EA Sports PGA Tour Golf Review

Golf and video games go hand in hand, I can’t remember a system without a full blowing golf title gracing the screens of gamers across the lands. I’ve been gaming since the 80’s and even then, golf games featured very highly on the speccy and C64.

Fast forward a little bit to the 16-bit era, and EA Sports PGA Tour Golf was born, a game that has always had competitors, but has always managed to see off it’s challengers for the crown of best golfing simulator. So much so, that the competition seemed to stop on console, I mean how could you compete with the powerhouse golf simulator that had it all, wonderful mechanics, excellent presentation, and a solid career mode. Unfortunately, this is where I feel EA lost their way with some of the recent golfing titles, certainly on the likes of Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

New generations of consoles came and went, and with EA trying to build on a winning formula, they edged away from the safe tried and trusted model, perhaps feeling it was a little stale, and tried a new swing mechanic, and putting system, that for me and many others didn’t feel fluid, and left its players wanting more. Now I can’t blame EA for trying something new, after all, how can you better a game that is already fundamentally perfect by playing it safe?

Perhaps the lack of competition played a part too, maybe the devs had no-one to push them, after all they were top of the league. Then out of nowhere, HB Studio’s step up to the tee and find the green with their first effort. The Golf Club was here and EA, and its golf game had some serious competition. Fast forward a few years, and its roles reversed, with HB Studio’s going from strength to strength, now with some much-needed funding provided by 2K Sports, and they produce a truly stunning golf game in PGA 2k23.

Now it’s EA’s turn to respond, and after several years in the wilderness, I am pleased to say EA are back on the green with its latest Golf game, but is it better then 2k’s offering?

Has competition, finally provided the nudge EA needed to bring out their A-Game, and come out all guns blazing? Read on below to find out!

EA SPORTS PGA TOUR is the exclusive home of all four majors in men’s golf – the Masters Tournament, PGA Championship™, U.S. Open Championship® and The Open.

The game features 30 courses at launch, THE PLAYERS Championship and FedExCup Playoffs, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and all-new Pure Strike gameplay featuring ShotLink® Powered by CDW. EA SPORTS PGA TOUR also comes packed with Road to the Masters which incorporates challenges, online tournaments and gear tied to the Masters.

EA SPORTS PGA TOUR features the most accurate representation of Augusta National, from exact locations of its flowers and trees, bird sounds, as well as the newly redesigned hole 13 commonly known as “Azalea.” Within Road to the Masters, players can compete for a Green Jacket at the world-famous Augusta National and participate in a variety of unique challenges including “Championship Moments” from the Masters, where they’ll complete quests inspired by the prestigious Tournament. Players can test their skills in exciting season-long online tournaments, earning Masters-branded rewards, and equipping their created golfers with official clubs and gear.

“From the outset, our goal was to provide golf fans a true-to-life experience that replicated the excitement and passion that real life players experience every week on the PGA TOUR, as well as the beauty and grandeur of the Masters at Augusta National,” said Cam Weber, EVP and GM, EA SPORTS.

“As the only golf game with all four men’s majors featuring some of the most iconic courses and tournaments in the world and realistic gameplay powered by real-world golf data, we’re extremely excited about giving players the most realistic golf game in the world today.”

EA SPORTS PGA TOUR is powered by EA’s Frostbite™ engine and boasts 30 bucket list courses at launch such as The Old Course at St Andrews Links, The Country Club, Pebble Beach Golf Links and Torrey Pines, allowing players to experience some of the world’s most prominent golf destinations in stunning 4K like never before

Meticulously crafted using drone technology, flight helicopters equipped with custom LiDAR scanners and Frostbite’s state-of-the-art Terrain Procedural Tools, each course is packed with details that fans know and love, even down to the clubhouses. The photogrammetry and scanners were also applied to create precise renderings of clubhouses, iconic vegetation, bridges, tee markers, rock formations, and other on-course elements offering players life-like visual experiences of their favorite courses.

The Pure Strike gameplay system, featuring ShotLink® powered by CDW and TrackMan, allows players to feel like a pro golfer by incorporating fluid swing mechanics, innovative ball behavior and lifelike course dynamics. With a robust career mode, online modes for friends and competitive play, real-life pros including LPGA golfers and deep customization options, EA SPORTS PGA TOUR is the most content-rich entry in the franchise.

