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The Golf Club 2 (PS4/XB1/PC) Releasing June 27, 2017

nicoga3000

Saint Nic
I loved the first one, but it was a performance and optimization nightmare. Hopefully it performs better this time around. I'll also snag it on PC this time.
 

-NeoTB1-

Member
The improvements to the course creator and a new career mode have me the most excited. I already thought the first game was miles better than the EA offering (sorry Rory), and since there have been no updates/announcements for a new game in that franchise it looks like this will be the "serious" go-to golf game for the indefinite future.
Everybody's Golf looks fun, too... but in a more arcade-y sort of way.
 

KodaRuss

Member
I am probably in the mood for a golf game this summer but Everybody's Golf is coming out in August... Decisions.
 

-NeoTB1-

Member
I am probably in the mood for a golf game this summer but Everybody's Golf is coming out in August... Decisions.

Edit - nevermind. I basically just said what you said, heh. Well, the good thing is that both games are pretty different. I'll probably snag both.
 

amdb00mer

Member
I loved the first one, but it was a performance and optimization nightmare. Hopefully it performs better this time around. I'll also snag it on PC this time.

This was my biggest gripe, aside from the lackluster golfer customization. I'll wait and see how it looks when released.
 
I loved the first one, but it was a performance and optimization nightmare. Hopefully it performs better this time around. I'll also snag it on PC this time.

I'm in the closed beta for The Golf Club 2, and while I can't say a whole lot about it specifically yet, I can say that using comparable graphics settings to what I used in The Golf Club, TGC 2 is performing at a 25% to 30% faster frame rate. where I was seeing 42 to 45 FPS in TGC 1, I'm getting 60 to 75 FPS in TGC 2!

Gameplay wise, it is a much deeper and more rewarding game, thanks to the new swing more swing path sensitive and tempo dependent swing interface, particularly in the game's hardest of three difficulty levels. I wish they could offer at least a 9 hole demo, because the beauty of this new multidimensional interface has to be experienced first hand to be fully appreciated.
 

-NeoTB1-

Member
I'm in the closed beta for The Golf Club 2, and while I can't say a whole lot about it specifically yet, I can say that using comparable graphics settings to what I used in The Golf Club, TGC 2 is performing at a 25% faster frame rate. where I was seeing 42 to 45 FPS in TGC 1, I'm getting 60 to 75 FPS in TGC 2!

Gameplay wise, it is a much deeper and more rewarding game, thanks to the new swing more swing path sensitive and tempo dependent swing interface, particularly in the game's hardest of three difficulty levels. I wish they could offer at least a 9 hole demo, because the beauty of this new multidimensional interface has to be experienced first hand to be fully appreciated.

Thanks for the impressions. So many questions to ask, but I'll refrain from tempting you. Hope to start seeing more and more details as we inch closer to release.
 
Thanks for the impressions. So many questions to ask, but I'll refrain from tempting you. Hope to start seeing more and more details as we inch closer to release.

I can add this... I'm currently playing the game in the medium difficulty level - "Player". The difficulty is derived from the club set you choose to use in the player creation/profile menu. I'd say that I shoot about 6 or 7 higher strokes, on average, with Player clubs in TGC 2, versus what I averaged with the one difficulty level in TGC 1. Add another 4 to 8 strokes to that for Tour clubs, at least in my experience.

The Standard clubs are easier to hit straight than TGC 1, but there's a cost for this straightness, and that's carry distance. As seen in HB Studios official stream of the game last week, Standard clubs driver carries 240 yards, on average, while the Player clubs driver is 265, and the Tour club driver 279. The penalties for tempo and swing path errors increase proportionally as you advance to higher club sets, so you get to pick your poison, so to speak.

I don't think we're going to get any real solid information on the console versions until E3, although they have come out and admitted that the XBox One version will be displayed at 1080p... the original TGC was released at 720p and then patched later to 900p.
 

Griss

Member
The first game was one of the all-time examples of 'incredible, pioneering game design ruined by engine and performance issues'. The poor resolution was one thing, but I've never had screen tearing issues so bad they essentially 'broke' a game for me, but The Golf Club did so. PS4 Pro's boost mode has helped, but otherwise performance issues kept me away from a game I would have played daily.

And it was a shame, because otherwise it was spectacular, everything I'd dream of in a golf game. The putting, in particular, was revelatory. It's the first time a video game has captured the feeling of real putting - the sense of sending the ball off on a journey and the tightening in your stomach as it starts to wander off-line on a break you never saw, or turns back towards the hole at the last second etc. The absolute despair as your realise you've overhit one and it catches a ridge and starts to trickle off the green. And the fact that essentially you have to 'guess' on distance and rely on 'feel' - just like real life. I could putt in that game all day.

