PGA TOUR 2K23 TEST: a return of Tiger Woods who is paying too much?

It is easy to imagine that this kind of privilege is redeemed at a price of gold, and it is undoubtedly thanks to the strike force of 2K that all of this could have happened. It must be said that the Tiger hadn’t been talked about in a video game since the series of Tiger Woods PGA ofElectronic Arts. The best player of all time had been fired following his sexual affairs and replaced at short notice by Rory McIlRoy for two opuses (2013 and 2015), beforeEA throws in the towel.

Licensed courses are legion and nature is often lush.

Let’s not drag out the suspense for whole paragraphs. If you have played PGA Tour 2K21this new opus will seem very familiar to you. So familiar that instead of talking about a new game, we would almost be entitled to consider this opus as a simple update. That said, once the game is launched, we arrive on a welcome screen where a smiling Tiger Woods appears on our screen. As long as you have an interest in golf, this simple sight should bring a smile to your face. the Tiger is back and it’s fun! Licence PGA Tour obliges, Woods is not the only big name present in the game and we will thus be able to cross paths with many other exceptional players during various tournaments.

Among the super stars of golf, let us mention the presence of the American Justin Thomas, that of the Spaniard Jon Rahm (who returned one of the greatest shots in golf history during the Augusta Masters 2020), but also golfers from the championship LPGA. You know that the acquisition of licenses is expensive, and in order to make these investments profitable, we are also entitled to basketball stars (hello NBA2K) with the presence of Stephen Curry and Michael Jordan. Better, HisAirness has also brought its clothing line back into the game, meaning we’ll be able to outfit our golfer in the latest pairs of Nike Air Jordan and dress it with pieces from the brand’s catalogue.

Since we are talking about equipment, know that we find many brands to equip our avatar. We will quote, pell-mell, Ping, Wilson, TaylorMade, Titleist, Callaway or Mizuno. All have opened their catalog, which allows you to take advantage of the clothing, but also the clubs or balls that you have seen in real life on the greens. These brands are also the player’s sponsors, and you have to manage the contracts in order to unlock the equipment that interests you. Be careful, this is only cosmetic and a large part of the game content is also blocked behind a paywall in the form of a pass to be purchased. Too bad, especially PGA Tour 2K21 allowed you to unlock everything without having to take out your credit card. We come back to think Tiger Woods’ license wasn’t free for 2K and that the investment must be recovered somewherebut we would have preferred it to be otherwise.

Much of the game’s content is also blocked behind a paywall in the form of battle passes to buy.

Content level, we find the classic modes with the MyPLAYER to manage his avatar, the MyCAREER to experience the course of a pro and all the other fast modes. the online is also available, but you have to connect to it at times compatible with the USA in order to quickly find an opponent. Finally, the creation mode is renewed with some slight improvements. You should also know that it is possible to recover all your creations from PGA 2K21 and easily import them into PGA 2K23. Golf architects appreciate it, while others can always go for the creations of other players online. Among the works of the fans, we even find golf courses which are not part of the roster official, like the mythical Old Course of St Andrews whose course dates from the 16^e century.

The mode MyCAREER is quite simplistic in reality, since it still does not offer a real common thread to follow the progress of our character. After a fairly complete tutorial on how to play, you just have to choose your starting point in the world of pro golf. Four options are then available to us: Q Schoolthe Korn Ferry Tourthe Korn Ferry Tour Championship where the PGA Tourwhich allows you to start your adventure at the beginning, or to attack directly in the big leagues. The problem is that other than the names of other golfers on the score sheet, the different championships offer little difference, and there’s no sense of real progression. Clearly, you might as well start with the PGA Tour directly, which allows at least to take advantage of the headliners.

Marketing requires, Tiger Woods is often at the top of tournaments, while those who follow golf know that he is currently 1277^e worldwide because of his road accident. Fortunately, the Tiger is rather well modeled, and most of the stars have a digital face that allows them to be recognized, even if it remains quite far from what is best on the market, HB Studios clearly not having an astronomical budget to develop PGA Tour 2K23. Finally, the strengths of the game are mainly found at the level of pure golf. The shot is configurable in all directions, which allows you to put many effects on the ball and have crazy trajectories.

Level gameplay, PGA Tour 2K23 brings a touch of novelty with a unique swing system. If we find the classic strike with the stick with a management of the trajectory of the movement and its timing (always the capital importance of a backswing fast), those who rant about this system finally have an alternative. Inspired by the best QTY video game, this new swing system will involve pressing a series of buttons in rhythm. A healthy option? Not really, since you have to quickly return to the stick, the latter allowing much more freedom, even if the errors (which are ultimately part of the game) are more recurrent.

The other strong point of the game is in the environments. Licensed courses are legion and nature is often lush. The sound is also very good, with sound effects that immerse us in the atmosphere, whether it’s the wind in the trees, the wildlife, the balls hitting or the screaming fans. We particularly enjoy the crowd in the legendary coliseum on hole 16 of TPC Scottsdale with its 20,000 spectators, even if we regret that an ace does not trigger the traditional beer shower from WM Open of Phoenix.

Visually, it’s another story, the fault of graphics that have changed little since the previous opus. The spectators are always made with a photocopier and animated like puppets. It’s the same story when the weather conditions deteriorate, with trees standing still in a strong wind, which is not optimal for immersion. You have to console yourself with greens and fairways which are rather convincing, just like the sand of the bunkers. Comments are also managed by the official voices of the PGA Tourbut be careful, everything is in English, without the possibility of switching to French. No stress for those allergic to the language of Shakespeare, the rest of the game is translated into French.

Let’s not beat around the bush: PGA Tour 2K23 damn makes us feel like a simple update of PGA Tour 2K21. However, this license is essential since it is the best, and one of the only ones, on the market. The 2023 opus offers substantial content and the gameplay is particularly well established, which allows – after a few hours of handling – to be able to send the ball almost where we want it. Thanks to the course editor and the community, the content is virtually unlimited. That said, it is regrettable, all the same, that a good part of the cosmetic elements available are now behind a paywallespecially since this was not the case on PGA Tour 2K21. Clearly, and unless you are a big fan of Tiger Woods, we suggest that you take a good look at each game, and their respective prices before deciding between the 2021 and 2023 opuses of the license. PGA Tour 2K.

You can buy PGA Tour 2K23 on Amazon at €42.90.