Anyone else looking for a more realistic experience?

@puntasThanks that is a long thread, too much for me to read every post.

But I already play with a character that has no skill points or specs. It is a level 67, I don't use any swing meters or putt previews and other than wid direction and the green grids I have everything disabled I can.

In career mode the AI is set to 100, and I think the scores showing after 4 full rounds seem reasonable. But I still win ever tournament running away. I may not be leading after 2 rounds, but by the third I am leading.

I don't think I am particularly great at this game. I think in general I manage the course well, but the game is extremely easy.

Thanks for the link, but there really isn't much there I have not tried. I have learned to accept the randomness off the tee box and managed my way to the green. Because of my limited shot selections, depending on the yardage I will often layup to a yardage rather than having to hit a partial club into a green.

In my opinion, they need to address the ball physics, the greens need to roll out more on putts. The rough needs to be much more penal, especially since they have included several lengths you can set. The ball should have less spin out of the rough, have plugged balls in the bunkers when warranted. Option to disable the reticule, it basically allows you to hit the ball where you want.

Distance should be controlled by loft and length/speed of swing and not a pointing device.

I'm fine with having it for those that want it, but give the option to those looking for a more challenging experience.

In 2K we disable as much as we can, and it is fun to eyeball your shots/putts and to not have a bulls eye available to you. It adds another layer to the game.

@drewgriffithsI played the free play days on Xbox and 2k23 is complete trash. GUI, to graphics, to music, to swing mechanics, to putting, it’s complete trash.

I honestly can’t believe HB Studios is unable to improve. It’s their worst golf game to date. Look at the reviews and let them speak for themselves.

With that said, what’s unreasonable from me? I’m an end-user with a plethora of experience and citing not only myself, but also the voices of countless people that unfortunately paid for 2k lol.

Those that wish for extreme challenge are a minute % of the EA player base so it’s not accurate to say it’s hurting sales. Making the game easier clearly speaks to a wider player base…it’s basic business. It’s always been that way, make it easier more new players are likey to buy your game.

Also, this is EA’s hardest game to date. I never missed putts in TW like I do now and I was ranked very well then so I clearly have a high level of experience to reference. At my worst, my record was like 250-10.

2k doesn’t nail anything, it’s terrible from top to bottom. All the negative reviews agree with me that the swing mechanics are terrible. Don’t take my word, have a look for yourself.

I’ve played both and if you think EA doesn’t trump 2k on every level, we have nothing more to discuss.

@RodSirloinYou present one opinion, yours. I think it is a bit presumptuous to believe we can speak for others.

2K23 is different, it is not my favorite game in the series. They did something to the putting in 2K21 that exists in 2K23 that doesn't register my putting stroke for shorter putts. I believe it has something to do with the deadzone in the controller. But I appreciated that 2K23 increased the green speeds and how much the ball rolled out.

Regardless the GUI is functional as well as the graphics... I believe we are here more for the golfing experience over the pretty pictures. Though I do appreciate the pretty graphics, but lets be honest they are not up to what the Unreal Engine is pushing out these days.

The swing mechanics are fine, the tempo adds another layer of difficulty to the game. 2K doesn't need an artifical oversized dispersion zone to emulate difficulty in the game. Difficulty in 2K is all based on execution... though I would welcome a small layer of dispersion to add a little randomness to your shots.

I find those complaining about 2K are those that are unable to play the game. The Golf Club in their wisdom developed a game for everyone. Those that hate it seem to not be able to get past their ego's and disable features to allow them to hit straight.

I will play on LEGEND in 2K just to hit more bad shots to make things seem more realistic. Even playing on MASTER settings I don't hit that many good shots in real life.

I find it enjoyable trying to figure out how to make a par on a hole where I didn't hit the green in regulation. And I find it rewarding and gratifying when I do, unlike in EA.

The 2K game rewards you based on your execution of your shot like in real life. The rough is penal, but I don't think is penal enough, shots also get more difficult to execute in hazards. You lose spin coming out of the rough, the greens play faster with more roll out.

If you leave yourself above the pin in the rough with a green sloping away from you, stopping the ball anywhere around the hole can be a challenge. Unlike EA where you can flop to within a few feet and have it stick.

In 2K you will have to play the ball where it lands, unlike EA you don't get a magic placement in a better spot. And you also don't get a ball that finished in the rough, end up in a hazard.

2K is by no means perfect, I personally hate the speed of the swing. I thought it was a huge mistake to increase the swing speed in 2K21. I believe distance should be controlled by loft, swing length and swing speed. 2K has made partial shots almost impossible to execute. Both games use a reticule to basically point where you want the ball to go. But at least 2K gave those that want to disable it the ability to do so.

I think it is pretty obvious that a lot of players are losing interest in EA PGA, as you can see the fall off in the tournament support.

I have played golf games since the mid 70's... I cannot say I have played them all but I would be comfortable saying I have at least tried 95% of them. I am sure a few slipped through the cracks over the years.

I bought and supported the The Golf Club series since it's inception and played on a regular basis until the release of the EA game.

I now feel I am a man with no country. After 3 months away from 2K I realized there is a significant skill set that you learn to compete in that game. The inconsistent swing speed of the animation bothers me, especially when it happens when you are trying to make a short chip shot.

