It’s sad that golf hasn’t gotten nearly as much exposure in the video game world as it has in real life lately. The last major title to flex its club-swinging muscles was the enjoyable Rory McIlroy PGA Tour, which enthralled fans. However, EA Sports dropped the franchise and gave its attention to other franchises instead.
Later this month, however, 2K Sports will give the links a try, teaming up with The Golf Club developer HB Studios for PGA Tour 2K21. It promises to bring back that genuine feeling of hitting the links, while at the same time providing a number of options that will make the clubhouse an open space for all. 2K recently invited us to take a behind-the-scenes look at the title, which is due for release later this month for all platforms – including Nintendo Switch. And golf fans have a lot to be excited for.
Making a Golf Legacy of Your Own
The game kicks off by having you create your player from scratch with MyPlayer. This mode enables you to design your character however you please (without going overboard – this is a more serious approach than the WWE 2K games), using licensed goods that are available from a number of brands. As you continue to play, you’ll be able to unlock new gear to equip your player with, opening up your arsenal of golfing tools.
Once that’s done, you’ll have the ability to tackle the PGA Tour Career Mode. It’s here that you’ll learn the general basics of golf, through the Q-School, and work on becoming a golfing pro. There are a number of ways to approach this, thanks to adjustable difficult options. Think you’re ready to become the next Jack Nicklaus right away? Set it all the way to the top. Prefer a more casual set-up? That’s cool too, with the option being available. Through this mode, you’ll take on a number of events throughout the PGA Tour season, and even get to challenge a few pros. You’ll be able to earn new gear by completing sponsor goals, and even get access to ultimate tournaments, such as the FedEx Cup. Needless to say, there’s a lot to do.
While we didn’t get to go hands-on with the game, HB Studios has adapted its engine from The Golf Club to make 2K21 a highly accessible affair. That means various options will be available so, again, you can make the game your own. And online matchmaking is divided up, so you won’t have to worry about being slaughtered by the pros. Equal play across the board, which is a good thing.
Don’t Like the Course Given To You? Make Your Dang Own
There will be 15 courses in 2K21 at launch, including a variety of favorites from the PGA world that are sure to get your attention. But one huge community feature will be available in the game that should appeal to would-be golfers and pros alike – the Course Designer. With this feature, players will be able to create the course of their dreams (or nightmares), and then share them with the community. What’s more, the courses can be shared across all platforms, so if you make a course on Nintendo Switch, players will be able to check it out on
Xbox One, and so on. Sadly, cross-play isn’t included – at least, not yet – but there are a number of great multiplayer options for each platform, including the ability to challenge players locally on the couch. This is great if you’re stuck in quarantine with a fellow golfer, and need something to pass the time.
Societies are also available within the game, so you can join up with fellow golf groups and pass on challenges online. These were a huge draw with previous Golf Club titles, so it’s great to see HB Studios continue to adapt it for a much bigger community.
A Good Looking Time On the Links
Thus far, HB Studios is doing its most impressive visual work on 2K21, moving a step ahead of what it did for the Golf Club games. The golfers are nicely rendered, with a handful of pros (including recent tournament winner Justin Thomas) coming across like their real selves. For that matter, the course design is excellent, just as you’d see in the real world; and the replays resemble something straight out of a television broadcast.
There’s also some solid commentary from the team of renowned broadcaster Luke Elvy and analyst Rich Beem, who provide play-by-play on what’s happening on the links. Obviously it may not be on the same energetic level as, say, a hockey game; but it suits the bill and should keep golf fans happy. And finally, it’s impressive to see how the game’s menu system is coming together. Options are fairly easy to select from; and the way you can simply skim through what’s available is really neat. Fans can pick what they want to do right away, whether they want to improve with training, take on a multiplayer match of 4-Player Scramble, or give a new Society a chance.
Who’s Ready To Hit the Course?
Considering the lull in “major” golf games lately, PGA Tour 2K21 looks to bring the sport back in a big way. Though it doesn’t look to go too far off the deep end with “silly” stuff (we asked about a mini golf mode and the developer isn’t ready to go down that road – not yet anyway), it has a lot of great content when it comes to mastering the sport. Whether it’s the TV-style broadcast, the immaculate, feature-laden gameplay or the various single and multiplayer options, there’s something here for everyone.
We’ll see how the game fares when it arrives for consoles and PC on August 21. Let’s link up!
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