Sports video games are known for frequent releases of new iterations with minimal updates to content or gameplay, and PGA Tour 2K23 sought to buck that trend when it released two years after the mostly fun PGA Tour 2K21. While the gameplay is largely very sharp and a couple of new features add some fun factor for players looking for something different, PGA Tour 2K23 is largely a replication of its predecessor.
The more intense and strict simulation-style play of PGA Tour 2K23 makes it a less forgiving golf experience that requires a lot more precision than the EA Sports Tiger Woods PGA Tour series ever did. HB Studios has always placed a little more emphasis on the single-player career mode of the PGA Tour career, with over 20 licensed courses in PGA Tour 2K23 that allow the game to recreate many actual PGA events on their real-life courses. From its early days as The Golf Club in 2014, the PGA Tour 2K series has evolved quite a bit since its inception, with each game building on the last to add to the experience, and PGA Tour 2K23 has a few of those additions.
Tiger Woods Joins PGA Tour 2K23
Legendary golfer Tiger Woods was announced as the cover athlete of PGA Tour 2K23 earlier this year when he signed with 2K Sports, and the move gave the series instant credibility with casual fans who remember the Tiger Woods PGA Tour games. Woods is also a playable competitor in PGA Tour 2K23, alongside a wealth of other PGA and LPGA professionals, adding realism to the PGA Tour mode since a player's created pro will be competing against names that the player can recognize.
Tiger Woods being in the game is a nice touch, and a welcome roster addition for fans who love the single-player career mode, but it doesn't change the core gameplay or make the actual game feel any different from PGA Tour 2K21. The largest measurable differences caused by Woods being in the game are for players who want to use him as their character when they play, as well as the cosmetic clothing and equipment items that are Tiger Woods branded and can be equipped on a created professional inside the game.
Key Changes To Modes and Gameplay
Topgolf makes its video game debut in PGA Tour 2K23, as the popular arcade-style driving range from around the world joins its list of playable modes. The new mode features 10-shot rounds that award points for distance and accuracy, using the Las Vegas Topgolf location as the model in the game. Players can take part in Topgolf in single player play or in online competition in PGA Tour 2K23's multiplayer suite. The mode looks a lot easier than it is, and can help players establish more accuracy and consistency in their game, all while playing in a fun arcade competition.
Three-click swings make their debut in PGA Tour 2K23, and they offer a gameplay change from the analog club swing that had previously been the only way to swing the golf club in the game. The new three-click method requires players to hold down the button to fill the power meter to the desired level, then press the same button two more times to line up the swing path and ensure the correct club angle. Offering the three-click swings are one of the nice improvements in PGA Tour 2K23, as it gives players an option of being able to play in the way that suits them best.
From an online standpoint, PGA Tour 2K23 is disappointing in that it doesn't do much to distinguish itself from its predecessors. Online Societies offer players a lot of ways to compete against one another, but the general online suite needed to improve in PGA Tour 2K23 and it still feels like a bit of an afterthought in the new game. General leaderboards are still missing, and modes aside from standard stroke play are still on a rotating basis by day, meaning players have to wait for their preferred mode to come back around in order to play that mode with their friends. Given the attention the online portion of the game that EA Sports PGA Tour will almost certainly get from EA, the lack of anything new or different in that part of PGA Tour 2K23 will be disappointing to some players.
PGA Tour 2K23 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.