REVIEW : PGA TOUR 2K21 (PS4)
The game of golf can be a tough one to get into. After all, there is not a lot of action going on, except the motion of a club and the hopeful roll of the ball. However, for experts of the game, it has been a while since there was a nice golf match to call their own.
PGA Tour 2K21 blends the realism of the sport together with helpful guides and tools for a much more natural course to take. New players can learn the ropes easily, while the old pros can still master the depth necessary to dominate the greens.
PGA Tour 2K21 may be generous in assisting you to get a knowledge of things, but you still have to do the hard work nonetheless. This is more apparent as you move up the pressure levels, ending in the paring back of the help, and more of an analysis of your abilities as a golfer.
The more time you play with PGA Tour 2K21, the more skilled you will get at understanding the courses and the wind. You can progress just fine depending on your regular shots, but efficient use of draws and fades will help amazingly in windy situations. Pitch and splash shots can be a shortcut to a quick score if you can master them, and putting remains an art form to be developed through training.
The feel and execution of the golf game are excellent, and PGA Tour 2K21 will rank amongst the top of the pile when it gets to the actual golfing. There are plenty of options here to help players of any skill level to get better and understand the concepts behind the game. You cannot ask for more.
PGA Tour 2K21 gives plenty of chances for you to learn as well, with 15 of golf’s best programs across North America awaiting. The similarities of TPC Scottsdale and the Riviera Country Club are a sight to behold… well at least on the fairways and the greens rather than up close.
Crowds are essentially there for a taste of the occasion, but that illusion is easily destroyed if your ball flies towards them and they continue clapping. Strong winds seemingly only affect your ball and not the atmosphere, while the infrastructure encompassing the courses can look out of place compared to the stuff that matters.
There is no growth in terms of your skills, and you will be as great as you were being at level 1 or level 99. Winning matches, completing challenges, the XP goes into a levelling system that only affects beautifiers. Your knowledge of the sport and your developing skills can be considered progress, but in-game, all you will be seeing are new gear to outfit your character in.
However, the level of difficulty can seldom be perplexing as well. While a new face to the tour may need some proving, a seasoned pro should not be asked to just finish in the top five of forthcoming games to get new shoes or a polo tee. If you are not a fan of golf fashion, this essentially renders the series system in PGA Tour 2K21 meaningless.
At the very least, the wealth you earn can be utilised to buy new clubs. Different labels offer different parameters, and that is where your real game can be influenced by your choice. Having a well-rounded set of clubs can be the distinction between a contender and a winner.
PGA Tour 2K21‘s career mode ends in a race to be crowned the FedEx Cup champion, and it would not be shocking to find competitions forming throughout your career. Sadly, this is yet another bogey for the sport, as the Rivals system is also an afterthought.
Going up against the other 12 approved pro golfers should be a challenging and systematic affair.
Winning games should be a grand affair, but aside from your avatar’s fist-pumping and a graphic of the award, there is no glory and circumstance. Thankfully, the commentary team of Rich Beem and Luke Elvy do their best to liven things up.
PGA Tour 2K21 does present lots of other ways to experience golfing. There are customisable matches to be had, a course creator to build your desire course, and exciting multiplayer modes like Alt-Shot, Stroke Play, Skins and 4-Player Scramble to engage in.
You can even join online communities and have full seasons and games. Now, if only they can fix the connectivity issues that makes everything so slow to load, then it will be added birdie scored for the play.
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