The course creator feature was amazing, even if you never made one yourself. Knowing there were people out there creating courses for each major, or even your local course, was awesome. I was able to get a bunch of friends to buy the game just so we could play multiplayer on our local course in the game. Hilariously, we all scored WORSE in the video game than we did in real life that same day. (I went from shooting an 86 irl to a 91 in the game - quickly improved though.) It's a hard game, which is a good thing.

The asymmetric multiplayer against a huge pool of 'ghosts' is one of the best online features I've ever experienced in a sports game. I just wish they'd hide the final score of the ghosts before you play so that it would feel like a real match. Playing against your own best performance is also hugely satisfying.

Having played the beta for Everybody's Golf, I can say that will be a brilliant game. But The Golf Club offers something totally different and, in my opinion, potentially essential. Good lord I hope the get the performance right - Onlooker Delay's post is promising. I will be purchasing it regardless.

The other issue I had with the first game is that I'm on a near dial-up connection out here in the Caribbean and loading a course takes ages. I wish you could save your favourites locally.

I can add this... I'm currently playing the game in the medium difficulty level - "Player". The difficulty is derived from the club set you choose to use in the player creation/profile menu. I'd say that I shoot about 6 or 7 higher strokes, on average, with Player clubs in TGC 2, versus what I averaged with the one difficulty level in TGC 1. Add another 4 to 8 strokes to that for Tour clubs, at least in my experience.

The Standard clubs are easier to hit straight than TGC 1, but there's a cost for this straightness, and that's carry distance. As seen in HB Studios official stream of the game last week, Standard clubs driver carries 240 yards, on average, while the Player clubs driver is 265, and the Tour club driver 279. The penalties for tempo and swing path errors increase proportionally as you advance to higher club sets, so you get to pick your poison, so to speak.

I don't think we're going to get any real solid information on the console versions until E3, although they have come out and admitted that the XBox One version will be displayed at 1080p... the original TGC was released at 720p and then patched later to 900p.

The club selection thing sounds great. The bolded sounds true to life to me (except that it's proportional to clubhead speed irl rather than the make of the club), so I dig it. I hit about 265 with my driver when I'm playing well so that'll be an ideal setting for me to pick. I hit a long drive 295 this weekend but I need to be honest about my skills here - it was downhill with the wind!
 

Xater

Member
I am probably in the mood for a golf game this summer but Everybody's Golf is coming out in August... Decisions.

I bought the first TGC on sale for PS4 and all I can say is that I will definitely wait for Everybody's Golf (I was in the beta).
 
I bought the first TGC on sale for PS4 and all I can say is that I will definitely wait for Everybody's Golf (I was in the beta).

I'll wind up buying both of them, but they're two different approaches to golf gaming. I'm not a fan at all of the traditional, 3-click swing method, in any golf game. Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational had a option, as you leveled up, for what they called "Advanced" swing meters. I liked the highest of those offered, which required you to watch the golfer's animation for gauging the "power" click, instead of watching a swing meter. It felt far more immersive to me.

I'm also sure Everybody's Golf is far more geared for a variety of multiplayer game types, if it's anything like HSG: WT. I like it's open world look and feel. I like seeing other golfers on the course, but I wish they'd at least give you a limit as to how many you'd see on the hole being played.

Anyone comparing the game experience from The Golf Club 1, to what they can expect in The Golf Club 2 will be making a mistake. I grew tired of the ease of the Golf Club 1's vanilla swing and quit playing when Perfect Golf came along. Nearly three months of seat time now with the The Golf Club 2 beta, and I'm still on a swing familiarity and learning curve... there's NOTHING in cyber golf to compare to it, IMO!
 
Griss, with what you said in your post, I can promise you that you will dig The Golf Club 2. The variety of outcomes you'll see with this swing interface, even using "Player" clubs is astounding and realistic. I still sweat every tee and approach shot in the game, even with Player clubs... it's such a balanced challenge for most players, although I'm sure there will be a handful of cyborgs who will eventually churn out scores in the high 50's to low 60's, even with Tour clubs,
 

Griss

Member
Griss, with what you said in your post, I can promise you that you will dig The Golf Club 2. The variety of outcomes you'll see with this swing interface, even using "Player" clubs is astounding and realistic. I still sweat every tee and approach shot in the game, even with Player clubs... it's such a balanced challenge for most players, although I'm sure there will be a handful of cyborgs who will eventually churn out scores in the high 50's to low 60's, even with Tour clubs,

Sounds good, man.

