PGA Tour 2K25 PC Review

I think I wrote in a previous golf game review that I’ve been playing golf sims for decades now, back to the old days of minimalist graphics and even less colours. PGA Tour 2K25 shows just how far the genre has come with stunning recreations of some of the world’s biggest golf courses and some decent digital representations of some of the world’s best known golfers. But how does it play?

For those who have been playing golf sims for some time… the method of replicating a swing is a key part to whether the whole thing is an enjoyable experience or not. From the click to swing, click to aim style to the drag the mouse back and then forward… there have been a few variations over the years.

2K25 uses EvoSwing which uses timings and your natural swing path. The first stage is to pull your mouse back towards the Backswing Target at the same pace as the power indicator. When you reach the Backswing Target push your mouse forward toward the Downswing Target at 3 times the speed of the Backswing. The variations in timing and accuracy of forward/backward motion will translate to your golfer’s swing.

If that all sounds a bit much you can opt to use the 3-click method. 2K25’s 3-click might be a bit different to what golf gamers are used to though as it uses a click and hold for the first section in which you hold until you have the correct power, then release, followed by the second click which determines push/pull and the third and final click which determines hook/slice.

It’s nice to have the options and I opted for the EvoSwing which only takes a little getting used to and then it’s all down to refinements.

Between actually getting to play golf… there are some “interesting” elements. I understand there is a desire to add more to the game… to make it more than just 18 holes of golf… but I’m not a big fan of the “fluff”. In my career you have an agent who will advise you how to progress your career and set up interviews with the press. You have a “follower” rating because apparently now you need to build your social media fans as much as anything else.

“Rivalries” will pop up from time to time (which feel a bit muted given you end up just playing as normal and only find out how you did after the event… there isn’t really any extra interaction with the opponent or even seeing them play). Fortunately you can just click through most of the extra content and there are visual indicators to which answers to give if you really want to lean into a given personality type etc.

I do need to mention a couple of big issues I had though. For some reason the music selected sounds like it could easily have come from an 80’s or early 90’s action movie… blaring saxophone included. It could be just me but it does not feel appropriate for a golf game. The other issue is also sound related and for some reason at least one of the commentary team (the main commentator) has absolutely atrocious audio quality… It sounds as though it was all recorded without a pop filter and on top of that it almost seems like a bet was had as to how many times they could make the mic pop. It got so annoying that I ended up turning the volume of the commentary off (to be honest they start repeating themselves quite a bit anyway so it’s no real loss).

But the gameplay is, thankfully, fantastic (bar some very questionable shot suggestions, especially around chipping). It is very satisfying to improve your game such that you are no longer hitting and hoping, but you get such a feel for things that you can land a shot so close to in the hole from a long way out that you can hear the crowd gasp as it approaches. The satisfaction of chipping one in from a poor lie is also brilliant. The characters look a bit stiff but for the most part they are nicely animated… just a bit lifeless in the faces.

Final Thoughts?

I’m really not big on all the extra “content” jammed on top of the actual golf but it’s pretty easy to quickly skip through. The graphics of the courses are stunning and it’s a pleasure to go from hole to hole just enjoying the recreation of some of the best golf courses in the world. The swing mechanics are easy to pick up and perhaps a bit more of a challenge to master but as you play you certainly do learn the tricks to improve your game. Highly recommended, more so if you don’t mind turning off the commentary and maybe the music.