EA Sports has announced that it will release its first golf game in more than a decade, titled EA Sports PGA Tour, which will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Steam on March 24. The announcement came with an in-depth gameplay trailer, giving golf enthusiasts their first detailed look at shot types and a variety of gameplay innovations powered by Pure Strike.
The last time Electronic Arts released a golf game was back in 2008, despite the studio making a name for itself with sports games, such as Madden NFL, UFC, FIFA, and NHL. Unlike its competitor, PGA Tour 2K23, EA Sports PGA Tour features all four major championships — The Masters, PGA Championship, the U.S. Open Championship, and The Open, as well as the race to the FedExCup — along with a wealth of shot types, courses, and swing mechanics that offer more authentic golf experience.
EA Sports PGA Tour introduces a new innovation called Pure Strike, which gives players all the tools they need to attack every hole on every course the same way professional golfers do. In other words, it ensures that each pro golfer’s swing and attributes will be accurately added to the game. According to a blog post, Pure Strike consists of three crucial parts — fluid swing mechanics, innovative ball behavior, and lifelike course dynamics — each having different effects on the gameplay.
Improved ball behavior ensures that golfers’ balls are tracked in-game by measuring power, swing, apex, and carry that is visible on screen. Among the factors that impact the bounce and roll of the ball are the firmness of the ground, the speed of the ball’s roll, the ball’s spin, and the terrain on which the shot was hit. The development team assured players that courses won’t be identical, so shots on every course will behave differently based on the aforementioned factors.
EA Sports PGA Tour comprises 20 shot types that allow players to diversify their shots, helping them succeed when they take on specific challenges. Each shot type has its own profile-producing shots with different spin rates, speeds, launch angles, and shot dispersion. Sticker, Finesse, Knock Down, Pick, Flow, and Blast are a few shot types that emphasize different factors for themselves. For instance, the Knock Down shot type minimizes the impact of wind, while the Pick type allows for more spin and less roll out.
The blog post also dives into swing mechanics, which will provide more realistic shot results, according to Electronic Arts. Three components will impact the resulting shot when players swing with their swing stick — backswing length, forward swing speed, and swing plane — each representing a different factor related to either the golfer or their swings. Forward swing speed means how fast the golfer swings forward, while backswing length showcases how far the golfers take the club back. The swing plane, on the other hand, matches the path of golfers’ swing stick moves.
Players can build their own golfer in career mode, as they can also unlock a set of skills, developing them the more they play. Power, accuracy, control, and recovery are the four key parts that define golfers’ value. Moreover, four different types of game modes will be available in EA Sports PGA Tour — Arcade, Pro, Tour, and Simulation. Lastly, the upcoming golf game will feature more than 25 courses, including Augusta National, Pebble Beach, The Country Club, Tara Iti, Wolf Creek, and Evian Resort.
