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[RolStoppable]

Golf Story (Switch eShop)

In Golf Story you take on the role of a man who pursues his dream of becoming a professional golfer. His first stop is the golf course he played on as a kid and said course is in terrible condition. In an effort to earn the trust of the golf course owner and the resident coach, you accept any kind of errand that gets thrown at you.

Completing fetch quests and succeeding at various challenges nets you money and EXP. Each level up allows you to distribute five skill points across five different golfer stats. The most important stat is power which regularly results in penalties for your accuracy, but the developers were kind enough to allow you to reduce your power level at any time between playing golf and redistribute skill points to other stats. That way you can't get stuck in (almost) hopeless situations to progress the game.

The main events of the story are stroke plays on the game's eight courses which are only nine holes each. Said courses unlock for quick play single-player and multiplayer after you've beaten them, but it would be hard to call Golf Story a good regular golf game. The options for play are too limited and the courses are too short. Where Golf Story excels is the golf/RPG mix, so if that's something you are looking for, you get a meaty package for the asking price.

Negatives include trickshot challenges that require you to take all shots instead of ending right away after you've met the target, some abrupt cutscene transitions that aren't cleanly programmed, and an at times uneven difficulty level that throws in surprising spikes. But the positives easily outweigh the shortcomings, so this intriguing mix of golf and RPG that pays tribute to classic video games can be safely recommended.

Controls	10	The character tends to get stuck on edges instead of getting pushed along. Old school, but outdated.
Gameplay		Classic top-down golf with three-click system embellished with a basic money/EXP system and other RPG staples.
Story		The rampant silliness leads to regular chuckles and makes it easy to forgive the few occasions where jokes are overdone.
Single-player		A mixture of performing trick shots, playing matches and tournaments, and doing errands like fetch quests.
Multiplayer		A basic multiplayer for up to two players. Only stroke or match play on eight courses that are nine holes long.
Graphics		Going for a nostalgic 16-bit feeling, but back then graphics had hardware limitations and weren't intentionally pixelated.
Sound		A likeable soundtrack that has its fair share of memorable moments. Sound effects are solid.
Value		Golf Story lasts 12-15 hours, depending on how many optional quests you try to tackle.
Replay Value		You are free to distribute stats however you want, but some tasks are monotonous and NPCs are talkative.
Score	7	Golf Story delivers for people who are looking for golf combined with RPG, but is not for people who want a robust golf game.