Golf as a sport has been something I’ve started over the years, but I rarely feel like I’ve made a great stride. However, when it comes to games on the green, I feel like I’m a little more at home. I was able to review the PGA Tour 2K23 and although it wasn’t perfect, I felt it was one of the better golf games at that point. The EA Sports PGA Tour feels a bit better in terms of Golf Sims these days, but the PGA Tour 2K25 is certainly built into its predecessor for a more satisfying and sophisticated experience.
This time, the animation and character models are much more fluid and detailed, and the more exciting MyCareer journey, which brings you specific freedom, will help you renew the loop throughout the gameplay.
I’ll take it to the green
The PGA Tour 2K25 is likely familiar to those who have played the PGA Tour 2K23 or have played the Tiger Woods PGA Tour game in the past. This new iteration uses a new Evoswing mechanic to shake things up a bit. This adds a little more depth and insight to each shot, based on the HUD’s new swing and shot meter. Like the PGA Tour 2K23, there are several ways to play, including traditional swing sticks and 3 click swing settings.
With the swing stick setting, you simply aim for the shot with the left stick and then start the shot to pull back the right stick. Once your backswing reaches its optimal peak, you need to swing by swinging the right stick forward. That’s how I like to play and I’m a little more grateful here a little more, as the new design sits in circles. Within that, a small circle must be extended to a certain point and released to hit a certain amount of power. The small vertical lane in the center determines how straight or accurate the shot is.
The 3-click Thing setting is much more difficult to master, but it certainly is interesting. Hold and release either the X button on your PlayStation, the A button on your Xbox, or the PC you left-clicked at the right time to set the power, click the same button again and click again for fade again. Masu. The ultimate goal is to set your power and line up the shots as you like, but I don’t emulate the feeling of swing stick setting that feels very natural, so it’s a bit intuitive I felt it wasn’t worth it.
Beyond that, all the usual tools will be at your disposal to get the job done. Add a draw or fade to your shot by holding the button on your left shoulder, and use the button on your right shoulder to adjust the spin and drop angles. Before you blend these mechanics, you need to have a sense of patience and experimentation, tailoring to your current course and weather conditions, along with your club and shot approach. But in the end, everything is put together very well.
The new Evoswing system is a bit undercooked when it comes to putting, even though their animations are much smoother when compared to the PGA Tour 2K23. This system does the best job of analyzing over/underswing trends, based on short timing and club face angles. Even with the swing stick system I could almost feel it when the shot was a bit off or was undercooked. Instant feedback helps you adjust things on the spot.
Your game, how to do it
The PGA Tour 2K25 brings back the traditional MyCareer mode with some bonuses. You once again try to dominate the course for most of your time and finish in the top 70 in real life tournaments, including three major championships: FedExcup, PGA Championship, US Open and Open Championship. In addition to the actual course, you will also be in and out of the tournament using a dynamic round system.
This will adjust the gameplay difficulty settings for the most authentic experience. This allows you to choose to play a certain number of holes while the rest of the tournament is subject to the simulation. This may seem strange at first, but if you’ve ever played golf in real life, 18 holes can take all day.
During the tournament, you can dive into various training mini-games for temporary boosts within the game, and even run some practice rounds to hone your skills. However, the new personality and popular mechanism add a little more flesh to the bones. Between tournaments you will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of interviews. The answers allow you to build a fanbase or add boosts to your game on courses. You just need to choose between a few pre-determined responses, but these can greatly improve your popularity and lead to new opportunities like sponsorships.
Sponsorship can also be gained simply by participating in tournaments. Specific contracts allow you to flaunt your new apparel. You can use the (Messages) tab in MyCareer Hub to select a variety of sponsors, but be aware. You can break the contract if you choose to sign with someone else before completing your current sponsorship agreement. The personality system doesn’t add much to the gameplay, but I was grateful for how the interviews unfold and how my answers were intended based on the results.
All remaining modes are back from PGA Tour 2K23. You can confuse Topgolf and take the game online through casual and ranked plays. Or simply head to one of 27 official courses to choose from among 12 actual golfers.
The course designer will also return. Aside from some new terrain, it’s roughly the same as what I got on the PGA Tour 2K23. That being said, it’s certainly a game changer when it comes to the overall lifespan of the experience. Finally, there is the Seasons feature and Clubhouse Pass. Gouging my wallet for cosmetics via microtransactions always felt a bit hollow, but the seasons don’t expire. This means you will always have the opportunity to play in certain gear, along with ranked leaderboard resets and continuous updates.
Please look at the parts
The PGA Tour 2K25 certainly looks and feels better than its predecessor. The texture is very refined and the course looks pure white. The animation of the characters is now much smoother and there are fewer robots. I love the way your golfers hold their swing and slide their palms before they look away. It’s a very cool animation and looks very authentic.
Things get much better too. If you can choose between 30 fps quality mode and 60 fps performance mode, then I simply recommend the latter as a texture and the overall resolution isn’t that hit. The frame rate drop is also much less frequently, which can help you maintain the moment, especially if things are a little nervous.
The only real grievance I have in the presentation of the PGA Tour 2K25 is its commentary. Reality commentators Luke Elby and Rich Beam lack all kinds of energy and buzz, and even by golf standards there is too much nasty silence, then one or two words. There is a shortage.
Final thoughts
Whether visually or mechanical, the PGA Tour 2K25 is based on its predecessor in almost every way. No matter how you choose to play, things are real and ultimately feel satisfied with the green. MyCareer mode feels a little deeper and more rewarding thanks to its new personality and popular features, but the Evoswing system feels more accurate.
The overall experience feels familiar, but it certainly is a step in the right direction and will be one of the better golf sims you can play today.
4 stars (out of 5)
Highlight: Satisfied gameplay returns. Evoswing System; Deeper mycareer mode. A solid performance
Low Light: The three-click swing system still feels a little overwhelming. An annoying explanation will be returned
Developer: HB Studio
Publisher: 2K Games
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC
Available: February 28th
Reviews conducted on PlayStation 5 are conducted using pre-release code provided by the publisher.