What I'll specifically be looking out for:
Physics on the short irons - 7I to 9I never felt quite right to me in the first game - you could land an 8 iron almost vertically on the front of a flat green and see it run all the way through, and sometimes it felt like it would be running uphill. Perhaps this was more of a green speed issue but it often didn't feel right. A 9 iron into the middle of a reasonably flat medium speed green shouldn't be slipping off the back or side into a bunker as if you were playing Augusta.

Some kind of driving range / tutorial mode - the first game desperately needed one of these, and if the second game's swing has the range of outcomes you've described then this one will too.

Online interruptions - getting kicked from a single-player round of golf sucks really, really bad and with my poor connection happens often. They need to fix this.

Commentary - the first game had the worst sports commentary I've ever heard. Surely it's not the same guy?

Stats - the first game was terrible at tracking your stats and making it easy to see where you played over the last 10 or 20 rounds, what your scores were etc. A new stats section is essential.

Course finder - you need to be able to apply multiple filters. 'Tropical + medium difficulty' and so on.

HB Studios designed courses - I'm hoping that with the advanced course creator they're able to make courses with more character. Their hole layout skills are already excellent so I hope that continues.

If they get all of that stuff right we'll be looking at a classic.
 
Sounds good, man.

What I'll specifically be looking out for:
Physics on the short irons - 7I to 9I never felt quite right to me in the first game - you could land an 8 iron almost vertically on the front of a flat green and see it run all the way through, and sometimes it felt like it would be running uphill. Perhaps this was more of a green speed issue but it often didn't feel right. A 9 iron into the middle of a reasonably flat medium speed green shouldn't be slipping off the back or side into a bunker as if you were playing Augusta.

Some kind of driving range / tutorial mode - the first game desperately needed one of these, and if the second game's swing has the range of outcomes you've described then this one will too.

Online interruptions - getting kicked from a single-player round of golf sucks really, really bad and with my poor connection happens often. They need to fix this.

Commentary - the first game had the worst sports commentary I've ever heard. Surely it's not the same guy?

Stats - the first game was terrible at tracking your stats and making it easy to see where you played over the last 10 or 20 rounds, what your scores were etc. A new stats section is essential.

Course finder - you need to be able to apply multiple filters. 'Tropical + medium difficulty' and so on.

HB Studios designed courses - I'm hoping that with the advanced course creator they're able to make courses with more character. Their hole layout skills are already excellent so I hope that continues.

If they get all of that stuff right we'll be looking at a classic.

I can respond to some of your points based on what was shown in the official Twitch stream last week:

Ball physics are markedly better. You can get any approach shot to behave like you'd expect it behave upon impacting the green.

They do have a driving range and a video tutorial menu.

Can't comment on multiplayer at this time due to NDA

John, the announcer from TGC 1 is back. Although I was one of those who liked him. He takes a more professional, broadcast quality tone now when covering tournaments though. I'm surprised at just how well he handles it. He'll make the wisenheimer cracks at you when commenting on a casual round though.

Can't comment on stats and course search filters due to NDA.

I think the courses have more character for reasons I can't go into at this point. They didn't do much in the official stream last week to highlight what I'm talking about. The multiple levels and flowing water add a lot, but there are more subtle things I'm thinking of that have a wider presence. I'll be able to go into detail once they broach them in a stream or a preview.
 

Griss

Member
I can respond to some of your points based on what was shown in the official Twitch stream last week:

Ball physics are markedly better. You can get any approach shot to behave like you'd expect it behave upon impacting the green.

They do have a driving range and a video tutorial menu.

Can't comment on multiplayer at this time due to NDA

John, the announcer from TGC 1 is back. Although I was one of those who liked him. He takes a more professional, broadcast quality tone now when covering tournaments though. I'm surprised at just how well he handles it. He'll make the wisenheimer cracks at you when commenting on a casual round though.

Can't comment on stats and course search filters due to NDA.

I think the courses have more character for reasons I can't go into at this point. They didn't do much in the official stream last week to highlight what I'm talking about. The multiple levels and flowing water add a lot, but there are more subtle things I'm thinking of that have a wider presence. I'll be able to go into detail once they broach them in a stream or a preview.

All those NDAs, lol.

I'm honestly surprised that they've shown off so little with a release coming within the next 4 weeks. Surely they'll have to produce some trailers soon?

Disappointed that John is back. Just didn't like him, nor his accent. Not sure where he's from, but he pronounces 'sorry' as 'soarry' and it would drive me mental when he did, ha.

