Rory McIlroy PGA Tour

 PlayStation 4
User Score
3.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 91 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 91
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 91
  3. Negative: 55 out of 91
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  1. Nukeaway
    Jul 14, 2015
    6
    I'm in hopes that EA will see this post. While this year's game is visualy stunning, there are some serious issues. What happened to all the features and courses from previous games? Where are the Country Clubs and create/schedule online tournaments? Let me choose weather/course conditions?Where is the career mode of the past? Allowed me to assign attributes to my golfer instead of beingI'm in hopes that EA will see this post. While this year's game is visualy stunning, there are some serious issues. What happened to all the features and courses from previous games? Where are the Country Clubs and create/schedule online tournaments? Let me choose weather/course conditions?Where is the career mode of the past? Allowed me to assign attributes to my golfer instead of being done automatically? See the calendar of events and allow me to see upcoming events? Why when I play with my created golfer online, I don't gain experience? Speaking of create a golfer, no Game face feature and only cookie cutter random faces? Wait.... Sorry I just sank a 90 yard wedge shot from the fairway bunker to win the Green Jacket... Let me save this replay and post it for all my friends to see.... Oh no replay.... There is no satisfaction/reward to me playing as my created golfer. That's OK, I'll just play as Jack Nicholas, Phil Mickelson, or Tiger... Oh wait....... Ohhhh maybe Dustin Johnson..... Never mind. Come on EA. There was 2 years to get this right, and it feels like a launch release. You may be your own worst enemy after setting the bar so high with PGA 14. I would have rather paid $60 for PGA 14 "remastered". While Rory McIroy is a good game, it could have been so much better!… Expand
  2. Zucheto
    Jul 19, 2015
    5
    If you haven't played any golf games before, you'll likely enjoy it. Otherwise, you'll be left wondering why so many standard features are left out. It seems like you're getting about half a game. Multiplayer is fun with a group of friends. Otherwise, there's very little customization in your character or character skills. Limited courses and characters, and the announcers are repetitiveIf you haven't played any golf games before, you'll likely enjoy it. Otherwise, you'll be left wondering why so many standard features are left out. It seems like you're getting about half a game. Multiplayer is fun with a group of friends. Otherwise, there's very little customization in your character or character skills. Limited courses and characters, and the announcers are repetitive and idiotic. I was also expecting to be blown away by the graphics since it's the first major golf game on the newer consoles. Unfortunately, the graphics are only slightly better than last gen. Don't spend $60 on this game. It's a big "meh"… Expand
  3. MarkA
    Jul 14, 2015
    7
    After a two year break, EA Sports makes it's way back on the green with the release of McIlroy PGA Tour. If you are a big fan of golfing games like myself, this is welcome news. My very first golfing game was simply titled Golf, which was released in 1984 for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

    This game was built completely new from the ground up for the Xbox One and PS4 systems using    After a two year break, EA Sports makes it's way back on the green with the release of McIlroy PGA Tour. If you are a big fan of golfing games like myself, this is welcome news. My very first golfing game was simply titled Golf, which was released in 1984 for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

    This game was built completely new from the ground up for the Xbox One and PS4 systems using the Frostbite Engine. This engine has been used in making games like Mass Effect and Battlefield, but it is the first time it has been used in making a sports title. You can really tell the difference the Frostbite Engine made in this me. If you do a side by side comparison with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14, which was released two years ago, the difference is night and day. Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR looks absolutely amazing. Little things you may have never noticed before in a golf game will now stand out and catch you eye like never before.

    Another great thing about EA Sports' decision to go with the Frostbite Engine is the fact that it loading times are now gone which means you now have more time to play than ever before. To me, that means a lot. As a Husband and a Father, I don't have the gaming hours I used to have when I was a single man. With no more loading times, I can now play more rounds of golf, which in my book, is always a good thing.

    Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR offers several different ways to play.

