PGA Tour 2K25: The Final Preview

ign.com:

If you took a Family Feud-style survey of which pro sports simulation video game series people would most want 2K to take a crack at that they’re not already making, a resurrection of NFL 2K would easily be the number-one answer. Heck, pro golf might not even be the second or third answer (hello, MLB and NHL). But the company is nevertheless returning for a third round with PGA Tour 2K25, and after playing for a couple of hours, there’s a lot to like.

In truth, developer HB Studios has been honing its golf game for quite a while now, having made The Golf Club starting a decade ago before signing on with 2K and rebranding to PGA Tour 2K in 2020. The team’s experience and maturity shine through in 2K25, as I had a hard time finding any glaring issues in my hands-on. Is it the best-looking sports game? No. Would it be nice to have more real-life courses? Sure. (2K25 does bring the PGA Championship, US Open, and the Open Championship.) Was the framerate surprisingly choppy on PC when I’d press Y to survey each new hole? Yup. But actually digging into this year’s offering was just fun.

It started with the upgraded EvoSwing mechanic. You have a few different options, and playing with a controller, I preferred the right stick option, in which you pull down to wind up, and press forward to strike the ball and follow through. You can set this to be forgiving, or it can be set to be very much not forgiving with the new Perfect Swing difficulty, whereby an errant flick of your thumb in one direction or another might yield a wicked slice or hook. Conversely, there are also lower difficulty settings for those just looking to have a chill, stress-free time, in which 2K25 isn’t as punitive on missed inputs in an effort to try and keep you moving and advancing. Furthermore, you can tap LB to shape your shots, giving you additional control over where the ball will go. HB Studios also says the ball physics have been improved, and I like that you can also move laterally in the tee box