"Play the ball as you find it. Play the course as you find it. If you can't do one thing or the other, do the right thing, but to do the right thing you must know the Rules of Golf." And of golf virtual Electronic Arts undoubtedly knows this: its PGA Tour series has a long history, although not always famous, but the abrupt interruption after the failure of Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR and the expiration of the agreements with the famous American tour in 2018 had raised suspicions a perhaps definitive departure of the company from the game of golf.
Fortunately this was not the case and the technological innovations implemented by the developers have allowed us to create an excellent compromise between a realistic representation of an incredibly complex sport and the necessary joy that should be typical of its "conversion" into a video game. EA DEPORTS PGA TOUR offers excellent reconstructions of all the world's most famous courses, from Augusta National to The Old Course at St Andrews Links, via Pebble Beach, convincingly depicting the dynamics of the ball and offering many different ways to try your luck, both online like offline. If the performance of the professionals is perhaps the least notable part of the work carried out by EA Sports, it is also true that this does not affect the general enjoyment of this experience, which chooses to reach players in conjunction with the essential Augusta Masters. .
We will tell you in detail about our field trips in the EA SPORTS PGA TOUR Review.
Return to Augusta National
In this version of its franchise, EA has paid great attention to rebuilding the twenty-eight actual courses available at the game's launch (which, as of April 4, benefited from a brief early access period). The choice of Frozen engine and the publication of EA SPORTS PGA TOUR only on current generation consoles and PC have allowed developers to dedicate themselves to what are, by all accounts, the best video game representations of the most famous courses in the world: through photogrammetry and with the help of drones and helicopters A level of care and realism has been achieved that is simply unmatched in the history of video game golf, with special attention paid to the features that make each course unique.
For example, the ball race on the greens of Augusta National -among the fastest on the planet, as fans know well- is totally different from what happens on the rest of the courses. A parenthesis: EA Sports knows very well that the possibility of playing on the Augusta field is the most requested feature in video games dedicated to the noblest sport. Augusta National had made its debut in the video game at Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12, after three years of tribulations for the EA Tiburon team that was in charge of its reconstruction: the course management had given its consent to the presence in the video game with the condition that The route was perfect. On the occasion of the relaunch of the franchise, EA once again secured the sole right portraying the iconic Georgian countryside, and the commitment to representing the venue of the Masters Tournament has yielded exceptional results.
These are the details that must distinguish a product that, also due to the certainly "niche" character of the game of golf, is historically intended for an attentive and informed public. There ball dynamics was painstakingly rebuilt thanks to the partnership between EA Sports and track man. Born in Denmark as a radar to optimize the launching of grenades and projectiles, TrackMan was later "converted" for civilian use into a tool to measure the behavior of the golf club and the ball at the moment of impact and during flight. This allowed the developers to consider a large number of parameters to create attractive behavior for the EA SPORTS PGA TOUR virtual balls. A trained eye sees the difference, except for some difficulty in managing running shots, which have truly unpredictable results. Let's point out one It is not always a good choice of camera angle., which does not always allow the effects of the ball flight to be correctly read: this is perhaps the strongest criticism we can make of the production as a whole.
many game modes
The title gives four offline and three online game modes. As for the first, we start from Quick Play, where it is also possible to play in local multiplayer mode with up to four players: there are several possible variables (for example, choosing different rules) for hit-and-run games. Career mode is more complex and introduces stimulating RPG elements with a skill tree and leveling system that exploits the variety of shots possible in the game and builds an interesting progression: not only do stats increase, but it also gradually increases the number of shots available. , cleverly proposed during play for the player to select (for example, it is never proposed to hit a drive if you are on the green). Experience points level up our avatar, which can be generated through an editor that offers many possibilities (although pre-established) and allows you to create quite refined characters, in addition to allowing you to choose whether to start as an amateur golfer, a Korn Ferry. Tour professional or PGA Tour big shot.
Excellent idea Challenges mode, where you can follow the exploits of a certain professional in person in golf matches that have gone down in legend: a significant gem that demonstrates EA Sports' understanding of its core target audience. Within this section we find the PGA Coaching Skills Center, a great way to learn more about various game mechanics, shot types, and the game of golf in general. As for Tournaments, there are limited time tournaments and the players' results are included in a world ranking; Seasonal events on the professional golf calendar will change the tournaments offered. Moving on to the three online modes, Competitive offers matchmaking based on player level, while Social has a more relaxed tone and does not feature rankings of any kind. Obviously, it is possible to organize online matches with friends through the Private Match option, which offers extensive possibilities to customize the gameplay and the configuration of the laps on the field.
