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Golf Story |OT| Return to Camelot

shaneo632

Member
Man the Geyers vs. Punks match is messing me up. Lost 4-0 then 5-2. Precision aiming with the putter always screws me up.

Edit: Won 5-1 on my third attempt. This game is weird, I go from shit to good randomly.
 
Try it while standing far from the mansion, on the other side of the pool, by the pro shop.
I did it, ball needs to go over the middle of the pond with enough height. However, I think that is mentioned in the story? Can't be certain but I think I remember it.

Anyway, just finished 23h44m and only need to register some scores on the final course which I seemed to forget to do before the final tournament.

Speaking of which, make sure you've selected the correct clubs before the final tournament as there's no opportunity to do it once you've begun. The workaround is to Quit to World, enter Blue Moon Dunes again, equip your Pro or best clubs, then go back into the club house and start the tournament again.

Pretty sure I did/saw everything on offer. Beautiful game. Really warmed my heart and made me smile and laugh a lot.

Interesting to see that there were 3 pixel artists and 1 musician in the credits. So I guess the 2 sidebar guys are the game designers/programmers?
 

stinkytick

Neo Member
I did it, ball needs to go over the middle of the pond with enough height. However, I think that is mentioned in the story? Can't be certain but I think I remember it.

Are you talking about the
Crocodile
in the pond? Pretty sure it also triggers when you chip it directly to the middle of the pond and it is mentioned and appears during the
rap battle
 
I beat the game this morning. The last tournament took me quite a few tries and I had to sink a pretty ridiculous shot on the last hole to maintain my lead. The wind was just never working in my favor.

Really charming and funny game that just needs a few interface quirks figured out and maybe a bit more testing to iron out the bugs. I put about 16.5 hours in to finish and my scorecard was filled out and I did the majority of challenges/side content in the game. I think I only skipped the chipping challenge in the last area.
 

Okamid3n

Member
Well, I beat the game at about 18 hours and I think I did all sidequests. Cute game, very charming, and the golf gameplay is pretty good. Some really repetitive challenges mixed with some relatively entertaining and varied ones. It really needed a hard mode though, because it was way too easy for me. Kind of takes me out of the atmosphere when some rookie beats a professional by 8 points on first try and everyone else still acts like you're worth nothing.

Still, I enjoyed my time with it! For 25 bucks (canadian price + high taxes), it was about right.

No post-game content sucks, I would've liked to play more pro tournaments with some extra challenge.
 

Jagsrock

Banned
Just 100% the game. What a ride.The story was a lot of fun and had a lot of beats I didn't expect at all. I still want to keep playing just to completely Max out my stats haha. I look forward to what these devs do next I'm hoping for tennis story! Or maybe
International tour dlc/sequel
 

Stoze

Member
I think if the game were harder to the point where you'd be retrying tournaments or match games regularly it would hamper the pacing. At the same time however I never came close to losing, so I think this is a game that would benefit from changeable difficulty levels in that regard.

I believe I did everything I could in the game, I liked it quite a bit. Very fun and charming and filled with a lot of great surprises. I do think the activities got a bit samey by the end, but I was satisfied with the variety of them overall. As I mentioned previously the game has a myriad of UI/UX issues, and at 8+ softlocks it's also one of the buggier games I've played to completion. Definitely hindered my overall enjoyment.

I hope they get some more resources and time in the oven for whatever they do next.
 

jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
I just finished this game and I have to say - fuck those difficulty spikes. They really take away from what is otherwise a great golf / RPG hybrid. Really a shame this ultimately didn't live up to my personal expectations.

I know a lot of you guys like this game, and I liked about 80% of it. That other 20% really dragged my opinion of it through the mud though.
 

NimbusD

Member
God damnit, second soft lock on this game, causing me to lose over a half an hour of progress. Worse this time cuz I just completed actually hard holes. This game really needs big fixes, first time was a disc I threw getting caught on a bench and just bouncing forever meaning I couldn't moved this time I just talked to a dude and afterwards no button inputs work at all. Had to reset both times and auto save apparently doesn't kick in unless you leave an area which is pretty stupid considering how many quests you'd do in an area before leaving. Gahhh

Really ruining the flow of this game.
 

Cerium

Member
God damnit, second soft lock on this game, causing me to lose over a half an hour of progress. Worse this time cuz I just completed actually hard holes. This game really needs big fixes, first time was a disc I threw getting caught on a bench and just bouncing forever meaning I couldn't moved this time I just talked to a dude and afterwards no button inputs work at all. Had to reset both times and auto save apparently doesn't kick in unless you leave an area which is pretty stupid considering how many quests you'd do in an area before leaving. Gahhh

Really ruining the flow of this game.

