I do believe that 2K Games has reached a point where they have figured out how best to make the PGA games. My opinion over the years has been that they were struggling to make golf exciting while balancing out the changing console landscape and what visually that meant for future games in the series. I was critical of the game the last time out, and I was expecting more of the same this year. As most of the sports gamers out there know, when a publisher has a good series going, they rarely stray from the formula. How does that typically work out? See Madden NFL for details.
But maybe I’m being too harsh. Maybe, just maybe 2K has broken the cycle of only pushing the golf experience to a good point, rather than to a great one. Maybe they have retooled their visuals, tightened up their controls, and made a golfing experience that is worthy of the PGA name. Maybe harkening back to the golden days of PGA when courses were DLC and South Park snuck in its first test episode.
Well, there isn’t maybe to it. 2K Games and developer HB Studios have gone back to the drawing board and put together a solid and fun golfing experience in video game form. It defied my expectations and set a new bar with next year’s go-around. While not everything is the gold standard with this release, it’s far more entertaining than not.
So, sit back. Everyone quiet. *whispers* And here we go with a review.
Golfing and Gameplay
The good folks at HB Studios Multimedia have made PGA Tour 2K25 easy to play for those wanting to have a fun time. You should know this right from the get-go. If you’re looking for a casual experience, then the game caters to that forgiving structure. The way you can swing, upgrade your golfer, and just put in more fun than effort is remarkable, and it has been needed for some time. Why? There are two types of sports gamers out there – those who want to have a good time and those who take it seriously. The former of the bunch just wants something to take their mind off a busy/stressful day. I get it, and the devs delivered that with this game.
Let’s get going with the breakdown.
In good nature of full transparency, I spent a good chunk of my review time playing PGA Tour 2K25 on easy mode. It allowed for my swinging and shot/club selection to be more automatic and forgiving, and I got some good assists from the CPU when I fell behind. The easy mode of this game was just a fun experience that I could pick up and play without being fully committed to the process. That is a good thing when you’re trying to push this game to a wider audience. Not everyone wants to get down in the dirt with a complicated game. As much fun as it sounds to figure out distance and wind speed while choosing the right club to meet those calculated assumptions, that type of gameplay simply isn’t for everyone.
BUT! Worry not, golf masters, the devs have also made it difficult to play for those wanting a challenge. You will get all the complications, the unforgiving greens, and treacherous sand traps everywhere to make the experience more realistic. You will get all of what you would expect out of a difficult golf simulator. It’s impressive if you like this kind of route to go, and it’s a great balance with the easy difficulty.
My point with all this ramble is that this game is balanced from complicated to easy and fits any golfing need or desire. You will get a full golfing experience that varies depending on how lucky you’re feeling going into a tournament or golfing session. That balance is impressive considering how it has been a one-sided, complicated affair for the last two years. Not only complicated but a smidge unfair at times, which meant it wasn’t as fun as it could have been. You should know all of this before you dive into the game. It’s very balanced, more so than usual.
Now, that balance of the game starts with the controls. I think this is the first time I felt like the controls were a non-factor when playing PGA Tour 2K25. You have a variety of different ways to control your swings in the game, from pull-down to buttons, but the best method that was perfected in this year’s release was the two-thumbstick method. This allows you to pull back your swing and push it forward to get the maximum accuracy and power possible. It’s easy to pick up on, as you pull your right thumbstick down and then push it upward. Your goal with this motion is to ensure accuracy and power with a simplified movement that makes sense as it relates to the actual game of golf. In short, it’s a comfortable gameplay method for swinging. It feels accurate and puts more effort into the player’s hands rather than the game’s.
Where does that effort go? Well, the game provides a few options for playing. There is a MyCareer mode, where I spent most of my reviewing time, and this mode truly brings a good set of gameplay attributes that are worth mentioning. MyCareer mode comes with all the gameplay attributes that I laid out above. The controls are smooth, the gameplay feels balanced, and you can have as much or as little control of the game as you would like. In addition, the mode gives you goals, potential sponsors to sign with as you become more successful, a branching narrative during interviews, and social media popularity, and it features a lot of courses in a normal PGA season. It’s hands-down the deepest mode in the game and one that is fun to play because of its complication with all its ways of customizing and leveling your player. Again, I spent most of my review time here and had a tough time putting down the controller.
The other mode in the game is TopGolf, which is a trio or solo target game from the tee. I can see this as competitive and fun with friends, but it is kind of bland going solo. Outside of being able to practice outperforming your friends, it’s tough to justify why solo is even an option. Regardless, it’s a fun mode, but not very deep. It’s purely supported by people you want to match make with or a group of friends you want to take on.
Related, the game also provides you with matchmaking and ranked matches. I know the latter is a big deal with hardcore golf gamers, so it’s nice to see it. For my tastes, I tend to avoid the online golfing world because of the hardcore gamers. The options are there, though, for those who want to jump into it.
The final piece to the gameplay puzzle is the ability to create golf courses. If you’re into that sort of stuff, and it looks like Twin Motion when you’re putting together the ultimate course, it is still very present on this edition of the PGA Tour. Have at it, creators, as I know you’ll find some fun things to drive people bonkers.
Overall, I’m impressed with what HB Studios has brought to the table in terms of backend gameplay elements. I think the tightening of the swinging, the tweaks in mechanics, and the overall ease of use when getting into it helps to open the game to a wider audience. I feel like I can play this game for fun now and not need to revisit my younger golfing years to get good. Anyway, it’s a fun game and one that I will revisit when I need a break from other titles (or when I’m trying to be lazy).
Vocals and Visuals
I love the commentators in this game. All the commentators. Whoever wrote their lines made them sound intelligent, fun, and not noticeably repetitive. The latter is important because you don’t want to be annoyed by the commentators. Anyway, the director and commentators did a masterful job of bringing enthusiasm and knowledge to each course. It’s cool how much information, admiration, and the occasional disappointment the commentators brought to the action. It’s nice to see there was good effort and execution put into this part of the game.
On the visual side of the tracks, it’s a gorgeous game. It might be the best-looking version of the PGA Tour that 2K has published. The PS5 Pro thrives on its details and courses while building an accurate representation of the golf experience. The textures of the environments and the models of the players are outstanding. We’re talking close to MLB The Show type of good visuals. They are certainly an upgrade from past iterations of the series.
Before we wrap, I must give kudos to the composer of the game as well. The music was outstanding, and it had a bit of Daft Punk flavor in some moments. It was a good compliment to the action and gameplay.
On that note, let’s wrap this review up.
Conclusion
PGA Tour 2K25 from developer HB Studios and 2K Games is probably one of the best entries to the franchise in the last three years. It brings better gameplay, gorgeous graphics, and just enough modes to keep the game consistently interesting as you play. It is one of the better sports games to arrive in the last year.
