Sports Story

 Switch
User Score
2.0

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 40 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 40
  3. Negative: 35 out of 40

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  1. Hoonter10
    Dec 26, 2022
    5
    I am currently stuck in a game breaking bug. I put 5 hours into this game over Friday and Saturday and every time I unlock the 3rd bird my game crashes. I’m going to wait a few months to finish this game. This game requires your to speak to everyone as they give you clues and items. It’s is honestly a chore at some points. I’m glad this isn’t a hand holding kind of game but damn sometimesI am currently stuck in a game breaking bug. I put 5 hours into this game over Friday and Saturday and every time I unlock the 3rd bird my game crashes. I’m going to wait a few months to finish this game. This game requires your to speak to everyone as they give you clues and items. It’s is honestly a chore at some points. I’m glad this isn’t a hand holding kind of game but damn sometimes I with Atreus would pop out and tell me to throw my axe at something … Expand
  2. eltaco
    Dec 25, 2022
    6
    Good game if you enjoyed golf story. The other sports seem fun and mechanics are pretty difficult (time based) which I enjoy. The game does come with quite a few glitches, bugs and frame rate drops (which is annoying for timing based games such a this one. I score a 6 for now but it is definitely worth a full price buy after they fix these glitches with a patch (would score it 8-9 then). IGood game if you enjoyed golf story. The other sports seem fun and mechanics are pretty difficult (time based) which I enjoy. The game does come with quite a few glitches, bugs and frame rate drops (which is annoying for timing based games such a this one. I score a 6 for now but it is definitely worth a full price buy after they fix these glitches with a patch (would score it 8-9 then). I will wait on the patch to play further as not to spoil the fun.… Expand
  3. gamingprincess
    Jan 2, 2023
    7
    Sports Story is a cheery RPG that overstays its welcome. While the environments and dialogue are charming and well thought out, the storyline and gaming mechanics aren't fully fleshed out. The characters and world design are delightful, but this charm is dulled by the winding, confusing storyline. The mechanics of golfing, tennis, and dirt biking are well-executed (although tennis couldSports Story is a cheery RPG that overstays its welcome. While the environments and dialogue are charming and well thought out, the storyline and gaming mechanics aren't fully fleshed out. The characters and world design are delightful, but this charm is dulled by the winding, confusing storyline. The mechanics of golfing, tennis, and dirt biking are well-executed (although tennis could use some work when it comes to aiming), but sports such as soccer, cricket, fishing, and baseball seem to be an afterthought. Additionally, the game introduces some fun and exciting stealth and puzzle elements, but golf is clearly the central element of the game. While the mechanics of golf itself are fantastic, the player is often forced to grind golf levels for money to progress the story. The gameplay and layout of later levels seem to repeat the earlier levels. Overall, the earlier levels are innovative, quirky, and cute. That being said, later levels seem repeatedly rehash old mechanics. The Tennis Academy introduces a unique twist on the fetch quest, but the player is forced to repeat this task verbatim in every world after.

    Of course, I must mention the bugs and glitches. I think it's important to give grace to indie developers when it comes to new releases, but there are several bugged quests that disrupt the flow of the game. Further, the environment will often randomly trap the player, effectively soft locking the game. If you play Sports Story, PLEASE save after every important event. I have had to restart my game at least 10 times.

    The ending challenge was extremely anticlimactic, and the ending dialogue/scenery seemed to wrap up the game they intended to make but not the game they actually made. The entire ending challenge only uses the golf mechanic, which feels antithetical to the game itself. I wonder if some big facets of the game were cut due to time. This can also be seen from the over world map, which looks unfinished with big empty gaps to nowhere.

    This game has heart, but it needs a bit of polish. I have faith that Sidebar Games can rectify most of the problems in updates to come.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

31
#31 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
54

Mixed or average reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 13
  3. Negative: 4 out of 13
  1. Pocket Tactics
    Jan 24, 2023
    30
    Sports Story is essentially unplayable in its current form, with issues such as softlocking, out-of-bounds areas, and perpetual crashing. Outside of the technical issues, much of the mechanics and story feel disappointing too, with the tongue-in-cheek humour still present but struggling to breathe among the various issues. The disappointment is real with this one.
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  2. Game Informer
    Jan 16, 2023
    65
    Even if Sports Story was polished and bug-free, it would still fall strikingly short of the first title in the series. The new sports don’t play well, the fetch quests are tiresome, and the story is tedious and less charming than that of Golf Story. What remains of the retro golf experience is fun, but the whole game feels like a textbook example of being unable to deliver on lofty ambitions.
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  3. WellPlayed
    Jan 16, 2023
    65
    Sports Story doesn’t hit the heights of its predecessor, overstuffed with new ideas and sports that probably should have been left on the cutting-room floor. There’s still plenty here to enjoy, both golf and tennis fans will find something to like and fans of the original likewise, but the trophy could have used a polish.
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