Screenshots & trailers
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 78 | 20 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 75 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 86 | 186 |
| Backloggd ratings | – | 76 | 750 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 11h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (38)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 90
“Golf Story is a surprisingly gripping game, hooking you with fantastic gameplay, loads of content, and a well-written script. This is one that’ll have you coming back for many hours in the story mode alone, and the multiplayer does a good job of expanding on this with even more replayability. We would highly recommend Golf Story to anyone looking for something a little different. There’s a whole lot to love here, and if you’re a fan of RPGs or golf games, this is a must buy. ”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Golf Story is an easy recommendation for all early Switch adopters out there. Very solid gameplay is well backed up by plenty of humour and a lot of nicely varied entertainment. Though it can be argued that the game doesn't provide anything overly new in its implementation of the game, even those who aren't fans of the sport will find lots of fun throughout.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Golf Story doesn’t totally live up to the legacy of those Mario sports RPGs, but it does a very good job at touching on those classics and putting its own spin on the genre. A few nagging issues might draw down the experience, but the golfing is fun enough to work in tandem with a wacky story and world to make a genuinely enjoyable adventure on Switch.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Golf Story is charming, witty, funny, adorable, entertaining, and a must-have for your Switch collection. ”
read full review ↗ - 80
“It can take a little while for the narrative to ramp up in Golf Story and for you to feel like you've really cultivated the skills of a champion, but based on the sheer scope of what the game delivers, there's likely something for everyone to enjoy whether their shtick is mini-golfing or terrorising delinquents with frisbees. It has successfully captured the trappings of yesteryear's RPGs, and the witticisms and idiosyncrasies of the characters you encounter are a great palate cleanser between rounds.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Its plot could be more involving and it feels too long on several moments, while the characters certainly won't become the player's darlings but Golf Story's redeeming factors can cover part of its shortcomings and create an interesting mixture of an RPG and golf.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“A fantastically charming mix of golf sim and role-playing game, that smooths over its rough edges with its irreverent humour and wild imagination.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Golf Story is a colorful adventure with plenty of personality and packed with charm. Although I wish it did a little more to mix up its challenges, it’s a better golf game than it has any right to be, and a fun and engaging RPG to boot. The writing here is fantastic, and swinging the club at whatever catches your eye never gets old. An easy recommendation for fans of sports games or RPGs, and a must-have for even the most casual fans of both. Golf Story is my favorite out-of-nowhere release this year.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A very interesting Golf RPG. Crazy mechanics, crazy story and crazy NPCs. A fresh game.”
read full review ↗ - 82
“Sidebar Games have made a great take on the arcade golf game and added a story and RPG elements with great success! Golf Story is the best sports game on the Nintendo Switch, and arguably one of the best games available right now on the system. Whether you are a fan of golf or not, you need this game on your system! ”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Just like Stardew Valley filled a void in the hearts of those missing Harvest Moon, Golf Story does what Nintendon’t by delivering a highly competent take on the Mario Golf RPG formula, an offshoot of a franchise that has gone missing for well over a decade. Golf Story likely wouldn’t have existed without looking to gaming’s past for inspiration but that hardly makes it a knockoff. It excels in every way you’d hope a game in this niche but fascinating genre would.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Golf Story's clever writing and sound golf fundamentals keep it entertaining, even through some stale moments. Despite its light-hearted RPG structure, there’s a challenging and very real golf game here that’s worth coming back to even after the story is over. But it left me wishing that more of the campaign focused on the golf itself, and less on the often repetitive side tasks.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
RPGamer
NintendoWorldReport
GameSpot
FNintendo
Metro GameCentral
We Got This Covered
Atomix
Switch Player
DarkZero
IGN…and 26 more tracked reviews.