PGA Tour 2K23: PS5 Review

Developed by HB Studios

Published by 2K Games

Platform: PS5

PGA Tour 2K21 was a great golf game.

By concentrating on just the basics, HB Studios came close to getting a hole in one with a game that really soared because of its simplicity.

In many ways, it's a sim that anyone can pick up and play, without any real skill on the green, and without knowing the difference between a wedge and a putter.

PGA Tour 2K23 doesn't really have its work cut out for it.

The golfing sim world isn't entirely flooded with competitors and in truth, with each release, there's not really much new that can be done with a game like this. Players don't suddenly sprout extra arms in the off-season or require massive over-tooling for any upcoming games.

After a 2 year break, the developers HB Studios have spent the time attracting the talent to the virtual tee and getting them in the game. With a roster that boasts Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas, Lexi Thompson, Tony Finau, Lydia Ko, Collin Morikawa, Will Zalatoris, Brooke Henderson, there are more than enough names for those au fait with the genre to play with.

A chance to face off against them may be more thrilling for those who know their golf pros - an option that's been added to the 2022 release.

But the success of these sims tends to rely on the wider audiences, those who don't have the skills to drill down into the golfing details and who want to pick up the controller, take a swing and hit the ball.

To this end, PGA Tour 2K23 is the kind of easy game you can play solo or with some friends, and still enjoy.

Simple customisation and the options to equip better gear and clothing make the game light on its feet - but the introduction of a paid clubhouse pass that allows you to gain rewards and skip the grind grates as once again the microtransactions world brutally comes a-calling.

The golfing itself is perfectly serviceable and fine - and in truth, if you play PGA Tour 2K21, there's not much of a change noticeable on the course. Shots can still go awry if you're not great on the swing, and a good game can tumble disastrously into the diabolical territory with one slip.

Perhaps one of the major irritants on the course is the commentators whose inane banter verges on the repetitive and the tedious. But there's always a mute button.

At its core, PGA Tour 2K23 is about getting out on the green, and while the graphics haven't taken much of a leap and bound (player and crowd expressions still seem fairly muted, even if the threads on fabrics on your players don't), the game is as playable and as enjoyable as ever.