PGA Tour 2K25 Preview
There’s nothing like a good game of golf on a sunny day. It’s a pretty relaxing sport, and PGA Tour 2K25 reflects this. I spent a couple of hours with the game in Phoenix, and the whole experience was smooth and seamless. Although my time with the build was limited, I could have played MyCareer mode all day long. Even the regular matches are that slick blend of laid-back and engaging I look for in golf games. Plus it all looks great!
Although my personal visibility was low (it was a very sunny day), what I saw of Tour 2K25 looked excellent. The animation is detailed and organic. Every swing feels well-crafted and expertly captured. The courses themselves are perfect recreations of their real-life counterparts, and the lighting effects are quite satisfying. The created players aren’t quite as perfected, but this feels normal and fine. I tend to whip up some real freaks, so the parts involved don’t always play nice with one another.
Some Good Looking Greens
To be fair and balanced, this is my first time playing anything from 2K’s PGA Tour series. So I’m not working with a ton of practical experience in that regard. But I have played a grip of casual and arcade-style golf games. Set against that backdrop, Tour 2K25 feels great. I saw a ton of customization options for difficulty, playstyle, and immersion. This newest release features a Perfect Swing system. Meaning, if you’d like, you can automatically shoot a lot more like a pro. This can free you up to cruise through the Career mode. But so far, I prefer a slightly elevated challenge.
More challenge also means more experience, which is essential for getting through MyCareer mode. You can tweak the difficulty, the control style, and the amount of golf you actually play. Your player can power through matches automatically, but you won’t do quite as well. You can choose your personality, though the options are all pretty tame. I guess golfers don’t get as crazy as some other athletes. I barely scratched the surface of Career mode, however. Things could change quite drastically down the road.
One question I couldn’t answer during my gameplay session was about the progression system. How balanced is it? If things move too slowly, you can get discouraged from continuing – but it can’t be too easy either. I did notice that experience bonuses are based on difficulty. Meaning, you can always crank up the challenge if things aren’t moving fast enough for you. On the other hand, I’ve yet to mess with those higher settings.
Lot Of Fine Tuning To Do
In my limited time with Tour 2K25, I found the gameplay relaxing yet compelling. I do wonder whether this will hold up throughout an entire campaign. Playing is mostly a matter of lining up shots, navigating menus, and choosing your personality. If things get stale, perhaps that fine-tuned difficulty will have to go up. Not to discount the quality of the core gameplay. Actually lining up putts is a slightly tougher task, even with the shot prediction guides showing you the way. Plus, you can get quite granular with things like shot strength and trajectory.
I’m not sure how PGA Tour 2K25 compares to the rest of the series. Arcade golf games are one thing, but this is sim golf. I’ve got so much minutiae to explore. While I’ve had fun so far, this can always change. Will the campaign mode continue to evolve? What about the online multiplayer? How balanced is the progression system? But the visuals are slick, the mechanics are solid, and career mode holds some promise. I look forward to digging into the full release.
Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.