After the launch of EA SPORTS PGA TOUR, players can expect compelling content updates alongside golf’s biggest moments such as the Majors, FedExCup, and the Ryder Cup. New challenges inspired by current and historic golf moments will be added along with the 3-Click Swing mechanic and five new courses featuring the sites of the 2023 men’s majors including Oak Hill Country Club, The Los Angeles Country Club and Royal Liverpool as well as Olympia Fields and Marco Simone, site of the 2023 Ryder Cup. More information on these new EA SPORTS PGA TOUR content updates will be revealed later in 2023.

EA SPORTS PGA TOUR is packed with competitive content for players to experience in Career mode, including:

• THE PLAYERS Championship and FedExCup Playoffs – The PLAYERS Championship and all three FedExCup Playoffs events will be in the game. Players can earn in-game FedExCup points in Career Mode for the opportunity to compete in the FedExCup Playoffs.
• Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and The Amundi Evian Championship – In partnership with the LPGA, EA SPORTS PGA TOUR players can compete at The Amundi Evian Championship for the first time ever in a videogame. Players can compete as some of the top women in the sport, create a female golfer in the overhauled Create-A-Player feature, and participate in a series of LPGA-themed challenges and other events. The golfing world’s Iona Stephen will also be joining the EA commentary team, becoming the first woman to appear in a golf videogame providing on-course broadcast commentary.
• Your Career, Your Way – EA SPORTS PGA TOUR provides players with an RPG-like progression system on the Road to the Masters. As their golf game improves, the closer they’ll be to becoming a major champion. Players are able to create and customise a golfer, develop their skills and master each course to attack every hole like a pro.

• Online Gameplay – Online game modes include Competitive play featuring simultaneous rounds with up to 16 players, as well as social and private matches for more casual experiences. Players can also play in a variety of timed tournaments for exclusive rewards.

Not sure about the game, you can also trial the game via EA Play, and your ultimate game pass membership. However, if you have already looked into the game and read some peoples views on the game, you have to remember this is a true RPG Style golf game, very much in the mould of EA’s Competitor 2K23. Practice is key!

If you walk into this game thinking you are going to hit the ground running, then you will be shocked to hear that you will be extremely lucky to finish your first-round level par, and even more lucky if you make the cut to the 3^rd and 4^th rounds. This game is hard as nails to master, however give it sometime, and you will start to celebrate making pars, and then birdies.

This is Golf’s version of get good.

The game rewards you via XP, every time you level up you are rewarded with two stat points to spend on your golfers’ abilities. So just like in real life, practice makes perfect, and experience puts you on the right path to greatness. Level up your stats, and you will soon have more control when it comes to the timing of the shots, and placement of those approaches. Out of the rough and onto the green, and then you’ve just got to sink the putt, good luck!

Presentation-wise EA Sports PGA Tour Golf is second to none, but then we have come to expect that with EA Sports titles over the years. Graphically the games are always pleasing on the eye, and this golf title is exactly that, stunning. The visuals add to the game, you want to feel the beauty, the atmosphere created by the sport, and you really do feel as though you are emersed into the golfing world with this game. Turn up the speakers and soak it all in, and if you could shut your eyes, you would think you were on the tee, ready to launch that shot down the fairway.

Overall, the look of the game is perfect, packed with fantastic visuals, clear and clean menus and informative instructions, add to that some excellent commentary and the game is on the right path.

But for all the visuals, the menu’s, presentation, if you can’t hit the ball, it’s all wasted. As with many golf games it comes down to the striking mechanics and the feel for putting the ball in to the hole, fail at this hurdle and then everything above counts for nothing.

Does the game’s promise of a new striking mechanic hold up?

Yes, it does! As I stated previously once you get the feel for the game and upgrade your golfer’s stat’s everything falls into place. The striking mechanic feels, clean and fluid, and the putting system a dream. What I will say, is that the aim circles that are provided are a guide as to where your ball will land, and as you increase your golfers’ stats that becomes more accurate, as does your putting.

Overall, EA Sports PGA Golf Tour is a true recovery, and back to form. The King of golf games has returned, with it’s truly rewarding RPG get good like representation of the actual sport. Just like in real life, practice makes perfect, and you are rewarded brilliantly with this game.

The best golf game on the market, not a PGA 2k23 killer, as that game is very good, but EA’s new title, just edges it.