The matches are enriched by commentators who, on average, give valid results: excellent performance by frank noble and very nice Notah Begay III - one of the few Native Americans to have played on the PGA Tour - as a cashier (the figure who follows the professionals directly onto the course and calls their shots live). Many professionals available, from Scotty Scheffler (current number one in the world) to Xander Schauffele, without forgetting nelly korda and other LPGA Tour professionals. By the way, we find the inclusion of eight professionals from LIV Golf - the PGA's rival tour - out of the twenty-two available, quite curious, but it is also true that it would have been difficult to do without strong names such as Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter and Brooks Koepka.
An experience suitable for (any) golfer
The technologies are there, so is a wide variety of game modes, but what does it feel like in this virtual reproduction of the game of golf? The answer is: Faithful, but playful in just the right amount.. While PGA Tour 2K21 invested more in the player with simulation-style details, EA SPORTS PGA TOUR takes a more streamlined, but no less interesting, approach. We have already talked about wide variety of shots available and the realism with which they are presented to the player; We added a non-invasive interface, but full of useful information managed in a compact and elegant way (slopes, strength and direction of the wind...) and easy management of the force of the shot and the effects to be imparted to the flight of the ball. However, the gameplay is widely customizable and, if you wish, you can take a more arcade approach, inserting a grid to facilitate the direction of the putt or increasing the power of the shots; On the other hand, you can also choose to reduce or eliminate the assistance provided by the game to seek a more faithful experience.
It is a shame that, despite the large investments to make the fields and ball flight realistic, the same effort has not been made in reconstructing the athletic gesture of the swing. This also applies to the professionals present in the game: although the effort is noticeable in "connecting" each professional to their preferred ball flight (high, medium or low; with spin from left to right in fade or from right to left in draw) and capture, sometimes in a surprisingly faithful way, the professional's routine and setup prior to shooting (this is the case of the unmistakable Bryson DeChambeau), the swings are surprisingly similar to each other, quite uncomfortable and do not respond to real dynamics. It must be said that these are obvious considerations for those who watch and/or play golf, while they are less important aspects for those who are exclusively passionate about the video game version of this sport; however, it is correct to point them out, in the hope that developers will direct more efforts to motion capture in the future
We would like to highlight the presence of microtransactions for exclusively cosmetic items in the in-game store, where you can buy bags, clubs and other equipment from the most famous brands in this field, such as Srixon or Callaway. There are many possibilities to customize the difficulty; There is also many accessibility options at the level of audio, graphics and gameplay. From a technical standpoint, EA SPORTS PGA TOUR doesn't worry the PlayStation 5 hardware in the slightest, especially considering the frame rate is locked at 30fps on the console; excellent look, while the public in the field - as historically happens in all titles of this genre - does not have a performance that we would define as extraordinary.
Conclusions
Tested version PlayStation 5 Price 79,99 € Holygamerz.com 8.5 Readers (9) 8.2 your voteEA SPORTS PGA TOUR hits the mark and proves to be an excellent compromise between hyper-realistic simulation and arcade golf, with numerous game modes, both online and offline, and an interesting implementation of the most modern technologies for the faithful reconstruction of the most beautiful ones. fields of the world and the dynamics of the ball. The experience is enjoyable and fun, also thanks to the numerous options available to customize the level of difficulty; It's a shame that the changes are not so excellent, but EA Sports makes up for it with a well-constructed and perfectly manageable overall game system, suitable for both beginners and seasoned professionals. This is the return to the field that we wanted to see, and experiencing it on the green grass of Augusta National during the 2023 Masters Tournament can only generate great emotions for fans of one of the most complex and exciting sports in the world.
PRO
- The fields are very faithful to their real-life counterparts.
- Very clear game system and interfaces.
- Many interesting modes, both online and offline, and extensive customization of the experience.
- Augusta National has a dream performance
AGAINST
- Pretty miserable changes to the trained eye
- Sometimes poor camera choices to read the flight of the ball
