PGA Tour 2K25 Demo Available Today, Post Your Impressions

[MrArlingtonBeach]

Re: PGA Tour 2K25 Demo Available Today, Post Your Impressions

What’s that for broadcast mode when playing the game.

In the designer, course creators can now set up custom camera shots for things like the round intro, specific hole details, etc. There are lots of new ways for creators to show off their courses.

[Maxflier]

Re: PGA Tour 2K25 Demo Available Today, Post Your Impressions

Did you keep the FSR at 70% in Quality mode? Also, can you feel the difference when you go from Quality to Performance, even though you're satisfied with Quality?

I haven't touched FSR, so it would still be at default. I couldn't feel any difference. I left it on Quality mode when I was done too actually.

[krispykeith]

Re: PGA Tour 2K25 Demo Available Today, Post Your Impressions

Seemed to play very smooth on the PS Portal, so that was nice. Quality vs Performance made no difference but obviously its lower resolution so no surprise there. Swing responsiveness very usable. A little disappointed in the graphic leap not being what I had hoped but the details in gameplay and solid performance on the go will probably push me into a buy. I really liked the EA game, even the swing mechanics...but the lack of actual ball lie conditions factoring into your shots really broke the immersion. Excited to get back into this after a few years away.

[RIFRIG]

Re: PGA Tour 2K25 Demo Available Today, Post Your Impressions

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GhL0EhEasAEBEkc?format=jpg&name=large

This image from box art with the rough edged bunkering is a look I think 2K25 really needs it’s a shame that HB couldn’t get the lips fixed for the latest game.

[MrArlingtonBeach]

Re: PGA Tour 2K25 Demo Available Today, Post Your Impressions

The more I play the demo, the more I appreciate how much more challenging the short game is. Short siding yourself is actually a problem in 2K25. No more auto-chip-ins from heavy rough 5 yards from the hole.

Putting is a bit wonky, especially the horrible sound effect the club makes, but I appreciate how tempo actually plays a role.

[countryboy]

Re: PGA Tour 2K25 Demo Available Today, Post Your Impressions

The more I play the demo the more I appreciate how well the game plays on the course. I still feel that putting is "off" although I putt fairly well. But there is a sense of knowing where to miss if I do miss my target this year whereas in 2k23, I didn't worry so much about putting myself in a difficult spot because I felt the game was forgiving enough that I could get myself out of it with little consequence.

[RIFRIG]

Re: PGA Tour 2K25 Demo Available Today, Post Your Impressions

The more I play the demo the more I appreciate how well the game plays on the course. I still feel that putting is "off" although I putt fairly well. But there is a sense of knowing where to miss if I do miss my target this year whereas in 2k23, I didn't worry so much about putting myself in a difficult spot because I felt the game was forgiving enough that I could get myself out of it with little consequence.

Yes it’s a good game but ranking up it’ll become a much lesser challenge. You only have to use Tiger in the tutorial to see how easy it is to hit every target you’re aiming at on repeat.
Not sure what HB can do to stop the inevitable but it’ll be getting called out as cake before the months end.

[MrArlingtonBeach]

Re: PGA Tour 2K25 Demo Available Today, Post Your Impressions

Yes it’s a good game but ranking up it’ll become a much lesser challenge. You only have to use Tiger in the tutorial to see how easy it is to hit every target you’re aiming at on repeat.
Not sure what HB can do to stop the inevitable but it’ll be getting called out as cake before the months end.

I think there are some potential difficulty tweaks that could be done, but I have started to come around to the idea that maybe I overreacted about difficulty because:

1) we are only able to play the same 9 holes on repeat, so we get very familiar with the layout (if we weren't already, because Scottsdale has been in every single golf game ever, it seems)
2) they are extremely easy holes (2 short par-5s, and a drivable par-4 included)
3) there is no wind
4) conditions of the course are very tame; greens run at 134 speeds, which was default "Moderate" in PGA 2K23
5) this is still a demo...Respawn said the full build of the game he played seemed "different" in some ways than the demo


And don't forget, Tiger's character in the game is a 99 OVR...

Again, there are some things that can and likely should be adjusted (and HB is aware of certain issues; they have been on streams and been reading forums and Discords, from what I heard....if you see this, hi, 2K/HB! )

I think things like the stuttering framerate on PS5 and the putting sound effect are the main issues I have with the game. Difficulty is something that might need to be monitored, but I am at the point I hope they don't change TOO much, just because a few of the TGCTours Platinum players are complaining.

The short game is tough, misses are penalized harshly, and flop shots and bunker shots are very challenging, so I think they have the foundations set. We'll see what happens here between now and launch, but the game is growing on me, in terms of how it plays.

