Sports gamers have a time honored annual tradition of complaining that their favorite series is the same game as last year with nothing more than a roster update, and sometimes it is a pretty accurate statement. But while games likeFIFA,Madden, andNHLoften look and feel the sameevery year,PGA Tour 2K23is striving to make significant additions that fans feel are worth the purchase.
Golf video games differ from other sports games in that the experience is driven by the “Create A Pro” feature and attempting to win the PGA Tour as that golfer, or achieve online greatness in the multiplayer suite. As such,meaningful changes inPGA Tour 2K23are usually geared toward the individual player experience rather than the managing a team in Franchise Mode in other sports games. Subsequently, changes inPGA Tour 2K23often revolve around gameplay, new courses, and new modes, making them more impactful than in other games.
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Topgolf Comes to PGA Tour 2K23
Founded in 2000 in the United Kingdom, Topgolf is coming toPGA Tour 2K23and bringing its arcade-style driving range with electronic scoring for accuracy and distance. Players will take aim for the targets, with some being worth more points than others, and rack up as many points as they can with the ten golf balls they are given to use in each round. The farther away the target is, the more points it is worth, and the closer to the bullseye a player gets, the more points they earn, giving playersanother mode to play aside from the PGA Tour 2K23 career mode.
InPGA Tour 2K23, the Topgolf mode will take place at a recreated version of the Las Vegas location, which is also Topgolf’s flagship location. Probably the best aspect of the addition of Topgolf toPGA Tour 2K23is that the mode isn’t just a single-player offline experience and offers the ability to compete online via matchmaking or private matches. Topgolf’s addition as an option in the online suite gives players a less serious, more arcade-like option to play when they are looking for more of a quick match or something a little less serious than the unforgiving simulation playPGA Tour 2K23is known for. There is no word yet on if there will be leader boards or rankings for Topgolf online competition, but the addition adds to what was asomewhat leanPGA Tour 2K21online suite.
NBA Stars Hit the Links
During the early months of the pandemic, a golf event called “The Match” paired professional golfers Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson with football players Peyton Manning and Tom Brady for an 18-hole match play event. Since then, the event has continued with NBA stars and other athletes from the world of professional sports taking part, and the popularity of The Match will carry over to PGA Tour 2K23 with the inclusion of Michael Jordan and Stephen Curry. While they come from different eras, both players are known for their love of golf when they’re not on the court, and their inclusion inPGA Tour 2K23makes a lot of sense, especially with theNBA’s involvement in cross promotion with brands likeCall of Dutyand Dr Disrespect.
Michael Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time, and his passion for golf and competition is well known by sports fans everywhere. InPGA Tour 2K23, Jordan will be a pre-order bonus and can be used in the career mode of the game, although his attributes are not known as of yet. The same can be said for Curry, who holds the NBA record for 3-point shots made in a career, and will presumably be joining thePGA Tour 2K23roster on day one when the game hits store shelves.
Tiger Woods Returns to Golf Video Games
After gracing the cover of Electronic Arts' golf series for years,Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14was the last time fans saw Tiger Woods in a golf video game. Woods wasreplaced on the cover by Rory McIlroy in EA’sRory McIlroy PGA Tourin 2015, and signed with 2K Sports in 2021, virtually guaranteeing that he would be on the cover of thePGA Tour 2Kseries going forward.
Woods has seen his play decline in recent years, but he is still the most recognizable name in golf in the past 30 years and will generate a lot of interest in the new game by name recognition alone. That, along with the fact that Woods was on the cover of EA’s series for so long in the past, might give fans a sense of familiarity when deciding whether to buyPGA Tour 2K23when it releases. Some fans might even get the impression thatPGA Tour 2K23is a continuation of the previous Electronic Arts series, not knowingEA has their own golf game releasing in 2023.
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New Swing Mechanics
HB Studios is known for making a true simulation golf game with touchy controls that can be unforgiving, andPGA Tour 2K23controls and difficultyshould be no different fromThe Golf Clubgames orPGA Tour 2K21in that regard. Controls might get a little easier for some players this time around though, withPGA Tour 2K23adding in another way for players to swing their golf club that might appeal to some more than the standard analog swing.
The analog swing requires the player to have a smooth swing with the thumb stick, keeping it in a straight line and not going too fast or too slow to keep the shot straight and true.PGA Tour 2K23gives fans another option however, with three-click swings making their debut and allowing players the chance to use the button controls to execute the swing. Players will need to hold the A/X button to generate power in the backswing, then have two precisely timed presses of the same button to execute a smooth swing and hit a straight shot. While it’s not a monumental change in gameplay, offering players more choice in how they want toswing the club inPGA Tour 2K23is a good thing, and should keep more players engaged by having a control scheme that feels more natural to them.
Brand New Licensed Courses
Golf courses are the lifeblood of any golf video game, as each individual course has more of its own personality and uniqueness than the playing surfaces and venues in any other sport. A good selection of recognizable licensed courses is always sure to get more players interested in the game at launch, andPGA Tour 2K23has included a healthy 20 licensed coursesat launch, with more to come in free post-launch DLC.
Several mainstays like TPC Sawgrass and TPC Scottsdale make their return inPGA Tour 2K23, but a handful of new courses are included in HB Studios' latest installment as well. Joining the course roster this time are The Renaissance Club, St. George’s Golf and Country Club, and the South Course of Wilmington Country Club, giving players some new fairways and greens to attack on top of the 17 courses returning toPGA Tour 2K23from the previous game. If that still isn’t enough for players,PGA Tour 2K23also features the return of the Course Creator, which allows fans to create unique courses or play on the creations of members of thePGA Tour 2K23community.
PGA Tour 2K23is scheduled to release on October 14 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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