A stability patch was submitted to Nintendo, so hopefully it'll be approved and live soon.
 
Disc golf sucks.

God damnit, second soft lock on this game, causing me to lose over a half an hour of progress. Worse this time cuz I just completed actually hard holes. This game really needs big fixes, first time was a disc I threw getting caught on a bench and just bouncing forever meaning I couldn't moved this time I just talked to a dude and afterwards no button inputs work at all. Had to reset both times and auto save apparently doesn't kick in unless you leave an area which is pretty stupid considering how many quests you'd do in an area before leaving. Gahhh

Really ruining the flow of this game.

I had both of these happen to be in the cheekybeak section. Annoying.

Still really liking the game though. I still have a long way to go but enjoying it. Wish the plot was a little meatier.
 

duckroll

Member
I just finished this game and I have to say - fuck those difficulty spikes. They really take away from what is otherwise a great golf / RPG hybrid. Really a shame this ultimately didn't live up to my personal expectations.

I know a lot of you guys like this game, and I liked about 80% of it. That other 20% really dragged my opinion of it through the mud though.

Where would you say the difficulty spikes hit the hardest? I'm in the snow zone now and the game has mostly felt really easy. Even when I fuck up hard, it seems possible to recover and progress. I actually feel there isn't enough challenge to make the courses feel satisfying when I beat them.
 

TrutaS

Member
Really enjoying this one. The writing really makes it. Reminds me of when games were simpler, but the dialogue is more modern than most games nowadays. Also it’s incredibly lenghty for the price - full adventure.
 
I just finished this game and I have to say - fuck those difficulty spikes.
In my experience whenever I encountered a bump in difficulty I just changed my clubs to counter and the task became easy.

The latter courses are definitely designed to be played with pro clubs. Trying them with any other clubs will make them ridiculously hard or even impossible.
 

TwiztidElf

Member
Cheers. Sorry, I should have checked the OP. I did look there back when the game breaking bugs were being discovered, and there was nothing (obviously). Now I'm about to start (Steamworld Dig 2 is finished) I didn't think to check back there.

Hmm. That's a big long list though.
I was looking more for a summary of things to avoid. Like:
- Don't save in Tidy Park Clubhouse.
Are there any others?
 
Finished it and clocked in at just shy of 20 hours!

What a delightful little game this turned out to be. Has really hit the spot for that Mario Golf sequel I've wanted for so long.

Really charming characters, excellent dialogue and genuinely funny too! I really liked the course variety too, even if some of them feel a touch generic. Every course at least presents a new hazard or quirk for you to work with.


I also never knew rumble could be used to such startlingly good effect. From the way it helps dialogue flow or is used as a sound element. I really hope more games on Switch find a way to utilise this.

I also love how the game mixes things up part way through (Spoilers pertaining to story or quest elements)
Murder mystery and stealth sections in my Golf RPG? Yes, please.

I didn't even mind the golf ball fetch quest.


I'm left a little disappointed with the putting mechanics, they feel "off" somehow and they were not well presented in the first place, plus the wind factor lead to some frustration, along with some of the difficulty spikes mentioned here. (location spoiler)
Especially at Blue Moon Dunes. Fuck that course.
.

Overall though I'm mega impressed. What a treat for Switch owners and only £15! Bargain!

Oh, and I have to add. (Story spoiler)
the rap battle at Tidy Park had me creasing up.
 

Haunted

Member
I'm seeing people drop this because of difficulty spikes and others complaining that the game was too easy and not challenging enough.

:lol just goes to show how diverse the Switch audience is



edit:
Spin: This determines the severity of topspin and backspin when it's applied on the ball (this is what you do using L or R while you're setting up your shot and it puts a little highlight over the ball indicator). This takes effect once your ball lands and can cause it to roll forward further in the case of topspin, or stop short or even roll back a little bit with backspin. When you want to use each depends on the situation but strong spins especially in conjunction with adjusting your hit-point gives you a lot of options in how you want to approach a hole.


Beyond that, you get ZL and ZR, which are used to help set up chip and approach shots. It's worth mentioning that you have three different approach ranges to work with depending on which buttons you do or don't have pressed. ZL is the shortest range, both simultaneously is in the middle, and ZR is closest to your full-power hit. The exception to this is putting, where holding ZL puts you into a short-range putting power scale while ZR gives you long-range.
whattttt

I just beat the special/alternate course in Oak Manor and I didn't know either of these tricks. Can't help but disagree with those saying the golf mechanics aren't deep enough.
 

mindatlarge

Member
I just finished this game and I have to say - fuck those difficulty spikes. They really take away from what is otherwise a great golf / RPG hybrid. Really a shame this ultimately didn't live up to my personal expectations.

