EA Sports PGA Tour Golf: Why I prefer this to 2K Golf

Games
1

So picked up EA Sports PGA Tour Golf on the PS5 today.

Really enjoying it so far. There are 4 skill levels as well as custom. I have started on level 3 of 4 which is tour level.

1st the annoying, there is no tutorial and no driving range, which I find unbelievable. So it was a matter of going and playing.

I started on the Amateur tour. You can pick from 4 tours, USA, Europe, Asian and Ladies. I chose Europe and was entered to play at St Andrews with my version of me at level 1. There are so many options and choices which are great on how you wish to play and equip your self along with how you play the game. Normally I do the easier level but felt I was really going to do away with the support of lines etc and play it pretty clean. 1st round was a mare while I figured out everything and shot +12. HOwever teh second round i shot -2. I missed the cut as well.

Your character levels up and increases their stats and allows you pick to learn other shot types for example if you focus on driving you can unlock a stinger shot from the tee. I hit level 8 after 2 full rounds.

There are lots of options for new clubs and clothes if that is your thing. You can even use your winnings to buy golf profiles of professional golfers, currently I can buy Dj’s driver set up from trackman in real life if I wish.

The graphics look excellent and the course superb. I have only played St Andrews though.

I am finding the controls excellent and helping represent playing golf really well. I don’t like 2k Golf to be honest and this is different from that. The sounds are great and the effects.

The thing I have enjoyed the most is the behavior of the ball, feels realistic, annoying bounces, weird rolls up hills, pitching on to the green too hard and watching it roll left them off is great. Putting it pretty tough at the higher level and dropping a 30ft was great. The putting is way better than 2k Golf but in no way easy.

I am really enjoying it so far.

2

I downloaded the 10 hour trial from EA Play on Xbox (part of Ultimate Game Pass). Hoping to dip my toes this weekend if I get a chance.

I love the idea of laser-scanned and recreated courses from real life.

On the other hand, my favorite actual golf game was Outlaw Golf on the Xbox. Gosh, that was fun.

3

I love golf games and have been playing them since the old DOS game, Leader Board. I’m tempted, but man, that price : $69.99 for PC! And the Steam reviews are all pretty negative. And it’s EA. Do I really need another golf game? Or maybe Links 386Pro on GOG is all I’ll ever need.

Or pull out my dusty and worn board game, Thinking Man’s Golf and give it a whirl.

4

I played Jack Nicklaus golf on pc in various versions for many years, even playing in leagues online.

5

I’m pretty sure that price is to try to support the prrobably insane license fee they had to offer to get the Masters officially in the game.

6

It does look like the PC version is hit and miss as well, the Console versions are solid.

I share my console games with my son so I feel the cost is worth it but I wouldn’t normally spend that much. I paid £65 on ps5

7

I’ve been playing on Gamepass and struggling. I always have trouble bringing the stick straight back and forward in these games. I’m getting a bit better, but I’ve tried to pass Q school 4 times already. I’m playing on simulation, so I could make it easier, but I don’t want to.

I have had some occasional stuttering on the swing meter, but it’s rare. They could have used a tutorial. It took me a while to gauge chip shots, because it seems the player aims where chips land, but other shots it is after the roll. It took be a bit to realize that.

8

If you go in to challenges there are loads of beginner ones. it doesn’t tell you how to do them but it allows lots of practice.

I played 2 more rounds at +8 and -2. My putting is so inconsistent it’s very frustrating.

It’s like it could have done wit h another 2 or 3 months to get the tutorials and driving range in and also guidance on how to do the more difficult shots

9

What’s your technique for being able to pull the stick straight back and put it straight forward?

10

Just fyi for anyone who wants to compare, Xbox gold has a free weekend of the newest 2K23 golf. I have the earlier switch version and like it a lot.

11

Tempo to slow and just try and keep the same tempo both back and forward.

I normally get it wrong when I have one eye on the TV or Radio. I find I need to hold the controller square on to the tv. But I do screw it up enough especially on the shorter putts.

12

Compared the two trials of 2K and PGA. The swing motions are pretty much the same which is probably the main thing. But PGA seems to chug a bit on my series X and the camera doesn’t feel right on PGA. I’ve played previous 2K golf on the switch so am more familiar with it but after a half hour or so playing a few holes of each I’d certainly say 2K23 is better and it’s on sale. Didn’t see a 2K23 thread but since both are now out and have free trials (at least if you have GP and Gold) I figured I’d offer some comparisons. But I’ll still play them a bit over the weekend to see if I will prefer 2K.

