When done right, golf games like PGA Tour 2K25 can be almost the antithesis of the actual sport, which is hard, comes with a significant amount of stress, can curate life-altering obsessions, and of course involves getting out in the elements and swinging clubs around, something that isn’t always the most pleasurable experience in our part of the world.
The best golf games are relaxing and fun. Some of the recent golf sims are actually tricky and complex simulations that feel, dare I say it, a bit like the stress-natured sport, with difficult controls, and margins of error involved that can frustrate like the real game. I do want the physics engine and solid mechanics, and some nice graphics never go amiss. But I want a bit of escapism as well.
After just a few minutes with PGA Tour 2K25 I was hooked, as it delivers pretty much all I could ask from a golf game. It is a superb simulation of the sport, but has that pick up and play goodness and quality of life that you want. I instantly regretted not rest of the day off to continue playing it, such was its club-swinging allure. Just how have HB Studios pulled this off?
After signing into your 2K account, you are plunged straight into the action and shown how to whack the ball. Every sports game worth its salt these days has some kind of gimmick, usually involving the analogue sticks, and the EvoSwing mechanic is the basis of PGA Tour 2K25. You are given three options to play with. Playing the way the developer intended, the swing is achieved with a downward then upward flick of an analogue stick – there are options to use either the right or left, with the corresponding side handling movement – and the left bumper modifying the shape of your shot.
If you are more of a traditionalist, there is also a trusty three-button-press control system, but for me the swing is the most intuitive and is executed extremely well. You can alter the sensitivity, and therefore difficulty, of the EvoSwing. At its most sensitive the trajectory of the ball and quality of your swing and impact is at the mercy of your thumb dexterity and accuracy. Nudging the stick the wrong way even slightly here can shank the ball just how I would normally do in real life. Get it spot-on, however, and the overlaid HUD pings up with little gold medals indicating a perfect impact. The laid back commentators acknowledge you and everything is good in the world. It is one of the best feelings I have experienced in gaming for some time executing a beautifully timed shot. If you just want a more casual amble around the course, then there is also an option to tone down the difficulty and play in Perfect Swing mode, which still involves having to time everything right but is far less punishing in terms of wildly hooked, horror-show shots.
MyPlayer allows you to build your own custom golfer in PGA Tour 2K25 either from scratch, using a staggering amount of variables to choose from, or from a selection of pre-created beauties. You then get to choose a permanent Archetype for your avatar, much how you select a wrestling style in 2K’s WWE creation suite. These Archetypes boost certain areas of your game, with the Powerhouse focusing on emulating vintage John Daly, the Greenskeeper being a deadly finisher on the putting green, and the arcane sounding Magician being able to pull off miraculous shots from tricky lies.
This spellcasting-sounding Archetype isn’t the only RPG-related thing in PGA Tour 2K25 either: there are also skills trees and upgradable Attributes which you can evolve using in-game experience points. You can even level up your gear with the brand-new Equipment Progression allowing you to allocate XP to clubs and balls. There is a crazy amount of licensed gear and clothing to unlock – some of which is behind a paywall, but a great deal are earned just from playing the game. The outcome to all of this is that you can truly create a golfer that not only looks a bit like you, or whatever outlandish creative bent you go down, but one that perfectly suits the style of player you would like to vicariously be.
You can take your golfer for a casual game, or embark on the excellent MyCareer mode, which features licensed real-life tournaments like the US Open, The Open, and The PGA Championship, all on the real-life courses that are recreated in great detail. The best bit about MyCareer for me, however, is its commitment to a bit of video game escapism with some narratively driven storylines as your player navigates the golfing world. Winningly, there is the extremely welcome addition of Christopher McDonald who will instantly recognisable to fans of Adam Sandler’s madcap, foul-mouthed sports comedy Happy Gilmore.
As part of purchasable DLC you can even play as McDonald, and while he isn’t explicitly referred to by the name we associate him with, fans like me will feel like they are controlling the legendary sports movie Shooter McGavin. It is terrific. Of course, there are plenty of other licensed players – none bigger than all-time great Tiger Woods who is resplendent in classic red attire on the cover and throughout the game, with statistics to reflect his status as one of the best to ever do it.
There is an almost overwhelming amount to do in PGA Tour 2K25. There are neat little in-game Quests that award XP for certain achievements and these will be updated regularly. Even during casual games you find yourself with an eye on these – it could be something simple like playing a certain number of shots without hitting the rough, but it is these little layers that make the game compulsive and fun. Along with the multiple familiar courses from around the Tour and beyond you can even have a crack at making your own with the Course Designer – and once you have carved out your masterpiece of golfing terrain you can share it with the PGA 2K25 universe, a lovely touch and I cannot wait to see some of the crazy courses people come up with.
Updated Seasons will be added for PGA Tour 2K25 players to experience throughout the year, new gear being added to the in-game shop, and challenges and leaderboards popping up down the line. There are Ranked tours, daily and weekly tournaments with associated rewards, and a load of multiplayer options available on launch including Stroke, Match and the new Societies mode where you can form or join clubs with like minded players around the world. I mentioned that some of the features are behind paid DLC, such as the Clubhouse Pass which opens up a load of additional items and rewards, but the core game is not unfair in its drip feed of XP and free stuff, and feels generous and not an uphill slog in terms of grinding, which is nice to see.
PGA Tour 2K25 is a fine game of golf. It looks and sounds lovely, it has an intuitive and fun control system, and can be tricksy and nuanced or as hardcore as you want it to be. Just go in and do it how you feel most comfortable and you will have fun either way. It understands what a video game should be whilst also being reverential and respectful to the sport and its fans, and you will find layers of hidden depth not just in the supreme physics engine and on-course gameplay but in what the game throws at you in terms of content and surprises. Well played, 2K. Now bring back NFL 2K please.