[RIFRIG]

Re: PGA Tour 2K25 Demo Available Today, Post Your Impressions

I didn’t realise HB are around these forums but if they could fix the scout cameras as they are in 2k23 I’d appreciate it & please add a depth of field option in the game that can give a similar look to that in the replay feature, a depth of field in game slider just the same as replays.
And also I don’t see any real advance in lighting like I’ve seen on screenshots. No Sun or haze or anything just seems quite flat.

[MrArlingtonBeach]

Re: PGA Tour 2K25 Demo Available Today, Post Your Impressions

For grins and giggles, I threw the demo on Legend difficulty, with some minor custom adjustments, but close to default...

First round, I shot +17.
Second round, +12.
Third round, +10.
Fourth round, +12.

[Freakywwe]

Re: PGA Tour 2K25 Demo Available Today, Post Your Impressions

Is the demo finished? Can’t connect to their servers atm

Edit: nvm, PSN as a whole is undergoing maintenance

[pietasterp]

Re: PGA Tour 2K25 Demo Available Today, Post Your Impressions

The more I play the demo, the more I appreciate how much more challenging the short game is. Short siding yourself is actually a problem in 2K25. No more auto-chip-ins from heavy rough 5 yards from the hole.

Putting is a bit wonky, especially the horrible sound effect the club makes, but I appreciate how tempo actually plays a role.

I agree that bigger penalties for missing in the wrong place is a nice touch and should be an integral part of any golf game. I still don't totally understand the short game, but I might give it another shot using the 'slower' backswing tactic discussed earlier in this thread (presumably with a gamepad, that translates to just not taking the stick all the way to the edge - e.g. just moving it a little off the center?).

Yes it’s a good game but ranking up it’ll become a much lesser challenge. You only have to use Tiger in the tutorial to see how easy it is to hit every target you’re aiming at on repeat.
Not sure what HB can do to stop the inevitable but it’ll be getting called out as cake before the months end.

This is an issue with all sports games that implement a "grind for XP" type model to get better. EA's PGA Tour game got absolutely pointless after I (inadvertently!) leveled up my character too high, and then I had to get the CPU to shoot 35-under for 72 holes to even come close to providing a challenge.

I think the key, as discussed, is to intentionally 'cap' your character when you can reliably shoot realistic scores, if you're the kind of person that cares about that sort of thing. I think I tried to keep it so that my best scores (on the "other" game) on US Open courses was around the -4 to -6 range (for 72 holes) and then tuned around that.

But obviously however you have fun with the game is the right way to do it for you.

For grins and giggles, I threw the demo on Legend difficulty, with some minor custom adjustments, but close to default...

First round, I shot +17.
Second round, +12.
Third round, +10.
Fourth round, +12.

I horsed around with Legend and got to +6 or so, but the penalties are really severe for misses (which is great). I kinda liked that if there is water or a hazard on one side of a hole, I really had to go with the "anti-Right swing" or whatever, which usually ended up in a massive pull into the rough on the other side, but hey - that's real golf.

[MrArlingtonBeach]

Re: PGA Tour 2K25 Demo Available Today, Post Your Impressions

While PS Network is down, some creators have released their first videos based on their time with the game:

Seamount4Life plays as Tiger at Oakmont, which looks like a BRUTE: https://youtu.be/0evuJ7Kgyi4?si=lsd5Zj9dyEgiEMxn

The ApexHound: https://youtu.be/zhD2NNKySHU?si=XigoiNR57tNVqWiH

[NoBoba77]

Re: PGA Tour 2K25 Demo Available Today, Post Your Impressions

Overall, I'm really liking the demo.

The Evo swing is definitely different, I think it's going to be a fun challenge, something new. I'm on Legend swing difficulty and it is very punishing when you're even just a little bit off. But man does it feel good when you hit a good one (like real golf).

Putting feels pretty good to me, I like that the green speed seems to be a bit more conservative. 2k23 green speeds were so fast I had to use friction balls just to be able to have any chance.

I've been using the "Quality" graphics setting and definitely getting some stutter. But I do feel like it looks better, so going to try and stick with it.

Some of the new pre-shot camera angles are nice.

[dubcity]

Re: PGA Tour 2K25 Demo Available Today, Post Your Impressions

Apex showed in his vid that Tiger Woods is 85 overall in the game. Wasn't he 99 overall when they did the rating reveals on twitter? He shouldn't be 99 unless it's a classic version of him, honestly. Or if there's a way to level up the pros? A 99 rated player seems like it would break career mode, regardless.