    Play Now: Play a round of Golf. Sadly, there are only eight real life courses to choose from. (Nine if you pre-order the game)I realize that EA had to start from the ground up with this game and that takes a lot of time but having only eight real world courses to choose from is very disappointing. On the bright side, since this game will not be a yearly release, EA Sports has gone on record as saying they will continue to support this title with content updates. EA has already announced that everyone will be receiving TPC Scottsdale for free on September 14.

    EA SPORTS Night Club Challenge: In this mode of play EA is trying to lure in the casual golf fan. The person who is not a diehard sim fanatic but likes to play just for fun. In here lies the problem, the Night Club Challenge is not fun at all. The challenges start off easy at first but get very frustratingly hard to the point of you wanting to throw your controller threw the TV screen. If there had been a way to skip around the extremely hard levels and move on to something else would be one thing but once you are stuck on a level, that's it, you are there until by miracle you move on or finally have had enough and quit. I understand the causal fans dollars are just as important as the diehard Golf fans, but I really don't see this Night Club Challenge reeling them in. EA would have been better suited to have made a good old fashioned putt-putt course for light heart fun of the Golf Course.

    Head2Head: This Mode lets you compete against fellow golfers online.

    Online Tournaments: This will allow you to complete in online tournaments with your friends, family, co-workers or random people online.

    Pro Career: This is where you can create your own golfer and build your career. You can choose to be male or female. On your create a golfer, you can choose everything from eye color, hairstyle body size, etc. For those of you wanting to add your own face to your created golfer, the Game Face option is not included in this game.

    Prologue: Play this Mode to basically learn how to play the game if you are a first time buyer or you just new a refresher course on how to play. You can learn how to aim and set up different shots. You can also learn about the three different swing mechanics which are; Arcade, Classic, Tour. You also now have the ability to create your own gameplay style to your liking.

    In closing, Rory McIlroy PGA Tour is a very fun game to play if you are into video game golfing. Gameplay has never been better. Presentation wise EA really out did themselves using the Frostbite Engine. Everything for the littlest detail really stands out on the golf course. With the addition Frank Nobilo and Rich Lerner of The Golf Channel, it gives the game a more authentic appeal. Sadly though, with only eight real life course and only twelve licensed PGA Golfers, I can only give this game a seven. Hopefully, EA Sports will come through on their word to continue to support this title post release with the addition of new content.    … Expand
  4. JBHuskers
    Jul 14, 2015
    7
    The game gets a solid 7 from me, with the chance to grow with post-launch support, and the possibility that this could be an evergreen title that EA constantly adds to for a few years. While none of that is for certain, it is definitely worth speculation due to the lack of a number in the title; where all other EA SPORTS titles have one.

    First I'll start off with the bad. It is lacking    The game gets a solid 7 from me, with the chance to grow with post-launch support, and the possibility that this could be an evergreen title that EA constantly adds to for a few years. While none of that is for certain, it is definitely worth speculation due to the lack of a number in the title; where all other EA SPORTS titles have one.

    First I'll start off with the bad. It is lacking something new for being the first title of the current gen. It's missing something to wow us like an online career mode or even online leagues. It is also missing features that were great in the last iteration of Tiger such as Country Clubs. The lack of a punch to start us off on the PS4/XB1 is what really kills the score.

    The lack of courses I can go either way on. I fully understand the fact that these courses were completely built from scratch with the Frostbite engine; which in the long run was a GREAT thing. There are only 8 licensed courses to start, with the 9th coming for free in September. Hopefully they have a DLC model that will make the long-time fans of this game happy. Giving the first course free is a great start.

    The last bit of negative is the fact that the player creation is very bare bones. While there is room for this to be patched and be better, what we have right now is not great at all. It would have been great to see them use the same tech that the NBA Live team is using for their face scans.

    Now on to the good. This game is BEAUTIFUL. There is a fictitious, but realistic course new to the game called Lighthouse Pointe that is extremely beautiful to enjoy a round of golf on. The graphics are phenomenal, and so is the atmosphere surrounding the golf course. This is a notable step-up from the past.

