Chris InglisIt’s been a long, long time since I last picked up a virtual golf club, let alone a physical one, so I jumped at the chance to play PGA Tour 2K25 by developers HB Studio and published by 2K. My last real foray into the genre was probably back in the days of pixelated greens and blocky characters. So, when I fired up PGA Tour 2K25 on my Xbox Series X, I was struck by the superb graphics, the high level of detail of the player models and the engaging gameplay.
This game is just gorgeous, and the graphics are simply superb. The courses are meticulously rendered, with lush greens and realistic textures that brings them to life. Even the crowds, while understandably less detailed than the player models, are surprisingly reactive. They cheer, they groan, they follow your shots with their eyes, adding a tangible atmosphere to each hole. And it’s not just the visuals; the ambient sounds are equally impressive. The gentle buzz of insects, the rustling of leaves, the subtle whoosh of the wind – it all contributes to feeling that you are standing on the fairway.
Player customisation is rich, allowing you to create a golfer that reflects your style. However, you can also deep dive on customising your clubs too. I have no idea about any of that stuff, however my brother-in-law runs a club repair shop, and this would be right down his alley. You can tweak every aspect of your clubs, from the shaft flex to the clubhead weight. It’s clear that the developers have put a lot of thought into replicating the intricacies of golf equipment.
PGA Tour 2K25 offers three control schemes on the Xbox controller. Instead of relying on my reflexes, or lack thereof, with the stick controls, I opted for the 3-click swing method. While this ensured a level of accuracy, it did get quite dull when driving. All I really needed to do was avoid bunkers or lakes, as the swing speed/power were too easy to nail. Still, this meant I didn’t have the frustration of fighting with my coordination and the stick sensitivities. It felt like a trade-off between ease of use and excitement.
The MyCareer mode is excellent. I love the sense of progression as you work my way up the ranks, competing in tournaments and building my reputation. The player manager and sponsor messaging system adds a layer of depth, reminiscent of other sports management games. Your responses to messages and your performance on the course directly impact your reputation and social media rankings. It’s a fun and engaging way to add a bit of off-course drama.
Adding to the tournament intensity are the competitor rivalries. You can be challenged by other golfers against certain conditions within the tournament, which adds another layer of objectives to aim for. These rivalries aren’t just for bragging rights either; they can net you some additional new items for customisation, making them a worthwhile pursuit.
Each tournament in PGA Tour 2K25 offers invaluable training options prior to diving right into the competition, though you can do that if you wish. Not only do you get additional shot practice on some of the courses, but completing training sessions will net you attribute boosts to enhance your on-course performance, as well as XP rate boosts to accelerate your progression. In addition, pre-tournament hit outs allow you to play some featured holes and earn even more performance boosts prior to entering the main tournament. It’s a fantastic change of pace while also being genuinely rewarding for your player’s development.
Now, let’s talk about those fairway shots. As a relative golf newbie, I often found myself scratching my head trying to figure out the distances. It was frequently confusing to read how far it was to the flag and how far my shot was projected to go. For example, if the flag was 130m away and my shot was also set to 130m, I’d find that some clubs would way overshoot, while others would drastically undershoot.
The same went for chip shots just outside the green. The flag might be 10m away, but the initial shot would be set to 4m. Sometimes, leaving it at 4m would result in a short chip, and then trying to adjust closer would send the ball flying way past the flag. This likely highlights my severe lack of golf knowledge, but it was undeniably frustrating to learn within the game.
This brings me to putting, and let’s be honest, putting is the bane of every golfer’s existence, virtual or real. I struggled a lot with reading the green angles, even with the visual cues and commentary assistance. It’s a testament to the game’s realism, but it can also be frustrating at times. However, I did enjoy the commentary, especially the inclusion of some Australian commentators. It was a nice touch that added a bit of local flavour.
Despite my ever-present lack of golf skills, overall PGA Tour 2K25 is a visually impressive and immersive golfing experience that offers a surprising amount of depth and customisation. It’s a fantastic game that has managed to pull me back into the world of virtual golf after a 20-year hiatus, and I’m eager to see if I can hone my putting skills the more I play. If you’re a golf fan, or even if you’re just looking for a solid sports game, PGA Tour 2K25 is definitely worth a swing.
This review utilised an Xbox key provided by 2K ANZ and PGA Tour 2K25 is available now on Steam, Xbox and PlayStation.
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Yonan