PGA Tour Preview: Tour is back and more real than ever

SPORTS games have a very solid place in the gaming world, but PGA Tour games have endured a rough decade.

Originally published by EA Sports, the series was an annual publication for golf fans every year until 2015 when the series suddenly went silent.

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In 2018, 2K Games acquired the rights to the series and released three games – the most recent of which was PGA Tour 2K23, which was released in October 2022.

It wasn’t well received, but fans needn’t worry because EA Sports is back with the series, resurrecting the classic series simply called the EA Sports PGA Tour.

This is in line with EA Sport’s recent direction following the announcement that FIFA games will now be called EA Sports FC.

Responding to criticism of its release in 2015, EA Sports has strived to include 30 courses, a huge increase from last time.

These courses include Augusta National, St Andrews and Bandon Dunes.

Drones were used to accurately map these courses, with lasers tracking every little bump and curve in the terrain.

There will also be post-launch content updates as the team has promised it will follow the real PGA Tour roadmap.

The game, which will be released at the end of March, will open with the amateur tournaments and the “Road to the Masters” mode, which will coincide with the Masters in April.

That’s not all, as the Korn Ferry Tour, FedEx Cup and Ryder Cup will also feature the PGA Championship, US Open and Open Championship.

This stream of content should keep the game rolling well month after month.

There has also been an emphasis on women’s golf, although the roster is somewhat lacking in LPGA competitors.

Jin-Young Ko, Lexi Thompson, Danielle Kand, Jessica Korda, and Nelly Korda are currently the only confirmed women in the game.

The male list isn’t much worth shouting about either.

While more names will be announced ahead of launch, the only ones we know for now are Scottie Scheffler, Tony Finau, Patrick Cantley and Jordan Spieth.

However, there are character creators that allow you to create male, female, or non-binary characters that represent whoever you want.

The game looks amazing, but sacrifices have been made. In order to get the game running at a 4K resolution, the framerate is fixed at 30 fps, but it runs very smoothly.

There will be the usual wide range of clubs, and there will be 20 types of shots for each club, giving you all the fine detail you need.

However, there are also optional help features, meaning the game can be as accessible to new players as it is to hardcore fans.

Your swing is controlled via the analog stick, which might be odd for people used to the traditional three-click method.

We asked if it would be included in the game as an option and were told it would be added in a post-launch update.

In addition to the standard single player and local multiplayer, there is an online mode where up to 16 players can get together and play.

Comments and replays are shortened here to keep the action flowing smoothly with so many players.

In addition, the career mode will have an RPG-style progression, although very little is currently known about it.

It’s looking impressive so far, and if everything EA Sports has claimed about content updates comes to pass, this could be an essential buy for any golf enthusiast.

Written by Georgina Young and Ryan Woodrow on behalf of GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN.

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