EA Sports PGA Tour game review
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After eight years out of the game, EA Sports are back on the virtual fairways with the visually stunning PGA Tour 2023 game.
EA Sports have spent nearly a decade away from the game of golf, which left many gamers and golf lovers skeptical of what the 2023 PGA Tour game would bring to the table. Since 2015 it seems EA Sports have had their thinking caps on, finding new tech to innovate their game, including real-life golf data and shot tracing analysis.
The challenging, realistic gameplay is thanks to a range of game mechanics that set PGA Tour 2023 apart from the rest of the field. ShotLink data, which has tracked and recorded every professional golf shot since 2001, partners up with Trackman and innovative Pure Strike gameplay to give players more than 20 shot types to personalize how they play the game.
With full customization, players will get the chance to make their very own mini-me before nurturing them to success and enhancing the crucial skills needed to win on the PGA Tour. They’ll take on the best golfers in the world in the bid to become a Major champion, sliding the Green Jacket over their shoulders, or lifting the Claret Jug aloft on the 18th green at the Home of Golf.
EA Sports PGA Tour: Key Gameplay Features
Home of the Majors
PGA Tour 2023 is the exclusive home of the Majors, including the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the US Open, and The Open. You’re able to compete in the PGA Tour’s best events in the season-long chase for the FedExCup and conquer the top Amateur Championships around the world.
The world’s most exclusive courses
The tee is yours at 30 courses, including some of the world’s most exclusive, designed in stunning fidelity with Frostbite so you can immerse yourself in visual beauty and more of golf’s finer details than ever before.
Pure Strike powered by ShotLink
Powered by official PGA Tour ShotLink and TrackMan data, Pure Strike gives golf fans all the tools they need to realistically attack every hole on every course the same way the pros do. It incorporates the three parts of every golf swing which is highly accurate to a player’s backswing length and speed of follow-through.
True-to-Life Course Visuals
EA Sports PGA Tour presents the most realistic visuals in any golf game thanks to state-of-the-art equipment, depicting courses exactly as they appear in real life. Creating 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 Players Championship and FedExCup Playoffs
The Players Championship and all three events of the FedExCup Playoffs will be in the game, and players can earn in-game FedExCup points in Career Mode for the opportunity to compete in the playoff events. As part of the career mode, top golfers at the end of the year will be given the opportunity to win the FedExCup.
Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and The Amundi Evian Championship
In partnership with the LPGA, players can compete at The Amundi Evian Championship, one of the LPGA Tour’s five Major Championships, and have the opportunity to play as several female athletes. TG columnist Iona Stephen is part of the EA commentary team as the first female on-course announcer in the game, bringing her experienced insights from both playing professionally and working in golf broadcasting.
Your career, your way
Create and customize a golfer, then develop your skills so you can master each course and learn to attack every hole like a pro. Enhance your skill set for driving, approach, short game, or putting, depending on your style, then compete to become a Major champion, and take on the PGA Tour’s best events in the season-long chase for the FedEx Cup.
Course Dynamics
‘Unique Course Dynamics’ backed by a rigorous course tuning process from tee to green ensures no two golf courses play the same. Every fairway, green, and rough is meticulously scanned, handcrafted, and uniquely tuned to simulate the individual nuances of different courses and terrain variables like undulations, ground cover, and grass type.
Ball Behavior
‘Revolutionized Ball Behavior’ delivers next-gen responsiveness so once your shot lands, the golf ball spins, bounces, dribbles, and rolls as it would in real life.
ShotLink
Utilizing ShotLink powered by CDW, the PGA Tour’s proprietary real-time scoring system since 2001, golfers will authentically be replicated with accurate player ratings, skills, and magnified true-to-life in-game events.
TrackMan Data
Insights implemented by TrackMan, a world leader in 3D ball flight measurement and swing analysis, is a critical component to authentic gameplay utilizing a myriad of stats including club tuning, flight trajectory, landing position, and much more.
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X | S, PC
Pros
- Stunning graphics
- Real-life game mechanics
- Course design and details
- Smooth commentary and crowd reactions
Cons
- Hard to get used to the controls
- It's tougher than real golf!
| Publisher | EA Sports, Inc |
| Developer | EA Tiburon |
| Platforms | PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PC (EA App, Steam, Epic Games Store) |
| Versions | Standard, Deluxe (Digital only) |
| Players | 1 – 16 |
| ESRB Rating | E |
- Pure Strike powered by ShotLink: Powered by official PGA TOUR ShotLink and TrackMan data, Pure Strike provides unique golf swings with a fluid feel, and realistic outcomes on every golf shot
- Course Dynamics
- Ball Behavior
- Home of the Majors
- Career mode
- Online game mode
EA Sports PGA Tour 2023: Our Verdict
As a gamer and a golfer, the visuals are breathtaking. Playing Amen Corner, it felt like I was sitting watching the television coverage from Augusta. The realism of PGA Tour 2023 is what really sets it apart from any golf game I’ve played in the past. The 4K visuals, smooth commentary, live fan reaction, and superb mechanics create an exciting game that took me the closest I’ll ever be to making it as a tour pro.