13

Now I’m totally confused. PGA and 2K aren’t the same thing? What’s going on? What’s good?!

14

I’m downloading 2k23 on the Xbox as well so I can also compare both.

15

I was confused too. I thought the EA Masters game didn’t have PGA affiliation but it does. One is PGA Tour 2K23 and then there is EA Sports PGA Tour. So, uh…yeah. Two different games with almost the same name. 2K has Tiger, and EA has The Masters.

They both seem to play pretty similar with similar swing mechanics (stick down to up/backswing to hit). 2K has a the option for 3 click but I didn’t try that. 2K uses the right stick for swing by default while EA used the left. I’m sure I could change them but it was fine going back and fourth between games while I was comparing them.

2K plays a bit quicker and the super brief tutorials are nice and do show how to setup some things like spin, fades, etc. EA has this I’m sure, but it wasn’t obvious how to do it and I didn’t dig into it.

Graphics are similar but 2K feels slightly more video-gamey and not quite like you’re ‘there’. Not a huge difference and at times I preferred 2K, but I think EA gets the nod in terms of feeling like you’re playing/watching a golf tourney.

Putting is also similar between games, they both even use the same largish grid of light with moving strobes to indicate slopes on the green. But going back and fourth between games really screwed me up because the speed of the lights on 2K was slower than EA so I was misreading greens due to a differing ‘norm’ between games. Not an issue really if you’re not bouncing back and fourth, but I found 2Ks lightgrid more accurate to how the ball moved.

Mostly they’re very similar in the hour or so I gave each (again, bouncing back and fourh) and both seem to have a pretty fun career mode (I’ve played probably 20 hours of an earlier 2K on the switch and really enjoyed the career). But, at least on the Xbox, 2K still (after months and months) has an obvious stutter when swinging.

Probably 20% of my swings (putting, driving, whatever) were glitchy. You move the thumb stick down to start your backswing and have an indicator on the screen that matches your thumb’s movement. But when it glitches the onscreen indicator and thus your backswing stops. And will do so over and over 3 or 4 times then it suddenly works fine. It totally screws up your swing rhythm which is kind of a huge thing in golf. If it was once every round or so I could live with it, but I played about 4 holes to start with no issue, then the next dozen holes all had glitches on the swings at least every other swing. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

So while I’d say it’s close to a tossup when all things work, right now EA wins by default simply because 2K is so frustrating with the glitchy swing. Apparently, it’s been something that has been a problem since launch a few months ago. But it is cheaper due to sales at the moment…so it’s got that going for it.

16

I’ve never had glitchy issues on the PS5 with PGA2k1 or 3. Played hundreds of rounds. The only issue is hole 2 sometimes when the course is fully loading but other than that, no probs. Best game ive played in years. Set up up with all the aids off and it’s hard but after 10-20 rounds you start to shoot under par and it’s great. Won the Fedex cup 3 times in about 12 full seasons.

17

I only confirmed the glitching on my Xbox and looking it up had mentions of the issue on Xbox. So maybe it’s a platform thing but it’s pretty craptastic when it’s happening.

18

Super informative, thank you!
I had no idea they were different games. Now I’m even more curious about the EA game.

19

The naming of the games throws me off too. One thing to keep in mind is that the 2k series is the former The Golf Club series, whereas EA is (obviously) in the lineage of the old EA Tiger Woods/Rory McIlroy series (although neither Tiger nor Rory is in 2023). The Golf Club series’ gameplay never quite hit right with me, so I lean slightly EA based on that alone, though I haven’t tried either yet.

A quick comparison I found:

Seems that EA has the better gameplay, career mode, and graphics, but the customization aspects of the 2k series could sway you to its side plus its Top Golf mode in local co-op sounds great.

I’m interested in how this works since having parallel tours is something I don’t recall in past golf games. Can you switch tours at the end of the season or (eventually) have dual tour cards? Looking at the course list included, there are not that many non-US courses so I’m wondering how satisfying playing on the European or Asian tour ultimately is.

20

I finally got out of Q School. I stuck with simulation mode for most options, but I did turn on some info, like displaying wind speed (I can’t exactly feel the breeze at my desk) and elevation to marker (because I think the caddies and players probably have a pretty good idea). I just found it frustrating not to know.

I never really got good, I just cut out the worst of my mistakes. I think I only have a bit over an hour left on Gamepass. I don’t have an XBox, so I don’t see anyway I can sample 2K’s PGA golf game.