    The fictitious courses are we welcome addition to the game as they are beautifully designed. I talked about Lighthouse Pointe previously, and there is also the Wetlands that is set up almost like your municipal course back home. Then there are the fantasy courses such as Coyote Falls that is carved into the Grand Canyon, and Paracel Storm that is taken from Battlefield 4. As far as fantasy courses go, these offer a lot of fun, and since Paracel Storm is 18 holes of all par 3's, you can work on getting those aces.

    The gameplay is not completely different from the past, but amateur mode has a new wrinkle where the putt preview is gone and the putt read line is in its place. This makes you actually have to execute a little better and the amateur mode is not a gimme in online play. Offline play though there is a blue line that actually guides you and teaches you were the ball will land taking wind and elevation into effect.

    The swing mechanic in the Tour mode is great as your swing has mechanics and feedback that are affected based on your back and down swing. I have really enjoyed playing Tour mode a lot, but there is also a returning shot mechanic in the 3-click swing. That is the old school way to play EA SPORTS golf, and it was a challenge jumping back into that swing mechanic.

    Going back and forth between the three difficulties will add a lot of variety to the game, but also you can create a custom set of rules to mix a balance between Amateur and Tour.

    Night Club Challenge is the new feature in the game where it's basically an arcade mode with a ton of challenges to try to complete. I like this addition to the game as it teaches new users how to get started; while offering a great challenge to try to get three stars on each challenge.

    Finally, while career mode is basically untouched, the career progression system is a great addition to the game for your created pro. Based on your performance in the round, some of your attributes will automatically increase, and the game will show that to you at the end of each round, but you can also select "personality types" such as power, up and down, precise, and etc. to mold your golfer. Each type will affect ratings for the good and the bad, and eventually you'll have four types you can select with about 24 to choose from.

    Overall, Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR is a great base with a lot of room to grow. There is a lot missing from the retail product today, but hopefully we will see some growth with this product in the months after.    … Expand
  5. KilrMarshmallow
    Jul 15, 2015
    7
    First off i'm just glad there is a golf game for the Xbox One/PS4 now. Yes, this game doesn't deliver on how I thought it would but it is still a good game. It's missing courses and golfers but the gameplay and Frostbite 3 graphics makes this game playable for hours. If you want a golf game for the Xbox One/PS4 definitely pick this up.
  6. BigSmitty81
    Aug 5, 2015
    7
    Since I'm mainly about gameplay, that will be the emphasis for my review. If you're expecting this to be Tiger Woods PGA Tour 16, you're gravely mistaken. Since the announcement for the game last year at E3, the game was being built from the ground up using the Frostbite 3 engine (which mainly is used for the Battlefield series). Historically speaking, when you have a game start anewSince I'm mainly about gameplay, that will be the emphasis for my review. If you're expecting this to be Tiger Woods PGA Tour 16, you're gravely mistaken. Since the announcement for the game last year at E3, the game was being built from the ground up using the Frostbite 3 engine (which mainly is used for the Battlefield series). Historically speaking, when you have a game start anew engine-wise, that typically means there will be setbacks (ie Madden 06 on 360, PES 2014 with the Fox Engine implementation). Rory Mcilroy PGA Tour is not exempt from this rule either.

    In regards of the swing mechanics, they're very straight forward for all 3 types. I personally enjoy the Tour difficulty level, but the Arcade or the classic 3-click method all will give you a generally clean swing with a moderate amount of forgiveness when it comes to making a mistake on a swing off the tee or on the fairway. Don't get it twisted though, if you don't have the attributes (generally when building up your career player) and you swing incorrectly or it's off at times, you'll under/overshoot the target and can land in the rough, water, or clean out of bounds. I also like the ability to customize the control scheme for not only the camera view and swing with either the left or right analog stick, but also what visual aids & boosts (ie: manual spin) to keep on or off.

