PGA Tour 2K21

This golf simulator isn't quite as polished or pretty as older PGA golf games, but it was clearly created by a group of people passionate about golf. The swing mechanics in PGA Tour 2K21 provide an abundance of customization options, allowing players to make the game as easy or as challenging as they like. On the hardest settings, players will need to pay close attention to the physical path and speed at which they move the joystick, mimicking the way real-world golfers swing clubs. The slightest error could send the ball slicing or hooking off into the woods, making level par no easy task. On easier settings, players need only push down and up to hit it straight and long from the start, scoring like a pro right away. The course editor, meanwhile, is blissfully simple to use, no matter what your experience in game level design is. It can generate an entire unique course in seconds based on your choices of biome, water levels, and changes in elevation, which you can then tweak as much or as little as you see fit. It's an amateur course architect's dream.

Where players will need to settle for something less than exemplary is graphical and technical refinement. You're bound to run into a few minor bugs -- like a ball bouncing off of a tree in a strange and unlikely way -- and some models and characters have a decidedly artificial look compared to other modern sports games. Keep in mind, too, that the fun and fluffy extras seen in many other golf games, such as famous events and golfers from the past, skill challenges, and tutorials presented by real-world pros and instructors, aren't on offer here. This is, in general, a more serious golf experience that includes nothing more unessential than simple player rivalry and sponsorship features designed to add a few supplementary objectives. On the flip side, the ability to create and join societies and set up and participate in custom events is a great feature, allowing players to dictate for themselves exactly how they want to play and compete. PGA Tour 2K21 is a very good golf game with solid mechanics, a great roster of courses, and plenty of customization options with plenty of room to grow in future installments.