Just bought an Xbox X

[Larrycleve]

I also bought EA PGA Tour and PGA 2K25. I haven't played them yet but was wondering has anyone played them and what are your thoughts?

[Big Sexy JC]

I've never played the EA PGA Tour game (except for TW back in the day), but I play 2k25 daily and am working on my 4th course after porting two over from 2k23 (All my courses have the JC Prefix if you want to look them up and give me feedback). I can't say enough good things about 2k25. I played 2k21 and 2k23 and they were OK, but 2k25 is about as good as a golf game can get in my opinion.

I have 3 players I'm building right now (Technician - 92, Powerhouse - 91 and Magician - 91). I think what I like about it most is the depth of game play options fueled by the new quest system and the need for VC to build up your player. I have NEVER played online matches in any game in my life outside of Chase's Ladder way back in the Links days. Because of the quest system, I have reluctantly jumped in to get the VC that comes with it and have actually had a good time with it. I've done both ranked and casual matchmaking along with divot derby and Top Golf. Again, I'm a realist in every sense of the word so DD and TG are way outside of my wheelhouse, but I wanted the VC that came with the quest of playing them so I did it.

I'm a long time gamer and I've dabbled in many different game genres over the years and I think the best way to describe 2k25 is a multi-dimensional golf RPG. The quests, the player building, the societies, the ranked Tours, the online casual and ranked matchmaking and the various modes that exist with both, the career mode and the course designer have me doing something in that game for hours and hours everyday.

What's great though is that it doesn't hide a bad golf game behind a good RPG model. The golf game is the best I've ever played (I think Links is probably 2nd). The ball physics along with the number of really good courses and the different swing difficulty levels makes it easy to pick up by anyone, but also challenging enough for the die hard.

I got the game on February 21st and just played my 109th round last night (Steam shows me at 336.6 hours since I got the game) so I'm telling you this with some serious time spent with the game. Most of it has been in the course designer, which I could write a review on by itself but the more horror stories I hear about APCD the more I like a designer that lets me put a high res beautiful looking and playing course out in 40-60 hours.

My only advice to those in this forum is don't be an old curmudgeon. These games aren't women. You can have two of them in your life at the same time and keep them both happy (er, they can both keep you happy). I'll throw my invite out there once again. I have a society of 9 guys that plays a 16 week 28 course PGA Tour type schedule. The society is called BSJC Golf League so request membership if you are interested. Keep playing Links, but don't keep yourself from playing PGA 2k25 because you are playing Links. That's just silly.

[Links Fan]

I recently picked up PGA 2K25 because of the good things I've been hearing about it lately and I haven't been disappointed! There is a great depth of realism as a player with respect to the entire game of golf. The stock courses, though limited in number, are very detailed and realistic looking and playing. I have not figured out yet how to download additional courses to the Xbox X. I have not tried playing real time online, and if I do it will be after a few months of learning the game. I like that there are so many difficulty settings and gameplay adjustments (almost too many) that can be made to optimize one's enjoyment based on their ability. I played the first few rounds on basic easy settings and was winning tournaments by 20 to 30 strokes. Now that I've stepped up the difficulty, I'm not doing as well, but the gameplay is certainly more realistic. I have been playing LINKS almost exclusively since the first release: Links, The Challenge of Golf, and I love the Links APCD courses I have been able to play over the years, but PGA 2K25 will be a regular entry in my golfing future. I still hope that someday a new Links will be developed and released with the visuals and gameplay physics of PGA 2K25.

[Larrycleve]

I play Links 2003 at the Elite level as I feel this is close to playing real golf. Most of my games are over par but below double digits. When I do play the very occasional par or below par game it really feels like quite the accomplishment.

I think I'll start these games at a mid level just to get used to it as it's new. Then I'll gradually increase them to the top level. JC I'll think about joining your group after I've played awhile. Thanks for the invite.

[Colin Jones]

I wanted 2K25 to be good (badly) but its not.

Ball physics are Ok and some of the grass textures look great, but the planting/objects are just awful. Its hard to get past it and some of the other textures (e.g. bunkers) as the courses look totally unrealistic, almost cartoonish at times.

Sorry, but release Links 2003 today bundled with the best 20 courses ever made for it - and it would still compare favourably (even with all its drawbacks) to anything else that is out there now. That's kinda sad tho isnt it?

[morvio100]

"and it would still compare favourably (even with all its drawbacks) to anything else that is out there now. That's kinda sad tho isnt it? ... i 1000% agree ... the Links ball physics coders back in the day ... where aliens.. they knew ball physics better than todays coders by a long margin pity their living in their holiday homes on Mars... real estate on Mars is very exclusive

[Jimbo]

With the price and availability of real estate Mars might soon be drawing interest...and even us duffers might get some decent yardage!

[Jimbo]

One more thing...and I know that's been said many times before but always bears repeating ...20 years on and dealing with an original course designing program...our designers ane unsurpassed.


You know my nickname for them!

And Colin-if you ever want to pay another "digital visit" to the Great White North it would be an honour to help you with some...I wion't say it!...but you "wrote the final chapter" on Banff...and there's a great big mountain range out here with great elevations...
...and not as many poisonous animals as "Down Under".

[morvio100]

With the price and availability of real estate Mars might soon be drawing interest...and even us duffers might get some decent yardage!

It's one large sand pit.... bring your loft wedge ...fairways 10 miles wide.. and I still get par

[Hired Goon]

Playing it on PC. It's good, and the official courses are done well. The grass textures are nice, the trees look good, but the blending is really lacking.
Unfortunately the designer is somewhat basic, and it allows for knocking out a course in not that many hours. This leads to a flood of very mediocre courses. The TGC forums are a good place to find the better courses. I have no problems with the physics aside from the greens are extremely fast compared to Link 2003, although you can modify this. It's a bit gamey in that there's microtransactions for buying golfing attire. There is a system of upgrades available, which I don't bother with. You'd probably need those upgrades if you planned on playing online competitively though.