    Like I initially stated, with a new beginning means that while there are great things with having a new engine (ie: short load times, no load time between courses, greater graphical fidelity & quality, crisper gameplay mechanics to an extent) there also shortcomings in comparison to what we've been accustomed to in the past. Initially, there are only 8 courses to start the game with. Lack of rain weather effects (which we've seen beautifully done in the Battlefield series on this Frostbite 3 engine). All the golfers have just about the same body type & look like a modified Battlefield character to a modest degree. My biggest gripe is that Augusta is missing from the game and "Simulation Mode" from TW14 was removed. Even with these aspects lacking, the closest competitor The Golf Club wasn't well received out the gate either and had multiple updates/patches (even recently added a season mode paid add-on to compete with EA's effort).

    So with Mcilroy not being a yearly release, it'll be interesting to see what updates and content are given along the way. We already know that there will be 2 new courses between August to September (which are free btw), so that's great. If the update/patch treatment goes anywhere along the lines of what's been done with NBA Live & EA UFC (which also started with a new engine from the ground up), then once the updating is finished, this game could truly be poised and positioned to be even greater than any of its past predecessors.    … Expand
  7. heatonx23
    Aug 12, 2015
    7
    It's a fun casual sports game with nice visuals and gameplay. The downside of this game to me is it doesn't have the best replay value. If you mastered the older versions of the game, this is a piece of cake. I can pretty easily shoot a mid-50s round after about 5-10 hours with the game. I know I can customize gameplay to make it harder, but who wants to pay $60 to design their own game?It's a fun casual sports game with nice visuals and gameplay. The downside of this game to me is it doesn't have the best replay value. If you mastered the older versions of the game, this is a piece of cake. I can pretty easily shoot a mid-50s round after about 5-10 hours with the game. I know I can customize gameplay to make it harder, but who wants to pay $60 to design their own game? And as some of the other reviewers mentioned, it's missing some features, and there are other criticisms I'm not going to rehash here. But overall it's a pretty fun casual game, and I don't regret my purchase. It's just not a game you're going to be super excited about.… Expand
  8. peacej74
    Nov 2, 2015
    5
    I don't often bother with writing reviews on here, but I was so disappointed by this game I felt the need! I have always played Tiger Woods PGA games, my only platinum trophies are through these games, but this incarnation is a massive let down, from the graphics, create player and games modes the whole game seems cheap and unfinished, luckily I got it for £30, and that is the only reasonI don't often bother with writing reviews on here, but I was so disappointed by this game I felt the need! I have always played Tiger Woods PGA games, my only platinum trophies are through these games, but this incarnation is a massive let down, from the graphics, create player and games modes the whole game seems cheap and unfinished, luckily I got it for £30, and that is the only reason I gave it a 5 if it was full price it would be lower. If you are really into golf games, please try this before you buy, I think most people will be extremely disappointed and let down but EA with this release.… Expand
  9. Paakaa10
    Aug 2, 2015
    6
    It's hard to look at Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR's release this year and not be reminded of the release of NHL 15 last year on the Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One. In both cases, a beloved sports gaming franchise with a solid track record was preparing to make its debut on more powerful consoles. In both cases, an extra year passed between expected releases, presumably to allow theIt's hard to look at Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR's release this year and not be reminded of the release of NHL 15 last year on the Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One. In both cases, a beloved sports gaming franchise with a solid track record was preparing to make its debut on more powerful consoles. In both cases, an extra year passed between expected releases, presumably to allow the development teams to spend as much time as possible with new hardware and get started strong. In both cases, severe lack of features left the worst taste in gamers' mouths as they released how much was lost between releases of their favorite sports game franchises.

    EA SPORTS has already detailed plans to make more courses available as free DLC after launch, but the reality is that there is a game on the shelves right now with a $59.99 MSRP and a certain feature set on disc. With that in mind, it's hard to give the current state of Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR anything more than a 6 out of 10.