Neither game is perfect... but at least 2K opens things up to all level of plsyers.

My final points are that in my opinion the demographic you want to cater too is the more serious golfer. They are the ones that will play the game day after day until the next release. This is their thing... the casual gamer will move on to the next shiny object in short order and there is no guarantee they will buy another golf game if a new Diablo is released at the same time.

But you know diehard golfers are waiting to consume anything in that genre. And they have the monies to do it.

2K without question in my a opinion a better golfing sim at this point. EA plays far too much like a Mario Golf game.

I'm just hoping EA will created a bridge to include players of all levels to enjoy their game.

---

@IXOYE56 wrote:
@ELF014"EA Sports, it's a Game" I agree with you, but I have no hopes.

---

Is that still their motto?

Back when they arrived in the marketplace as Electronic Arts, I truly believed it. They really did take innovation to another level... I really miss those days. They never disappointed back then. I don't ever remember thinking that something was wrong or missing. But then back then you couldn't just send a patch out. The games were in cartridge form and you had to get it right the first time.

@ELF014 Yeh like something to zoom in on the lie and take a close look. That’s an excellent idea

@RodSirloin I’m just break down some things you say and explain why I don’t agree or explain why it’s flat out wrong. I’ll quote them and underneath give my opinion, one from a proper golfer who has played the vast majority of golf games for the past 30 years including owning both EA PGA and 2K23 and playing them not as a gamer but as a golfer

”2K23 is complete trash”

You don’t actually at all explain why certain things in 2K fail to meet your expectations which leads me to believe you just can’t get your head around the mechanics of 2K which are superior in every way to EA. Granted, 2K mixes up swing plane and tempo with the effects a bad shot has, but I understand why it was done that way.

“I honestly can’t believe HB Studios is unable to improve. It’s their worst golf game to date”

It isn’t. Their first one was and it’s reasonable to debate whether that one is at least an equals to EA PGA

“Those that wish for extreme challenge”

We want a REALISTIC challenge

“With that said, what’s unreasonable from me? I’m an end-user with a plethora of experience”

Your “plethora of experience” doesn’t make you immune from being unreasonable. Saying a game is trash giving vague reasons is pretty unrealistic because it makes you sound like a stroppy teenager who just simply can’t play the game

“Making the game easier clearly speaks to a wider player base…it’s basic business”

Nonsense. Making a game ACCESSIBLE and one that CATERS for a wide audience… it’s basic business. 2K does this… EA PGA does not. EA forgets that it’s likely that a large number of players will have actually played golf for real and will understand the sport and playing this alienates a large portion of that potential fan base because the game just doesn’t play like golf and player numbers are already dwindling fast.

“Also, this is EA’s hardest game to date”

No it isn’t…. By a LONG stretch. It’s actually one of the easiest and I”ve played the series since it began. This game from EA is on a level par with TW 2002 and 09 for how easy it is. I found ones like TW 11 and 14 far harder…. FAR harder.

”2k doesn’t nail anything, it’s terrible from top to bottom. All the negative reviews agree with me that the swing mechanics are terrible. Don’t take my word, have a look for yourself”

You actually think game reviewers have ANY understanding of the game of golf? It’s most likely they’ve never picked up a club in their lives and think it’s a simple game. You also sound like you’ve never picked up a club in your life, if I’m honest. That may offend, but that’s how it sounds.

“I’ve played both and if you think EA doesn’t trump 2k on every level, we have nothing more to discuss.”

I have played both too and this is what i mean by you being unreasonable. Your final statement basically says if I have a different opinion than you and don’t believe EA is better in every way, we ain’t talking. Well, I guess we ain’t talking then… and it’s no skin off my nose. But by saying that, you put yourself in a position where you look petulant, contemptuous and even arrogant.

My conclusion is that you’re purely a casual which is fine… casuals have a place, but you want the hardest level to be easy to inflate your own ego instead of playing a proper challenging golf game and simply either practicing and improving or swallowing your pride and decreasing the difficulty. It’s clear 2K is too hard for you so you choose to bash what is a very good game by saying it’s trash and not really saying why other than very vague details which anyone could make up. 

I speak from years of real world golf experience where the details of golf would probably make your brain melt and it’s a fact that 2K simulates golf better.

But anyway, we have nothing further to discuss. All the best.

@ELF014 Absolutely agree with ALMOST everything here except the partial shots in 2K because I’ve been able to execute them wonderfully just like in real life. I played a round today at my home club which is on 2K21. I’m on a par 5 and my 3rd shot disappointingly drops short of the green, 40 yards from the hole and i was saying to my mate that I actually prefer 65/70 yard shots so I can smoothly pitch it close with my 60 degree lob wedge and having a 40 yard shot makes it awkward for that, so I instead opted to chip it with a 7 iron…. I only holed it for a birdie 😆. First thing i said was “Maybe I should start liking that shot more!”😆

2K makes you think about your shots more like a real golfer than what EA does. I honestly find myself playing 2K and thinking about shots exactly the same way as I do on the real course. EA doesn’t make me do that, I can just hit shots nonchalantly and move on.