I know a lot of you guys like this game, and I liked about 80% of it. That other 20% really dragged my opinion of it through the mud though.
The last area really does seem to ramp up the difficulty. That
wind
is the devil too.

I'd give it a solid 7/10. If it wasn't so buggy and felt less janky at times, it'd be higher. Think this game could have really benefited from a few more months in the oven to up the polish.
 

Ashtar

Member
So I started this game yesterday and I'm confused about leveling up, my power is super weak but when I increase it everything else goes down so I spend points bringing them back up... also what are the categories even doing besides accuracy and power? What does "skill" even do?
 

mindatlarge

Member
So I started this game yesterday and I'm confused about leveling up, my power is super weak but when I increase it everything else goes down so I spend points bringing them back up... also what are the categories even doing besides accuracy and power? What does "skill" even do?
That's just a mechanic of the game. But you can always reduce your "power" stat to put into other stats if need be. Keep in mind though, once you put points into the other 4 stats below "power" the points cannot be reduced.

What I did was, left my "power" at around halfway. Then I worked on maxing out the other four stats below it and I made it through the game ok, feeling like I had more control over my shots, until the final area where I did need to level some more to increase my "power".
 

tebunker

Banned
Where would you say the difficulty spikes hit the hardest? I'm in the snow zone now and the game has mostly felt really easy. Even when I fuck up hard, it seems possible to recover and progress. I actually feel there isn't enough challenge to make the courses feel satisfying when I beat them.

I only felt it on the final course and even then I won Match play in six holes due to being over aggressive.

I won the final tournament after blowing a two stroke lead but stull finished tied for first and won.

The challenges define spiked on the final course too, but ultimately they were still very doable.

I feel like the game is attempting to teach you to expand your play style and to try different things with each course and challenges. I don't think it does it evenly enough and you are never truly taught to switch up clubs or try different strategies. Mainly because you can brute force through most stuff with upgraded clubs.

When in reality it is in your interest to play a few practice holes and then change your gear.

I could also see someone being upset/struggling with the change to vintage gear at Tidy Park. It is definitely a change of direction.

Personally I felt like I leveled up so easily and often that the changes didn't affect me as much. Driving for 300 plus without using the power swing, 0 hook or slice in swing, 10 degrees of control and near maxed out spin. It just kind of makes stuff silly.
 
So I started this game yesterday and I'm confused about leveling up, my power is super weak but when I increase it everything else goes down so I spend points bringing them back up... also what are the categories even doing besides accuracy and power? What does "skill" even do?
There's a summary in the OP

What I did was, left my "power" at around halfway. Then I worked on maxing out the other four stats below it and I made it through the game ok, feeling like I had more control over my shots, until the final area where I did need to level some more to increase my "power".
there are stats that you may not want to max out as doing so will reduce your control on the ball.

My approach was to increase power until losses appear in the other categories and then "repair" them.

I prefer the extra stats to be centred or "neutral" but depending on your play style you might prefer a different setup.
 
I'm seeing people drop this because of difficulty spikes and others complaining that the game was too easy and not challenging enough.
The difference between these groups could easily be those who have grasped more of the nuances than others.

Of course it helps if you've played a golf game before and understand what's possible in controlling the ball and the subsequent effects. Especially given that this game doesn't really explain them, and doesn't have a glossary/dictionary of golfing terms (like Mario Golf GBC did)
 
Anyone else feel like animations and the highlight intro to challenges just sort of go on a little too long? About 7-8 hours in and it's starting to grate on me. Especially on the missions or challenges where you only try once and it shows you where you hit and then you fail and get the too bad animation just to start it over again. That and the repeated cycle of small missions to eventually get to the actual round of golf is all just kind of wearing on me quite a bit. Where I started really loving the game it's not just kind of becoming annoying at times.
 

jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
Where would you say the difficulty spikes hit the hardest? I'm in the snow zone now and the game has mostly felt really easy. Even when I fuck up hard, it seems possible to recover and progress. I actually feel there isn't enough challenge to make the courses feel satisfying when I beat them.

These guys know what's up:

The latter courses are definitely designed to be played with pro clubs. Trying them with any other clubs will make them ridiculously hard or even impossible.

The last area really does seem to ramp up the difficulty. That
wind
is the devil too.