    This is not to say that the game does not have its strengths; it's just, unfortunately, that all too often those strengths come with a specific weakness attached to them.

    Pro: Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR really looks gorgeous at times, with an incredible amount of detail present and some beautiful looking courses. Dynamic cloud cover and the shade it creates is also a great touch.
    Con: Unfortunately, the game is also prone to not-unnoticeable amounts of texture and object pop-in, even during sequences you wouldn't expect to see it happen (like a broadcast transition). Depending on the course and the activity, the game can also suffer fairly major framerate hits, sometimes with a direct effect on the gameplay experience.

    Pro: The addition of assignable attribute perks gives a refreshing way to progress your created golfer through the game's career mode, with emphasis on balancing out player archetypes instead of simply earning XP and throwing them at ratings until you max out.
    Con: For a franchise which historically has had best-in-class character creation and customization, the lack of customization when creating your golfer is a significant step back. It's incredibly difficult to feel much investment in career mode when the golfer representing you on-screen often looks nowhere near your real-life appearance.

    Pro: The addition of "Quick Rounds" as a feature--which gives you a "most important" 4-6 holes per round of a tournament to play instead of the full 18--is a nice touch for people who want the full four round experience without the investment of time. Even with no loading time between holes, "Quick Rounds" speeds up the experience considerably.
    Con: Unfortunately, "Quick Rounds" only serves to underscore how few courses have been included on-disc with the launch of the game. Compared to the last release, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14, players have gone from 20 courses (25 on the Historic Edition) to 8 real-world courses and a handful of fantasy courses. Most glaringly omitted is Augusta National, the crown jewel of the past few years of games, and the Masters tournament; especially since players of The Golf Club, the newest competitor in the console golf game scene, have recreated that course using the game's course creation suite. With competition in play, the lack of courses in Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR becomes all the more jarring.

    Pro: The broadcast cohesion of introducing The Golf Channel and NBC Golf presentation helps to provide a consistent look across menus in-game when playing a career, and is a refreshing change of pace from previous games.
    Con: The new commentary team of Rich Lerner and Frank Nobilo is pretty rough in their first outing; if you haven't played the game yet, let's just say there's a commentary line about having the touch of a plumber that you can expect to hear more than once if your putting game is weak.

    Pro: The new mode Night Club Challenge provides a solid change of pace with an arcade experience that helps teach some features of the game while also throwing in boosts and power-ups.
    Con: It's essentially the same as the mobile King of the Course game released by EA SPORTS, and doesn't have lasting appeal unless you love the idea of controlling a putt via remote control down a cart path.

    If there is one positive aspect of Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR which doesn't have an immediate negative, it's that the game continues to offer multiple control schemes tailor-made to how you want to play the game. Casual fans of the franchise will feel at home with "Arcade," those who don't want to swing with analog sticks can use "Classic," and the most hardcore will jump right into "Tour." Even better, fans can pick and choose elements of each scheme to create their own custom feel. And, once you get used to putting which doesn't set power by how far you draw back, it feels as good as ever.

    Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR is a rough debut for the franchise on the new consoles, and much work needs to be done through DLC to earn its asking price.    … Expand
  10. cdj
    Jul 17, 2015
    6
    Likes:
    Gameplay - Solid gameplay, very similar to Tiger 14. Three gameplay styles help satisfy preference(s) of individual user.
    Graphics - The game looks great. It really shines on the fantasy courses that have beautiful backdrops (IE: Grand Canyon) and/or moving aspects (trains, hot air balloons). Night Club Challenge - The most in-depth feature in the game and a nice way to get    Likes:
    Gameplay - Solid gameplay, very similar to Tiger 14. Three gameplay styles help satisfy preference(s) of individual user.
    Graphics - The game looks great. It really shines on the fantasy courses that have beautiful backdrops (IE: Grand Canyon) and/or moving aspects (trains, hot air balloons).
    Night Club Challenge - The most in-depth feature in the game and a nice way to get better at individual skills in the game.
    Quick Rounds - A nice new option to help make rounds/events go faster by just playing a handful of holes per round. (There is an option to play full rounds. Game defaults to Quick Rounds, BTW).
    Fantasy Courses - As mentioned above, these courses look great and are fun and challenging.
    Commentary - For the first year with this commentary team, it's pretty in-depth and enjoyable.
    Presentation - The Golf Channel presentation is sharp and helps with immersion.

