HB Studios continues to add polish to a proven formula.
Breaking the mold and ditching the yearly cycle of most sports games, HB Studios’ PGA Tour 2K returns after a two-year gap in the form of PGA Tour 2K23. If you loved 2K21 — and to be blunt, you should — you’ll equally adore this one.
Quite simply, HB Studios has been the go-to for golf games since 2014’s The Golf Club; this latest iteration continues to polish and refine what’s already a winning formula, keeping it relatively separate from some of the questionable monetisation issues that plague other 2K sports titles.
The biggest additions to PGA Tour 2K23 are in the form of a new 3 click shot type alongside the introduction of the hip, cool new Topgolf format. I’ve already covered both of those features extensively in preview coverage, and those thoughts remain valid now.
I ultimately prefer the 3 click shot over the traditional skill stick, though it strangely feels a little bit out of sync on Xbox Series X as compared to Windows PC. While I’ve effectively adapted to the difference only a couple rounds in, it’s almost like something is just a little out of sync between my controller and the game; some sort of rhythm-focused calibration system would go a long way (edit: you can, so that’s good!). That little issue aside, PGA Tour 2K23‘s tutorials — as in the one you’ve meant to play at the beginning of the game alongside the adaptive ones that follow you (if you so choose) as you play — are very informative and actually helpful.
Nonetheless, once you go 3 click, you never go back… or, rather, it’s really difficult to want to. The skill stick relies upon extremely precise control in your right stick’s backward and forward motions; adding more difficulty to the mix is the fact PGA Tour 2K23 will assess the speed and timing at which you’ll swing your club, and that usually resulted in all of my shots being too fast, and therefore, very sliced. You can turn off the swing timing (and a LOT of frustration, accordingly) via Settings > Difficulty > Swing Timing.
It’s at this point and time that I should stress I’m playing PGA Tour 2K23 to avoid just that: stress. I’ve opted for all of the accessibility options that work in MyCareer (including tweaking opponent difficulty on top of global difficulty if I feel so inclined). Accordingly, I generally steer clear from online modes that take all of your shot mechanics into account alongside wind direction and ferocity. I’m calling those factors ones that appeal to the hardcore types; the need for precision and careful thought is paramount.
Parallel to that is a robust course creator tool that lets you arrange fairways as you see fit; if any of that gets you excited, good for you. It’s safe to say I’m not in those camps, so I ignore things like that alongside PGA Tour 2K23‘s difficulty multipliers and XP gains in favour of just jumping in for another round where I’ll likely shoot a little under par rather than far over it.
As I expected with a previous bout of hands-on, Topgolf is thoroughly more enjoyable in actual multiplayer as you and your friends chase down high scores from high accuracy, but it nevertheless still lacks soul. For a mode that’s supposed to be extreme — featuring on Australia’s Gold Coast, as a bit of context — Topgolf can be bland without the banter that party chats can provide. You’re essentially forced to provide the atmosphere in PGA Tour‘s absence; even placing games at night, coupled with some generic doof doof would go along way. Play with fun, outgoing people and respectfully trash talk them the whole time accordingly.
Whereas Topgolf can be pretty bare bones at times, PGA Tour 2K23‘s MyCareer mode is anything but. In fact, it can be a little overwhelming at times with player archetypes and skill points competing with your choice in clubs, sponsorships and attire all screaming for your attention. While you will see performance boosts from the likes of club and modifier changes, it’s all a bit too much for the certified casual golfer (yay again for accessibility in difficulty). Despite things costing in-game money, and with the future addition of a free and paid Season Pass in the form of the Clubhouse Pass, I never felt like I was being MyTeamed when I was playing. Points to PGA Tour.
Where I’d have actually liked to have seen complexity is in MyCareer’s character creation system; while you can set your players height and general appearance, any other body types but “ridiculously athletic” are out of bounds. There’s some progress to be found in caddy selection, with a lot of representation on offer, but again that only seems to go so far.
When you’re actually on the course, PGA Tour 2K23‘s MyCareer is an utter delight. I managed to make an avatar that was far less uncanny valley than my go during previews, and thereby enjoyed the presentation package just that little bit more. You’re able to choose your own caddy before you play, and your pair will frequently be seen chatting between shots. The chatter between the commentary team, consisting of Luke Elvy, Rich Beem, Henni Koyack and John McCarthy, can get repetitive in stints — like “you’ve arrived at a par 5” — but is nonetheless top notch. Combine this all with the ability to check out or skip replays of opponents or of your own, and you’ve got a great little package that takes as much or as little time as you have for it.
It’d be nice to be able to amend MyCareer rounds to the back or front 9 instead of 18 holes if you’re pressed for time, but that doesn’t appear to be an option. If it works for one-minute periods inside NHL If you’re time poor, remember you’ll need to set aside around 30 minutes to bang out 18 holes.
PGA Tour 2K21, like so many other games of the same time period, was an essential tool to keep one sane during COVID lockdown; two years later, and its successor has done the same in a time where my household has had to lockdown as a result of a COVID infection. This very review was a result of my husband and I playing on separate Xboxes while yelling our thoughts at each other through isolation and across two floors of the house.
While it’s very true I have a soft spot in my heart for PGA Tour accordingly, there’s no denying 2K23 is solid. Small improvements to an existing formula mightn’t be looked highly upon in a yearly cycle, but PGA Tour 2K23 gets away with it because of its cadence. Welcome back, old friend. 3 click for life.
PGA Tour 2K23 heads to Windows PC via Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS4 and PS5 on 14 October.
PGA Tour 2K23 was reviewed using a promotional code on Xbox Series X, as provided by the publisher. Online modes were tested between two Xbox consoles located in the same household; your milage may vary but we never encountered issues as immediately evident within PGA Tour 2K21. Click here to learn more about Stevivor’s scoring scale.
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PGA Tour 2K2314 October 2022PC PS4 PS5 Xbox One Xbox Series S & X
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