2009/07/14

Pangya Fantasy Golf (PSP)

If you know me, I like sports games with a little twist to them, like the Outlaw Golf series. Something that makes it different from the mainstream version that attract people who normally wouldn't pick it up and give it a try. Pangya Fantasy Golf is one of those games.

Think about it. Your transported to a fantasy world and are told you are a descendent of a great hero that saved the wolrd from a great evil. How did he do it? By playing golf! Since then it's become the national game in memory and tribute to the great hero, and everyone plays it. Now the great evil is returning and your help is needed to defeat it again....by playing golf.

Silly premise aside, this is a solid golf game. Simple controls, cutesy graphics and a good soundtrack. There a big cast of characters to choose from once you've unlocked them all by playing through the story mode, and they can all be customised by buying items at the shop or earning rare items by winning tournaments. There's also the Papel Shop, where you pay 200 pang and try your luck at winning items in a random drawn lottery.

The one thing missing from this game is voices for the characters. You hear them grunt when they make a golf swing, but are voiceless during the cutscenes of story mode. Voices would have helped to add more depth to the characters, but it's not that big a deal.

My biggest complaint with the gameplay is that sometimes you'll swear the game is deliberately trying to screw you over. For example, your character can supposedly make a long 250 yard drive, but they almost always come up short. Wind might be a factor, but it doesn't make sense that you should be able to make a 270 yard double super-powered shot, and your drive ends up short by a good 60 yards, and you end up in a water hazard or obstacle! This is even when the wind isn't a factor! It just forces you to remember and take the long route to par next time you play through.

Overall, this is still a fun game with a lot of replay value to unlock all the hidden costumes and stuff. Definitely recommended.

Game Rating: 8/10

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