    Dislikes:
    Lack of GameFace & Player Customization - No GameFace hurts immersion and the templates/options in-game are very basic.
    Basic Career Mode - The career mode is very basic (golf and advance) with some missing basic features, such as a viewable schedule.
    Lack of Online/Community-Centric Feature(s) - Maybe the biggest issue with the game. Longevity is a concern. A long-term issue with the franchise; they have been slow and uninspiring when it comes to implementing community-building features. For being in the same studio as NCAA Football (Online Dynasty) and Madden NFL (Connected Franchise), it's disappointing that PGA TOUR has not added in a similar online career mode.
    Lack of Licensed Golfers & Courses - Over time, the low number of courses could become an issue.

    When compared to Tiger 14, McIlroy PGA TOUR probably deserves around a 5-6. However, on its own merits I would give it closer to a 6-7.

    The game plays a solid game of golf, looks great, but my concern is that it lacks longevity due to a bare-bones Career Mode, a relatively low number of courses, and no community-building features (IE: online leagues).

    EA has stated free updates in the future, but has not disclosed what this will entail.    … Expand
  11. Jowatana
    Jul 14, 2015
    5
    EA's standard line has been that more content will be available for free after the release. More than likely more courses and more golfers. This is a good start but the game is lacking many basics. The create-a-golfer is circa 2001. There is no customization. Period. You are severely limited in the types of online games you play - stroke and match. There are no clubhouses, no real onlineEA's standard line has been that more content will be available for free after the release. More than likely more courses and more golfers. This is a good start but the game is lacking many basics. The create-a-golfer is circa 2001. There is no customization. Period. You are severely limited in the types of online games you play - stroke and match. There are no clubhouses, no real online competition. Updates will probably increase the breadth of the game in terms but until they can increase the depth of play, this is a very disappointing game. Expect less than half of what the last Tiger Woods gave you - without the numerous DLCs.… Expand
  12. Matintheflat
    Jul 26, 2015
    5
    Positives, it looks great, it plays ok, commentary is pretty good.
    Negatives, terrible regressed single career mode, I mean seriously EA? A year removed so you can release something next gen and you make this? Terrible equipment "level ups" limited character creation, god awful player celebrations after par putts (and I mean s#%t really, the robot or some band leader willing the putter    Positives, it looks great, it plays ok, commentary is pretty good.
    Negatives, terrible regressed single career mode, I mean seriously EA? A year removed so you can release something next gen and you make this? Terrible equipment "level ups" limited character creation, god awful player celebrations after par putts (and I mean s#%t really, the robot or some band leader willing the putter bo%^cs after a tap in par?). In all a 5, saved by good looks and fun to play but some serious regression considering the year delay / in making etc. I can only imagine the EA guys on this one let the work experience guys do it or just dusted off a copy of Golf from the playstaion for inspiration :(    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

69
#69 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2015
58
#58 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
61

Mixed or average reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 33
  3. Negative: 1 out of 33
  1. SpazioGames
    Oct 28, 2015
    70
    No Tiger, no party? Not really, since Rory Mcllroy is still a good golf game and the best one on the market. Unfortunately, it's also a big waste of potential, since it's a very traditional product that stays true to its roots.
    Read full review
  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Sep 5, 2015
    60
    Sometimes mechanics aren't enough. [Sept 2015, p.95]
  3. Games Master UK
    Sep 1, 2015
    76
    McIlroy's future is as promising on the virtual greens as on the real ones. [Sept 2015, p.74]
See all critic reviews »