graphics
The game looks good, but not as good as its 2K cousins. The courses look wonderful, however, but the courses are cursed to be inhabited by dull-looking robotic mannequins.
Music and Sound Design
Not gonna lie, the game's main menu music is very hype-inducing. However, anything past that in the game itself is dry. I suppose golf was meant to be relaxing, but the game's music leads me to think that the developers want me to extend my play time with the game by falling asleep while I have it on.
The game, however, has fantastic sound design. PGA TOUR 2K23 has very crisp sounds that give great feedback on how well you hit the ball. The sound the golf ball makes when it hits the hole is always satisfying. Even the menu sounds are great, and the sound that accompanies every purchase in the pro shop makes me feel like I won something from the carnival with how much it makes a big deal of the moment.
One complaint I have about the game's audio has to do with its commentary. It's not the commentators' fault that they are provided with just a short document to read with just a handful of lines, but the commentary gets old really, really fast. HB also didn't get the timing of the commentary right, as there are times that the commentary would say the wrong things (like hitting green when the ball goes rough). The worst is that playing as any of the pros doesn't get a cent of acknowledgment from the commentators – they only refer to the player in second person or third person, never uttering the pro's name.
Accessibility
The game has a variety of basic accessibility options. In terms of difficulty, HB is kind enough to give players a chance to adjust the game's difficulty every tour. All of these are also changeable anytime, which is a great thing.
Verdict: Is PGA TOUR 2K23 Good? Is PGA TOUR 2K23 Worth Your Time and Money?
To HB Studios' credit, they probably created the game with a very specific crowd in mind, and for hardcore golf fans, I imagine this game is amazing for them. The game has everything you could ask for in a golf simulation, and they were able to develop the game with so much authenticity as possible with the licenses they have. But a great simulation does not make a great game, and PGA TOUR will continue to be a very niche game if it doesn't allow itself to explore more gameplay options. Without allowing itself to take itself less seriously and introduce even more casual game modes and more wacky offerings, PGA TOUR 2K will remain a golfer's game. Now, that's not entirely a bad thing, if HB really just want to cater to golf fans. But for the majority of gamers, maybe take your clubs to a different golf game.
Score: 5/10
Editor’s Note: ClutchPoints received a PC early preview copy and a PS5 review copy to allow us to cover this game. These copies did not, in any way, affect this PGA TOUR 2K23 Review’s final score and verdict.
You can also check out our EA Sports PGA Tour review.
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