Welcome to the Platformer where we talk about games in an extremely amateur but fun way! This post is in regards to my Ultimate Video Game List where I’m on a journey to discover what my personal favourite game ever is. Will a leisurely stroke on the green be a regular golf game, par for the course? Or is this a surprise a hit?

Golf Story is a 2D pixel art golf game, and so much more. It’s an RPG with cute characters and intriguing game and ever-expanding gameplay which will not only have you playing Golf but Frisbee! Those things may sound dull, kind of like golf, but the people at Sidebar Games did an excellent job of balancing every aspect of game design with the appropriate level of challenge, introducing new game mechanics at the appropriate time to keep up the pace. The story being light-hearted but serious in other aspects to get the player invested with their unique use of dialogue boxes and the beautiful aesthetic which makes you want to play on every course just to have a good time. In the end, is that not what we all want?

On the surface, Golf Story is a standard golf game with a power meter and the ability to add spin to the ball. Different surfaces mean you use different clubs such as a wedge for sandpits, putter for when you’re on the green and an electrified golf club that makes you ball go extra fast which you acquired in a course filled with ghosts… These sort of weird eccentric golf ideas are littered throughout the game such as the ability to bounce your ball of animals such as turtles to give them a bit more distance. These ideas don’t just extend to the gameplay but Golf Story keeps the player doing more side activities than actually playing golf such as trying to put all the eyeballs into skulls or feeding crocodiles. This means that when you do play 18 holes it feels special because it starts and ends your activities on the course but everything in between is unique. The game has the player doing different activities throughout the game which makes the game exciting and persuaded me as the player to play to the end.

This is the best use of pixel art I have ever seen, in recent time it’s become incredibly popular to a point that it now looks normal and lacking charm. Therefore to stand out from all the other pixel art games means that this is something special mostly because of the subtle details that are implemented in the game such as when you walk around your hair bobs and when a character is shocked their eyes comedically expand.

These details make the world feel alive and real in an odd way because it provides personality to the game. In addition to the exceptional pixel art, the designs of the courses are wonderful. There are six courses in total in the game with each having their distinctive appeal from a dinosaur-themed level ( I f@#%$ love dinosaurs!)

A lovely beach course…

And a previously mentioned Halloween course…

which were some of my personal favourites. The distinctive course aesthetic makes it exciting to go to a new level, also you get a snippet of the world from the map to help build anticipation as I could not wait to be on those courses such as the cool snowy course.

Weirdly the best aspect of the game is the story. The game is astonishingly well written wielding a script filled with wit, humour and charm. This is what truly sets Golf Story apart from its contemporaries. You play as a boy who is wishing to live up to his father as a golfer in spite of the world doubting your abilities, you must prove them wrong.

The story is filled with, not likeable characters, but lovable characters with a trainer who doesn’t believe in you on the surface but you forcibly make him believe in your talents. There’s a competitive rival who will push you to the edge but supply comedic relief and an objective of saving the course from the elite professionals who are ruining the sport. Also built into the story are smaller individual narratives set in every world, where at one moment you’re invited to a posh dinner party and another where you have to dig up dinosaur bones. It doesn’t take itself seriously and that is what makes it special, I got invested in my character because he was constantly fighting adversities and I was the only one that was helping him because I was controlling him. We were a team and I was damn sure I was going to make him a champion.

To sum up, Golf Story is one of the biggest surprises I’ve had as a gamer. The game is so much fun to play that I would pick it up just to play a quick round of golf on the train or complete a side quest. It’s gorgeous and has wonderful art direction, the story is memorable and drives the game forward perfectly keeping the pace up with the introduction of game mechanics and characters. The game is a little too long when all the courses have been explored and the end of the game is in sight, the finale doesn’t seem to arrive at the appropriate time but I still enjoyed my extended time with it. This does not match the near-perfection of Super Mario Odyssey however I enjoyed my time with Golf Story, which is more than I can say for Batman: Arkham Knight.

Golf Story was fun and relaxing and gave me a hint of competition. I want more I need to be victorious I must fight in…

Super Smash Brothers Ultimate

Thanks for reading! Feel free to like this post because it helps a tonne and you’ll me feel quite happy, and don’t be shy if you want to leave a comment.

1. […] Sebastianlondono96 from The Platformer […]

2. 

   Thank you 😀😀 it was great fun to write!

3. 

   Great post 🙂

4. […] Prison breakout – The Platformer […]

5. […] sends his minions but he is always prevalent, mocking, building to the epic encounter. Last week (Read my review…