More specifically, though, I just felt like I wasn't sure what the commentary in the first game was trying to be. McIlroy / Tiger games have professional TV commentary - it's not executed well but it makes sense and it works. Their descriptions of each hole on the tee is typically great, the rest less so. Everybody's Golf has a caddy - works great. What is John's role in TGC? Is he a commentator or out there as a caddy, or a friend/playing partner or what? If he was a friend you'd expect encouragement, but it felt like a stranger just following you around the course taking potshots at your play for his own (rather than your) amusement. After each hole he just robotically states your score rather than giving any context to how you did or are doing... it was just really poor for me.
 
All those NDAs, lol.

I know, but I'm bound by them... don't have a clue yet as to when it will lift.

I'm honestly surprised that they've shown off so little with a release coming within the next 4 weeks. Surely they'll have to produce some trailers soon?

I'm surprised also at the lack of publicity. They did an official Twitch stream last week that was about an hour and 10 minutes, and they plan to do at least two more. I find them to be more informative than trailers, but they don't reach nearly as many potential buyers.

Disappointed that John is back. Just didn't like him, nor his accent. Not sure where he's from, but he pronounces 'sorry' as 'soarry' and it would drive me mental when he did, ha.

I can understand that, but for some reason, it's good with me. They at least give you the option to turn him off.

More specifically, though, I just felt like I wasn't sure what the commentary in the first game was trying to be. McIlroy / Tiger games have professional TV commentary - it's not executed well but it makes sense and it works. Their descriptions of each hole on the tee is typically great, the rest less so. Everybody's Golf has a caddy - works great. What is John's role in TGC? Is he a commentator or out there as a caddy, or a friend/playing partner or what? If he was a friend you'd expect encouragement, but it felt like a stranger just following you around the course taking potshots at your play for his own (rather than your) amusement. After each hole he just robotically states your score rather than giving any context to how you did or are doing... it was just really poor for me.

In the first game, I felt like he was there more as a friend tagging along. It's the same way in TGC 2, for a casual game. However, in a tournament now, he takes on the tone of a broadcast announcer and does a really good job at it. He gives you more relative information about how you're doing, relative to the field. I think you'll be surprised by how professionally it's done and in a totally different tone... even though it's from the same guy.
 
Bought the first one and played 5 min.

After playing the golf games on wii/wii u, there's no fun in this.

Well, if you're not a fan of simulation style golf games, you'll likely find no fun in this one either. That's why there's a market for both simulation and arcade style golf games I reckon.
 

inner-G

Banned
I was interested in the first one until I found out it wasn't real courses.

If my golf is going to be fake, I want it to go all-out like Hot Shots. If not, I want real courses. (It has user-generated one-offs, but it's not like having the presentation of playing The Masters or Sawgrass on an EA golf game, y'know)
 

shortcomings

Neo Member
Well, if you're not a fan of simulation style golf games, you'll likely find no fun in this one either. That's why there's a market for both simulation and arcade style golf games I reckon.

Maybe, but this game isn't very good. The graphics and animations are poor, and that is paramount in a sport that's dependent on the enjoyment of the view and course. And the controls and gameplay could be much better.
 
Maybe, but this game isn't very good. The graphics and animations are poor, and that is paramount in a sport that's dependent on the enjoyment of the view and course. And the controls and gameplay could be much better.

The first one had graphics and certainly the golfer animations were poor, but they've made significant strides in TGC 2 in both areas, particularly the motion captured golf animations. The controls and gameplay in TGC 2 have brought me back from the dead, after I'd tired of the shallow swing interface of TGC 1.

Unfortunately, many gamers will never know what lies beneath the surface with TGC 2 and it's infinitely more unique swing interface because there won't be a demo. You can't watch a video or a stream of the game and gain an appreciation of its multidimensional dynamics.
 

5taquitos

Member
I enjoyed a whole lot about the first, but the abysmal performance on PS4 drove me away before I could really sink teeth into it, just too irritating. Hopefully this plus PS4Pro will provide the performance I crave from this game.
 

Bydobob

Member
Must say all these impressions are very encouraging. Was an early backer of TGC and thought it played a good, quite realistic game of golf. They never really addressed the presentation and performance though, and ultimately I lost patience with it.

Anyone able to comment on the course variety? Despite having an excellent course creator the variety of assets were limiting, so few courses ended up having any real visual impact or distinguishable features.
 
Awesome, I still play the first one a lot when I want to relax. The performance and graphics are kind of rough on the PS4, but the gameplay itself is incredible and they nailed the physics. I'm very interested in this.
 
If performance and graphics are good this time (round), I'd love to give it a try.

