In the clubhouse, welcome back… Forrrre.
IG @Grumpykore
Even with another golf season, many of us are under quarantine lockdown in the dog days of summer. Enter PGA Tour 2K21, a surprise new title under the 2K Games brand that certainly fulfills a smidgen of excitement you get from being on the course.
The Tour‘s also not a bad way to relax, kick back with a cold drink and hit the greens and show off your golfing prowess to the rest of the world — from the comfort of your own living room, of course. With the gold game community hyped up, it’s now time to step up to the tee box…
First off the Tee… 2K21 dazzles with some amazing courses and lush graphics– which include 15 PGA certified country clubs. You get to compete against 12 PGA Tour Pros in an authentic simulation of the golf tour on the Road to the FedEX Cup. PGA Career Mode is packed with all the good stuff you’d see on a major golf broadcast, with apt commentary that feels like the real thing. 2K didn’t forget those flashy overlays and fly-overs, either.
Your protaga-miss starts out in a Q-School to qualify for a Tour Card and an opportunity to face off against the best that 2K’s PGA has to offer. But this Tour could have used a Tiger and some female pros. It baffles me that 2K would overlook this in 2021, especially since Mr. Woods had a recent comeback, and diversity was a recent spotlight in 2K’s last basketball entry. Perhaps PGA Tour 2K21 will sprinkle in some legends of golf later down the road (via DLC) like its NBA counterpart? Lastly, The Pros are not playable. While certainly a letdown, you build rivals as your golfer progresses on Tour and unlock the Pros as you progress.
On the second Tee… 2K slaps you right into the Create-A-Character– pretty much like any other 2K title CAP. A selection of clubs to start with in your golf bag is required to play the game. So many options are also available this season, as you’ll earn VC to buy attire and clubs galore to take your Virtual Pro on a tour of a lifetime. There are so many sponsors you can earn and Golf Swagg to go purchase. It’s pretty damn staggering!
There are 3 types of Club difficulties: Beginner, Pro or Master. Each style has advantages when playing the game in different situations and have different attributes attached to them. So, if you wanted to have a set of name brands you can do that, but have to purchase through VC you earn on your mode or through grinding exhibition rounds.
To the third we go… PGA Tour 2K21 is loaded with a wide variety of match types and game modes. There’s even a training area to practice for techniques and swing types. Trust me, you’ll need it due to the overwhelming options and content at the grasp of your Titleist gloves. You can golf solo with ghosts or guests at any time, or even grab up to 4 people online. You then have an array of options for each course and settings you wish to modify at your disposal.
To the 9th… The online portion of the game is where the game shines. You can make your very own Golf Club Society with your own rules and send invites for others to enjoy the action. It’s like you are the owner of the County Club– just without all the expected douchebaggery. Another added bonus is the TGC Tours option– a real website players can join up in a cross-platform, stat tracking golf dynasty, complete with a leaderboard and events throughout the year. All stats are updated weekly. You can win VC in tournaments each week. This was nothing less than an inviting experience for me and my golf homies. Love it.
Hitting the Back 9… This is not your regular Tiger or Rory titles from the past. 2K ups the ante, replicating a real life golf experience. It’s all about swing mechanics and you tempo. You have to take your time and pay attention to the wind speeds the green conditions send off on the course details and the motion of your club swings, or.. you will get frustrated really fast. Being patient is the key to success this go around.
Practice is definitely a must if you really want to climb the ranks in PGA 2K21. No more making that 60 ft putt to “wow” your online buddies or hitting the ball perfect every time or even getting that ace in the hole. There is a mass learning curve ahead, which requires you to actually play the game a ton and get a feel for the clubs you select for the rounds. It is very rewarding experience once you the the hang of it, but it takes time and you need to put the work in to be great at this golf game.
To the 18th hole… As a player of The Golf Club 2019, 2K delivers on this one, giving video game golfers a fresh new game to waste away plenty of hours into the day. My Twitch community is already rolling heavy, and it’s a blast playing together with plenty of laughs and — to no surprise — a ton of trash-talking as well.
The bottom line: PGA Tour 2K21 is one of the most complete golf games of to date, with the bonus ability to create your own venues in course builder, or download thousands of user courses. This PGA Tour can wind up your Dream Tour set-up with the swiftness of a Stone Cold Stunner. 4.25/5 Bibles.
-Anthony Holloway