REVIEW: Ultimate Fishing Simulator

Before I begin my review, I must make a confession. I have never taken up fishing and I don't feel the need. While I admire those who fish, I have never found the time to really get it. It seemed like a lot more waiting than it was, and fish are not that interesting to me unless they're sharks. I am already on the wrong side of a game that simulates fishing. When I loaded the game, I was looking for a gentle learning curve to teach me about fishing hooks and fish food. Maybe I'd like it more.

When translating fishing experience into a game, one thing is difficult. Once you've chosen your bait, rod, reel, and line, then cast off. You can wind the reel and bring in the fishy by allowing the digifish to pause. Here is my problem, just like real-life fishing. There is plenty to do up until then. There are many options for equipment and unlockable features. Although the menus and HUD may not be the most intuitive or attractive, they are still very useful.

You will find plenty of tips and tricks to help you catch your first Nemo friend. Once you've cast your net, you need to wait. You can adjust your camera angle, view, and even get a closer look at the water's surface. I find it odd that a game forces you to wait makes me feel uncomfortable. This is not the case for interactive experiences. We don't offer a queue simulator. If there were more visual flair and more variety in the environment, the waiting time wouldn't be as bad. Although the water and creature renderings are competent, they would look better on a console of a more recent generation. This display does not feature photo-realistic animal models or surface rippling.

However, there are some aspects of the game that I enjoyed. For example, the depth of the options. I can see where fishing enthusiasts will find plenty of options to satisfy their needs. Every fish that you catch gives you the option to either sell it for cash or release it into the wild, giving you XP. The cash can be used to purchase more advanced rods, bait, etc. or to gain XP that will allow you to improve your skills and catch larger and more difficult fish. Another problem is the slow pace of gaining rank and little reward once you have achieved it. It can be difficult to land a fish, then carefully ensuring that the line does not break or tangle. Finally, bringing your fish back home to terra firma can become tedious quickly. It is often slow to progress from one fishery into the next. This can lead to slower returns and makes smaller catches less valuable and wasteful.

It is difficult to recreate the tranquil sport of lakeside fishing in game form. Ultimate Fishing Simulator's representations of land environments are well done. While not groundbreaking, they are easy to see. The camera can only be seen below the water surface, so the textures become flat. This prevents you from experiencing the essential level of immersion.

It is essential to understand the basics of fishing. It is easy to feel the weight of the controls as you move the rod. Also, controlling the line length feels real and is very satisfying. It is also a great experience to reel the fish back gently after it is hooked. This is not a flash in (fish)pan and these rare blips are rare. I felt restless and checked my phone while I waited for the bite to send my control into a fit and vibrate and alert me when I pulled at my line.

It is understandable that I am not a fan of the sport can cast a shadow over a review that benefits from some knowledge about the sport. It was something I approached with openness and hoped it would provide a more engaging experience than the Sega Sea Bass Fishing game in the late 1990s. Sega's offering was more arcade-style and relied less upon realism. However, this is something UFS could have benefitted from. It could have been more polished and had a better game mechanic to break the post-cast-off lull. It is just too bad that the final product is one that both a layman and a professional will find difficult to use.