Not bought a Golf game since 360 (TWPGA14) because quite frankly they've all looked not good enough since imo.

I was interested in the previous game of this (potential franchise) but it didn't look good enough.

Fingers crossed. Some Pro improvements would be real nice! (specifically SS!).
 

Luschient

Member
Bought TGC on ps4 when it came out and played it non-stop. Performance/tearing issues aside, it's exactly what I was looking for in a golf game.

Buying TGC2 day 1 to keep supporting someone making a realistic game in this genre.
 

-NeoTB1-

Member
Course finder - you need to be able to apply multiple filters. 'Tropical + medium difficulty' and so on.

This is a big one for me as well. With the sheer amount of courses out there, I would very much welcome a more robust filter. Let the course creators tag their courses with various descriptors so that it's easier to narrow down the exact type of course a user wants to play.
 
This is a big one for me as well. With the sheer amount of courses out there, I would very much welcome a more robust filter. Let the course creators tag their courses with various descriptors so that it's easier to narrow down the exact type of course a user wants to play.

I can't say to what degree there are, but yes, there is a more advanced course search filter in TGC 2 than there was in TGC 1. I didn't need it much in the beta, since there weren't but maybe 60 to 70 courses in the inventory anyway, many of which were added by the beta testers. I was able to easily find what I wanted with the search filter and I can see where it would be a big help once this goes public.
 

Cmerrill

You don't need to be empathetic towards me.
Preorder now, because the Digital DLC bonus is limited!

LOL, riiiiiiight.


It looks okay.
 

joeblow

Member
I can't say to what degree there are, but yes, there is a more advanced course search filter in TGC 2 than there was in TGC 1. I didn't need it much in the beta, since there weren't but maybe 60 to 70 courses in the inventory anyway, many of which were added by the beta testers. I was able to easily find what I wanted with the search filter and I can see where it would be a big help once this goes public.

Even if you can't provide details, can you state if the game will have specific PS4 Pro features of any kind?
 
Even if you can't provide details, can you state if the game will have specific PS4 Pro features of any kind?

That was not discussed in the beta (even though it was asked... more than once), which was only for the PC version. I wish I could answer that because I'd like to know myself! I honestly don't think we're going to get a lot of details on the PS4 and XBox One versions until E3, but then only if the right media members, asking the right questions show up at HB Studios booth. I'm wanting even more probing questions asked of HB Studios at E3, of the console versions like:

What are the average frame rates?

At what frame rate will the game be locked if Vsync is enabled?

What level and type of antialiasing are you using?

What degree of anisotropic filtering are you using?

What is the tree distance detail level setting in yards?

What is the number of high quality trees this console version is using?

HB Studios would probably shoo me away if I came around asking the questions :)
 
played lots of the first one on ps4. it was fun to play against elpresadors ghost and then watch the youtube video that led to its creation.
 
played lots of the first one on ps4. it was fun to play against elpresadors ghost and then watch the youtube video that led to its creation.

I almost wet my pants laughing at elpresadors Hot Shots Golf and The Golf Club videos on You Tube. I'd imagine that The Golf Club 2 will inspire some more expletive laced rants from El Presador, as his errant shots will be even more "errant" in TGC 2!
 

U2NUMB

Member
Well its out tonight at midnight... everything I have seen makes it look much better than 1. The streams they have been doing I believe are on the X1 and they look far smoother than the past game.

So who is all getting it? I assume we need to start a Society for Gaf on each platform as well.
 
It looks good, and I am a sucker for a good golf game. The wife hates the Mclroy game.

The youtube video says 6/30/17, but I saw somewhere else that its 6/27/17. Any idea what the proper release date is?
 

PSFan

Member
I skipped the first game because it looked like there wasn't much SP content like a career mode and things like that. Does this one have anything like a career mode or SP content?
 

danowat

Banned
Going for it. Anybody knows if it features a golf course designer?

I skipped the first game because it looked like there wasn't much SP content like a career mode and things like that. Does this one have anything like a career mode or SP content?

Yes to both.

The Golf Club 2 offers a dynamic, single-player Career mode, infinite hours of interactive golfing with online opponents, a new and improved course creator, cutting-edge swing mechanics, and a host of brand new, lush environments – all blending together seamlessly to create your dream golfing experience.

-KEY GAME FEATURES-

Become a Pro in Career mode.
Progress through a custom or pre-designed season by winning games and upgrading your clothing and gear, facing more difficult competition as you go.


Create Dynamic Golf Courses.
Build any golf course you can imagine with the largest collection of props, tools, water features, bridges, vehicles, crowds, and more!
 
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