EA Sports PGA Tour PS5 Review. Grab your driver, don some funky trousers and let’s hit the course in PGA Tour: Road To The Masters, the latest in EA’s long-running golf sim franchise. I’ve had a long history with these games, and needless to say they have had their ups and downs along the way, so let’s see how this latest one shapes up.
I have fond memories of me and a few friends crowded around my kitchen table playing PGA Tour 97. We all loved every second of it. The beauty of the course, the serene mood and the tactical nature of tackling each hole’s puzzle was something we all adored. Plus destroying friends on the course is always entertaining, especially when they land a shot into the drink!
PGA Tour (PS5) – A Good Walk Spoiled
Par for the Course
So, PGA Tour, focuses mainly on the sport’s four major events. Along with these big events the game comes with about 30 courses, of which there is a nice variety as well as tournaments you can enter – which is one of features that matter here. It’s like tracks in racing games; you need fresh scenery and course layouts to keep things exciting.
This entry to the PGA series is also chock full of modes, challenges and gameplay types to keep any golfer occupied for a while. There are online tournaments, online matchups, friendly games and challenges. However, the career mode and how its structured is what really won me over – I could not stop playing the damn thing.
Role Playing Golf
What made it so addictive is the slight RPG nature of proceedings. You create your character using one of the worst character creators I have ever seen (more on that later) and you go off on your journey to become the number-one golfer in the world. The issue with this is you need to improve both your stats and skills in the game to get there and it was glorious.
I started out with rubbish stats and the skillset to match but over the course of many fairways, hundreds of drives and putts of all varieties I brought it back around. I got better at the game and at the same time, as my golfer participated in events, I could improve his stats, unlock new shot types and pick up new equipment. I found this very rewarding, extremely interesting and much better than the last career mode I played in a PGA Tour game.
Foursomes?
I did have a slight foray into the multiplayer side of things and everything worked as you expect. I like the simultaneous play, no waiting for folks to take their shots and rounds flew by. The connectivity and gameplay were smooth and very entertaining. I imagine this would be great with friends using microphones with a few beers and shouting obscenities at each other.
In terms of mechanics, I particularly enjoyed the amount of customization and options there were for tailoring this golf experience to your liking. You can change your swing difficulty and type, and the developers have even added the old-school three-click swing from the older games. This version of PGA Tour can be played by most people, no matter their skill level. Inclusivity is awesome!
A Golf Game For All
I also really enjoyed the putting mechanism in this game. The combined effects of a green grid and putting preview line made most putts easy to read. This means that most putts I missed were my fault. I hit it too hard or did not read the undulations correctly. Nowhere is this more prevalent than judging your power, I rarely overhit or underhit putts and when I did it was my swing that was to fault, rather than the game presentation of the green’s ups and downs.
From a presentation standpoint the game looks fantastic at times. Apart from my character model, which I still hate, I really enjoyed strolling through PGA Tour’s meticulously crafted golf courses. Lush greens, lovely lakes and fabulous shrubbery surround every round you play, making for a graphically-pleasing experience.
On the sound front, it’s pretty much the same thing. The commentary, even though it repeats sometimes is overall pretty solid, witty and entertaining. We have a few golf experts onboard, and their commentary really fits what is happening on screen and really makes each round feel like an authentic PGA event. The music was a bit lacking but let’s be honest, no one plays a golf game for its soundtrack.
A Character Creator From A Distant Past
I did have a few issues with this game, it’s not all sunshine, fairways and rainbows. The character creator for example is tosh. I could only pick from a few faces and the amount of customization I could do could fit on the back of a post-it note. It was so poor and it really set me off on the wrong foot when I first started up the game.
I also had a few weird camera shenanigans, which fortunately seem to have been fixed with the latest patch. In any case, there were a few shots where buildings or other obstructions at the side of the course would completely obscure my character. I could not judge my swing, prepare my shot or anything. These were rare issues and I haven’t encountered them since the last patch.
Well Under Par
PGA Tour is a brilliant golf sim. It can be tailored to any playstyle and skill level. The career mode is both rewarding and addictive, watching your skills and character get better over time is brilliant. The multiplayer options are well implemented and the amount of content, modes and things to do is vast. Yes, there’s a niggly issue or two but overall, this game is the best PGA Tour outing for years. FORE!
PGA Tour is now available on PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.
Review code kindly provided by publisher.