PGA Tour 2K21

Golf can be one of the most beautiful but simultaneously most challenging and frustrating games on the planet. 2K Games' latest entry into the golf video game market delivers in both of these respects, but still has room for improvement in some areas.

Gameplay wise PGA Tour 2K21 does a fantastic job of delivering a flexibly experience that can be catered to all skill and experience levels. With it's raft of aids and difficulty setting everybody can find the perfect level of challenge and satisfaction from every round. Whether you want a simple arcade style experience or an extremely challenging simulation there are the settings there to help you find the perfect fit.

Once you find the perfect balance of setting it's time to take you skills out onto one of the 15 licensed courses in the game, which include TPC Scottsdale,TPC Sawgrass, or the Riviera Country Club. Each of these courses is beautifully recreated, albeit slightly stilted due to the weather/wind not being reflected in the trees and various vegetation.

One major missing licence though is The Masters, so unfortunately no winning a virtual green jacket to showboat to friends.

Speaking of showboating to friends this is where PGA Tour 2K21 comes into its own. Playing against friends at a similar skill level is as fun and challenging as a real world round of golf. I often found myself saying 'one more round' before immediately proceeding to play another two or three.

Playing solo is also just as addictive, even though the levelling and rivals system are rather superficial. The experience points needed to progress through these levels simply accumulate the more you play, but there are now skill points to spend in order to improve your created characters.

Not being able to improve your created characters is a strange design choice given they are the only way you can play the game. PGA Tour 2K21 does have 12 licensed pro players, albeit no female pros, who you play against during the various tournaments but you cannot take control of any of them.

Ultimately PGA Tour 2K21 is all about mastering the fundamental elements of the game in order to improve your skills. Which much like real world golf is incredibly addictive and challenging.

★★★ ½

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