In The Mail: EA Sports PGA TOUR 2023 Video Game

In The Mail: EA Sports PGA TOUR Video Game

Arriving in the (e)mail this week for review was a copy of EA Sports PGA TOUR 2023.

Coincidentally, I recently got a new gaming laptop. I am therefore, ready to give it a try. My video game skills are somewhat old school, so I was glad to see that in addition to the mouse activated swing, it also has the classic three click swing feature that I first learned how to use on an Apple II.

Here’s what EA says about the new version:

Genre: Sports/Golf

Publisher: Electronic Arts, Inc.

Developer: EA Orlando and EA Madrid

Release Date: April 7, 2023

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, PC (EA App, Steam, Epic Games Store)

Price: $69.99 (Standard Edition); $84.99 (Digital Deluxe Edition)

ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

KEY GAMEPLAY FEATURES 

• Home of the Majors
  • EA SPORTS™ PGA TOUR™ is the exclusive home of the Majors, including the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship™, the U.S. Open Championship™, and The Open. Compete in the PGA TOUR’s best events in the season-long chase for the FedExCup. Conquer the top Amateur Championships including the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, the U.S. Amateur, and other elite international amateur events.

• The world’s most exclusive courses
  • The tee is yours at 30 courses, including some of the world’s most exclusive, designed in stunning fidelity with Frostbite™ so you can enjoy more of golf’s finer details than ever before. Immerse yourself in the visual beauty and photo-realistic detail of pristine, bucket-list golf courses around the globe featuring unique Course Dynamics so you can test your skills and face the same challenges as the pros on every golf shot.

• Pure Strike powered by ShotLink®
  • Powered by official PGA TOUR ShotLink® and TrackMan data, Pure Strike gives golf fans all the tools they need to realistically attack every hole on every course the same way the pros do. It incorporates the three parts of every golf shot—fluid swing mechanics that are highly accurate to a player’s backswing length and speed of follow through, innovative ball behavior allowing every bounce and roll to behave more accurately across a variety of terrain and course conditions, and lifelike course dynamics that play true to their real life course counterparts.

• True-to-Life Course Visuals
  • EA SPORTS PGA TOUR will also present the most realistic visuals in any golf game utilizing EA’s Frostbite™ engine. Using state-of-the-art equipment such as drone technology, custom LiDAR flight helicopters and more to develop terrain maps, EA SPORTS PGA TOUR depicts courses exactly as they appear in real life. The photogrammetry and scanners were also applied to create precise renderings of clubhouses, iconic vegetation, bridges, tee markers, rock formations, and other on-course elements offering players life-like visual experiences of their favorite courses.

• THE PLAYERS Championship and FedExCup Playoffs
  • The PLAYERS Championship and all three events of the FedExCup Playoffs will be in the game, and players can earn in-game FedExCup points in Career Mode for the opportunity to compete in the FedExCup Playoffs. As part of the Career mode, top golfers at the end of the year will be given the opportunity to win the FedExCup.

• Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and The Amundi Evian Championship
  • In partnership with the LPGA, EA SPORTS PGA TOUR allows fans to compete at The Amundi Evian Championship, one of the LPGA Tour’s five major championships, and have the opportunity to play as several female athletes as well as create a female golfer in the overhauled Create-A-Player feature. Players will also be able to participate in a series of LPGA-themed challenges and other events. Iona Stephen will be joining the EA commentary team as the first female on-course commentator in game, bringing her experienced insights from both playing professionally and working in golf broadcasting. 

• Your career, your way
  • As your golf game improves, so does your path to becoming a major champion with unified RPG progression. Create and customize a golfer, then develop your skills so you can master each course and learn to attack every hole like a pro. Choose from up to 20 useful shot types as you progress, enhancing your skill set for driving, approach, short game, or putting, depending on your style. Compete to become a Major champion, and take on the PGA TOUR’s best events in the season-long chase for the FedExCup. 

• Course Dynamics
  • Unique Course Dynamics backed by a rigorous course tuning process from tee to green ensures no two golf courses play the same. Every fairway, green, and rough is meticulously scanned, handcrafted, and uniquely tuned to simulate the individual nuances of different courses and terrain variables like undulations, ground cover, and grass type..

• Ball Behavior
  • Revolutionized Ball Behavior delivers next-gen responsiveness so once your shot lands, the golf ball spins, bounces, dribbles, and rolls as it would in real life.

• ShotLink® 
  • Utilizing ShotLink® powered by CDW, the PGA TOUR’s proprietary real-time scoring system since 2001, golfers will authentically be replicated with accurate player ratings, skills and magnified true-to-life in-game events. 

• TrackMan Data
  • Insights implemented from TrackMan, a world leader in 3D ball flight measurement and swing analysis, is a critical component to authentic gameplay utilizing a myriad of stats including club tuning, flight trajectory, landing position and much more.