A lot of games nowadays have flashy game modes to ensure that there is something for everyone, but 2K Sports is so confident in its latest product, PGA Tour 2K21 essentially revolves around one thing - you.
Thanks to 2K we got early access to the game and boy, it doesn't disappoint.
Join The Club
An early downside of PGA Tour 2K21 is the lack of being able to "get playing", with the game requiring to create the 2K classic "MyPLAYER".
Once you've created your character you can hit the course, with the mechanics very user-friendly.
You're likely to grip it 'n' rip it down the fairway, but it's as you approach the greens where you'll need to be savvier.
With various shot types on offer, you can chip, splash as well as adding draw and fade, but make sure you execute your swing otherwise you'll be struggling to make par.
The game really springs into life when you embark on the PGA Tour...
MyPLAYER, My Rules
Although not quite a game mode, your MyPLAYER is essential to how you play.
Pick your outfit, with sponsors unlockable through the PGA Tour Career Mode, as well as the clubs in your golf bag.
More items will come available through level progress and rival rewards in Career Mode, and you can spend your currency to get cooler items.
Goin' Pro
A 2K classic, Career Mode is likely where you'll spend most of your time.
You can choose where you commence your career, starting out in Q-School, the Korn Ferry Tour or jump straight to the PGA Tour.
In Q-School, you just need to finish in the top 25 in one tournament to make it onto the Korn Ferry Tour, where three tour wins will take you to the PGA Tour.
Some events have set entry criteria which you must meet in order to participate in them.
Sponsored Content
As you play through Career Mode you can unlock various Sponsors who will reward you for completing set goals
You can only have a single sponsor active at a time, as you complete goals for your sponsor it will level up unlocking rewards and new sets of goals.
Each sponsor has multiple levels each with their own set of goals.
To level up your current sponsor you must complete all the goals at its current level and completing sponsor levels will reward you with unique items.
As you complete events in the PGA Tour, you will be awarded FedExCup Points based on your finishing position.
These points are important in securing the FedExCup and becoming the FedExCup Champion.
The final three events of the PGA TOUR season make up the FedExCup Playoffs, these feature a progressive cut until reducing the field down to the final 30 players before the Season Championship.
The player with the most FedExCup Points at the final event of the season will become the FedExCup Champion.
Best of the Best
Once you reach the PGA Tour. you will start creating rivalries with the 12 real-life pros.
The immersive broadcasting style of PGA Tour 2K21 will keep you posted of how they are performing with in-game clips, and creates an intense atmosphere in the final round.
Your performance in tournaments will be compared against your rival, and if you outperform them, you can claim additional rewards.
At the end of each round that both you and your rival participate in your performances will be compared.
Rivalry points will be awarded to you based on the outcome of these comparisons, as you look to work your way through the field at challenge Justin Thomas at the top of world golf.
Book of Creation
Use the Course Designer to create the course of your dreams... or nightmares!
You can add a wide range of trees, plants, wildlife, and manmade objects to your course, and have each hole as varied as possible from the last one.
Practice Makes Perfect
Training allows you to calibrate your swing, complete lessons, and practice your game in a non-competitive setting.
Lessons include tutorials on swing basics, putting, and club and shot types, and improve your game with chipping, putting, and hitting up the driving range.
The Verdict
You've got all the classic features of the great golf games of the last 20 years, with Career Mode now as immersive as it's ever been thanks to player rivalries.
Online Societies creates a fantastic community aspect, but perhaps there is still something for a game that is not offering much new outside outstanding gameplay.
With next-gen consoles around the corner and the demand for "seasonal" games sky-high, perhaps "live" tournaments would have been a great inclusion.
It's also a shame that the real-life pros are unplayable, as it would be great to see how good the players are to play with, and be a lot more when playing with friends on and offline.
This is however just the second team-up between 2K Sports and HB Studios, and the first under the 2K brand, with the developers open to bringing in new features in the future.
That not should detract from a fantastic game, with the game performing very well on both PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch.
PGA Tour 2K21 looks to be a first stepping stone to elite golf gaming, and we can't wait to see what the team does with next-gen hardware.
4/5
This review was originally published by RealSport, part of the Gfinity Digital Media Network.
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