I spent about 4 hours trying different combinations of clubs / tactics on the last tournament before I finally won. Getting -1 or less on that course (
with the wind blowing like it does
) was downright tricky. My first inclination was to use the skimming woods because of all the water (if you shoot into the water, most of the time you might as well quit / restart even if you're almost all the way done) but they just didn't have enough power
to overcome that wind
. Also I had to resign to the fact that maybe I'm just not very good at this game.

Other areas where I found difficulty spikes were during the forced disc golf sections (I never could get a handle on the controls) and a few other times during matches and such where I ended up doing a bunch of side-content to level up then coming back and handling it okay. I guess like most RPGs, if you don't do the "grind" in this game you'll suffer for it when it comes time to face the boss.

I was level 35 when I finished the game so I don't think I was underleveled - but maybe I was(?). I primarily focused my points into power and the rest into keeping the rest of my skill bars somewhere in the middle.

Kind of a shame, since I genuinely liked the majority of the (non-golf) content and genre-bending sections. The snow level side-quest that was basically stealth / pac-man was awesome, the murder mystery dinner was probably my favorite section in the game, and I really enjoyed the whole of the Halloween course.
 

Okamid3n

Member
I'm seeing people drop this because of difficulty spikes and others complaining that the game was too easy and not challenging enough.

Just goes to show we really need difficulty options in more games...

I won the last tournament on my first try, having never done any practice round on that course (match play doesn't count since they made the greens flat in that final match play I think, and it's not like I ever reach past hole 6 in match play).

I got 2 water hazards trying outlandish stuff too, since I was sure I'd win anyway. I personally would've wanted a tournament rush at the end of the game/postgame, where the level of play is substantially higher. The courses are super fun but there's no incentive to ever learn them properly.
 

mstevens

Member
Just goes to show we really need difficulty options in more games...

I won the last tournament on my first try, having never done any practice round on that course (match play doesn't count since they made the greens flat in that final match play I think, and it's not like I ever reach past hole 6 in match play).

I got 2 water hazards trying outlandish stuff too, since I was sure I'd win anyway. I personally would've wanted 80% of the game to be at least as hard as the final course, with the final course being much harder. That would've been about right. Just make me have to retry a course once from time to time, the courses are super fun but there's no incentive to ever learn them properly.

The diverse reactions to the difficulty reminds me of how different people get stuck on different dark souls bosses. I didn't lose any of the matches or tournaments all game (and finished the last one without pro clubs and only level 31 I think)... BUT I was awful at those mega hole in ones like the Oak Manor unlock. I swear to god I hit every pixel around the hole 25 times per hole.
 

hughesta

Banned
what the fuck do I do now that I've
been dicking around Lurker for a while? I've gotta get the power bracelet but can't find the pro shop, I need a shovel, and I need to find the idol, but I can't find a way to progress any of these stories.
 

Cerium

Member
what the fuck do I do now that I've
been dicking around Lurker for a while? I've gotta get the power bracelet but can't find the pro shop, I need a shovel, and I need to find the idol, but I can't find a way to progress any of these stories.

The pro shop is the little shack in the main area, right below the wee links. Straight up from the entrance. What you need is in there.
 

BTA

Member
The diverse reactions to the difficulty reminds me of how different people get stuck on different dark souls bosses. I didn't lose any of the matches or tournaments all game (and finished the last one without pro clubs and only level 31 I think)... BUT I was awful at those mega hole in ones like the Oak Manor unlock. I swear to god I hit every pixel around the hole 25 times per hole.

I mean, I think in this case it's really bad/missing explanations of the mechanics that makes things harder for people? Since not knowing what the shoulder buttons do can make things harder than they need to be.

Unless I'm mistaken. I dunno.

I gotta get back to this; I haven't really played since Monday.
 
I mean, I think in this case it's really bad/missing explanations of the mechanics that makes things harder for people? Since not knowing what the shoulder buttons do can make things harder than they need to be.

Unless I'm mistaken. I dunno.

I gotta get back to this; I haven't really played since Monday.
It's not a totally new sport, it's golf, there are a gazillion golf games that work the same or a very similar way so the mechanics of hitting a ball with a club are out there in lots of places.

The controls and buttons are mentioned in the game but the way that's done - by characters talking to your player about a new thing every so often in the first/second areas - means that it's both easy to miss, and impossible to recall to read again (all you get is the minimal controls screen accessed by pressing minus).

It's a very old school way of doing it, and I appreciate that. I think the game could have been a little more understanding that some players will be totally new to videogame golf.
 
Got the Tiny Park tiny glitch over the weekend and realllllly bummed me out. Should have read more for possible points of game breaking bugs.