The highlight of the game is the incredibly detailed look of the golf courses. From the blooming pink Azaleas around Amen Corner at Augusta National to the overwhelming Manhattan skyline in the distance of Liberty National, and the stunning Road hole at the Old Course at St Andrew’s with the spectacular tee shot over the hotel. It genuinely feels like you’re there.
To complement the realistic views you have a responsive crowd reaction after each shot that is perfectly timed as the ball lands and rolls towards the hole… or hazard. The commentary matches the on-course action perfectly and is super smooth. The varying reactions to different shots, from elements of surprise to excitement when you land near the hole from a tricky shot, are as good as you’d hear on a Golf Channel broadcast.
But this is a game that is almost as difficult as the real thing, which might put the casual golf gamer off. I tested the PS5 version and getting used to the controls and mechanics really felt like trial and error. PGA Tour 2023 has tonnes of challenges and fun ways to learn the game, but if you’re after a fast start and quick play where you learn on the job that’s not really an option.
The gameplay is crisp and the new ball mechanics, which see the ball react to the clubface, and roll differently depending on spin and landing areas on the course, really are impressive. Hard and mistimed low golf shots will bounce fast and run through the fairways or greens, with high soft shots landing and spinning.
As in real life, putting can be the most frustrating and unforgiving thing in the game. With little to no help, reading putts can be so difficult, especially when the putting guide doesn’t always seem accurate to the hole!
Having a game that is so realistic is fantastic but a bit of leeway for beginners in an easier game mode would be great. You have the challenge section, which I love, but when it comes to quick play, there are no real arcade modes for someone wanting to relax with mates. All of that said, when you do master the game it becomes a lot easier and more enjoyable!
What EA Sports have achieved is a game that’s perfect for gamers and golfers who love career modes and are in it for the long haul. You’re able to use your pro in every game mode, whether you’re competing against the pros to win a Major or trying to beat challenges from The Masters, which makes the experience unique.
The customization feature makes the game very personal to each player which I found great, but there could be more skin, hair, and facial feature options. Customized players’ on-course reactions are also a little static when compared to the already available players.
Overall, this is a great return to the world of golf games for EA and after a few updates/patches I’m sure the game will be even better. If they can add another mode aimed at beginners and casual gamers with some more guidance and faster-paced arcade modes, it would bump the rating up further.
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About the author
Will Shreeve-Peacock
Golf Equipment Writer
Will Shreeve-Peacock is a golf equipment writer for todays-golfer.com, specializing in golf shoes, GPS watches, rangefinders, and training aids.
He has a degree in journalism from Sheffield Hallam university and four years of experience working in golf retail with American Golf. Will was part of the sales and fitting team, making him the perfect man to review golf equipment.
Trained by a range of manufacturers, including Titleist and TaylorMade, to enhance his product knowledge, Will has all of the skills required to recommend the perfect equipment for amateur golfers.
Will started playing golf more than a decade ago at Thorney Lakes Golf Club, Cambridgeshire and is now a member at Burghley Park Golf Club in Stamford, Lincolnshire. His handicap index is 5.8, largely thanks to his scratch-standard short game.
Away from golf, Will enjoys going to the gym, cooking, spending time with his friends, and watching his beloved Manchester United.
Will uses a Cobra LTDx Driver, Cobra LTDx 3-Wood, TaylorMade P790 2-iron, Callaway X Forged 18 Irons (4-PW), Wilson Staff Model Wedges (52°, 58°), TaylorMade White smoke IN-12 Blade putter and the TaylorMade TP5x Golf ball.
When he’s not testing golf shoes, he chooses to wear FootJoy Hyperflex or Under Armour Charged Phantom. He uses a Shotscope Pro L2 rangefinder and his favorite ever training aid is the PuttOut Pressure Putt Trainer and mat.
You can contact Will via email or follow him on Twitter here.
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EA Sports PGA Tour 2023 game.
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Augusta National on EA Sports PGA Tour 2023.
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PGA Tour 2023 career mode.
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EA Sports PGA Tour 2023 game The PLAYERS Championship.
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EA Sports PGA Tour 2023 game St Andrews.
