Games
Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or shank-happy noob, these tips will make you swing like a king.
After taking a year off to polish its balls and upgrade to some swanky new clubs, EA’s signature golf sim has finally taken its bow on PS4 and Xbox One. The new game brings an end to the Tiger Woods era, with the big cat’s spot on the box (and in-game introduction videos) taken over by reigning real life PGA champ Rory McIlroy.
It’s not just the cover star who’s changed. For the most part Rory McIlroy PGA Tour 15 is worth the wait, its life-imitating visuals, refined swing mechanics and new courses (Battlefield!) reigniting a genre which had long grown stale. But there are unquestionably some features and quirks which will prove testing for players both new and old. That’s where we come in: having played the game non-stop for close to a week, these are the six Rory McIlroy PGA Tour 15 tips guaranteed to see you winning the big (virtual) bucks in no time at all.
1. Don’t immediately assume your game is bust
Here’s a cast-iron guarantee: the first time you play Rory McIlroy PGA Tour 15 you’ll think it’s broken. Initially you can only play on one course (Chambers Bay), with one player (McIlroy). The good news: it isn’t kaput. The bad: there’s no in-game explanation or progress bar to explain what’s happening. The game is installing in the background - just without telling you.
After an hour or so, the proper start menu, selection of modes and other pros will miraculously appear. Our advice, then, is to pop in the disc, immediately dash to the supermarket for suitable provisions (cereal bars/sports drinks/a two-sizes too small polo shirt), and get stuck in properly on your return.
2. Play the fictional courses first
Come on, you know you want to. McIlroy’s Battlefield 4 course, AKA Paracel Storm, plays out exactly as insanely as you’d hoped - all rough seas, looming warships, wind-battered palms and beaches replacing bunkers.
But this isn’t a purely cosmetic tip; it’ll also help raise your game from the outset. All those obstacles, combined with small greens, mean every shot has the potential to end in the drink, so your accuracy will be tested (and improved) each time you tee off. It’s a similar story amid the bewitching-yet-precipitous cliffs of the Grand Canyon-inspired Coyote Falls.
3. Turn off Quick Rounds
As ever, creating a fictional golfer (likely based on yourself) and rising up the rankings is one of PGA’s most attractive features. But it’s baffling to find yourself jumping into career mode only to be dumped out of tournaments long before they’ve finished. This is due to a controversial new feature called Quick Rounds, which sees the game select the most exciting holes for you to play on any given course, while simming through the rest with no user control. Be sure, then, to switch it off in the ‘Career History’ tab before you get started, lest the AI starts sneezing bogeys on crucial holes.
4. Watch your character, not the HUD
A common mistake stretching back to last-gen’s Tiger Woods games is timing your left-stick swing according to the replica onscreen analogue stick. In fact, the only thing you need to look at once everything is lined up is your character.
Pull back, then thrust the stick forward the instant that his backswing reaches its highest possible point, exactly as you would a real golf swing. (And then release, again at the highest point of your follow through.) It takes hours to perfect, but ultimately you’ll be earning ‘Full Swing’ readings and ‘Perfect’ speed results much faster then you would by relying on the HUD.
5. Completely ignore the default shot selection
This tip ties directly into the last one. The default shot selection assumes that you’ll time your swing, and read the wind, perfectly - both hugely unlikely until you’ve ploughed a good 6-8 hours into the game.
While you’re mastering swing timing, it’s highly likely you’ll overhit most drives and chips, so before playing any shot consider dropping down a club size or two with L2/LB. Unless aiming straight into a bunker, it’s always better to come up a few feet short of the green than to sail over it and out of bounds, thereby dropping an extra shot.
6. Adjust to your taste and ability
Not getting on with the swing stick? Then head into the settings menu and go truly old school by switching to three-click control. Not only is it arguably more fun, it makes the game more challenging in the long term — putting requires Accurist-precise timing, but with that comes an extra sense of satisfaction when an attempt from distance drops in. Myriad other options to tailor your experience include turning off wind, changing how much ball lie affects each shot, enabling the game to boost power for you, and toggling the aiming arc. Take some time to find out what works for you and you’ll significantly increase McIlroy’s long-term appeal.
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