Hope it gets fixed, don't have the will to replay the 6 hours or so It'd take mashing through dialog and gold sections to get back to that point.
 

Cerium

Member
Got the Tiny Park tiny glitch over the weekend and realllllly bummed me out. Should have read more for possible points of game breaking bugs.

Hope it gets fixed, don't have the will to replay the 6 hours or so It'd take mashing through dialog and gold sections to get back to that point.
A fix was already submitted to Nintendo, hopefully it'll be approved soon. It will fix your save file.
 

Sinistral

Member
Yeah I got to Tidy Park too and all this talk on the game breaking bug has me spooked. Bought Steamworld Dig 2 to hold me over until the patch hits.
 

mindatlarge

Member
I spent about 4 hours trying different combinations of clubs / tactics on the last tournament before I finally won. Getting -1 or less on that course (
with the wind blowing like it does
) was downright tricky. My first inclination was to use the skimming woods because of all the water (if you shoot into the water, most of the time you might as well quit / restart even if you're almost all the way done) but they just didn't have enough power
to overcome that wind
. Also I had to resign to the fact that maybe I'm just not very good at this game.

Other areas where I found difficulty spikes were during the forced disc golf sections (I never could get a handle on the controls) and a few other times during matches and such where I ended up doing a bunch of side-content to level up then coming back and handling it okay. I guess like most RPGs, if you don't do the "grind" in this game you'll suffer for it when it comes time to face the boss.

I was level 35 when I finished the game so I don't think I was underleveled - but maybe I was(?). I primarily focused my points into power and the rest into keeping the rest of my skill bars somewhere in the middle.

Kind of a shame, since I genuinely liked the majority of the (non-golf) content and genre-bending sections. The snow level side-quest that was basically stealth / pac-man was awesome, the murder mystery dinner was probably my favorite section in the game, and I really enjoyed the whole of the Halloween course.
We share the same mindset to a tee. I don't mind difficulty spikes in games either, as long as the game is well equipped to facilitate the difficulty. But when it feels like you're fighting the controls or a horrible camera angle plus the spikes in difficulty, my nerd rage takes over, I get even worse at a game, and the fun is zapped away for me.

I also loved the spooky areas...especially this time of year with Halloween right around the corner, as they felt really "campy" and well done. It was perfect timing as the game seemed to drag for me around the middle of the game, so getting to an area like that was a good pick me up since it was starting to feel like a chore to play. This is one of those titles that I loved but at the same time, there's a lot holding it back from being truly great, in my opinion. Though I will say, considering this was a two man team, it's quite remarkable they pulled off such a charming title, even if it is diminished by some of the negatives for me. Hopefully some patches will iron out the bugs and add some additional improvements to the game overall.
 

lt519

Member
Started on the plane today, looking forward to playing more, the mechanics and characters are really fun.

Had one freeze when I turned down a round of golf in the Lurker pro shop.
 

The Hermit

Member
I found the game easy... only had to retry the last tournament.

pro tip: Use the directional powers- ghost tee, power and focus mode.
 

BTA

Member
It's not a totally new sport, it's golf, there are a gazillion golf games that work the same or a very similar way so the mechanics of hitting a ball with a club are out there in lots of places.

The controls and buttons are mentioned in the game but the way that's done - by characters talking to your player about a new thing every so often in the first/second areas - means that it's both easy to miss, and impossible to recall to read again (all you get is the minimal controls screen accessed by pressing minus).

It's a very old school way of doing it, and I appreciate that. I think the game could have been a little more understanding that some players will be totally new to videogame golf.

Sure, other games might simulate the mechanics of golf similarly. That's all well and good, but the last golf game I played was... Wii Sports, I think? So that does nothing to help me.

I don't mean to be rude but I've seen you talk about a lack of "handholding" here as if it's a positive multiple times, and I can't agree at all. There's going for a retro/nostalgic style of gameplay, and there's being dated for no reason. There's no reason not to at least have a tutorials menu that explains this stuff better, or at least lets you see the same (generally not well written) explanations to begin with. Even when the game actually does let you practice something rather than just telling you it offhand it can be a little too quick about it - I apparently did the
long drive, or whatever it was
correctly the first time so the game immediately moved me onward without letting me actually figure out how to do it consistently.

Not to mention that it takes forever to explain topspin/backspin and angling your shots when that would be immediately useful. Same goes for chipping/approaching/whatever. Could they not have just had that in the tutorial at the start, or else had a second tutorial with Coach a little while in?

And would it really hurt to be able to look at a map of the area? To indicate challenges/points of interest on if? That's the sort of thing that would make the game feel less rough, not less retro.
 
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