The Fisherman: Fishing Planet review

When you think of sport titles you tend to think mainstream- football (soccer), american football, basketball, ice hockey, tennis and golf. And in these sports, there have been dozens of recreations over the years, many with yearly instalments that have been going back years.

Being a big sports fan (football fan at heart) I will play pretty much play anything in this genre, just like I would in the shooter genre. There’s just something about a sport’s title that hooks you, and reels you in, and keeps you coming back for more.

Throughout my years of gaming there have been plenty of games based around sport, some opting for the arcade, fast action gameplay route, other’s looking for a more authentic action that represents the sport, simulation style. But one thing for sure, if there’s a sport played in the real world, then I can guarantee you a game would have been produced to represent it over the years, no matter the sport.

Fishing is one of those sport’s that wouldn’t necessarily cross your mind when you think of a sports title, but you would be genuinely surprised to know that there have been quite a few over the years. For everyone’s sport, there would have been dozens of magazines produced, hundreds of hours of coverage be that on the tv, through dvd’s or even streaming (the growing choice of this modern digital age) coverage. So why not a game based around fishing?

For some it’s a passion, for other’s a hobby, but I will assure you it’s certainly a chance to get away from it all, a chance to unwind and relax in some wonderful locations, a chance to enjoy nature at its best, and enjoy a bit of sport.

The Fisherman- Fishing Planet is the gold standard when it comes to fishing games, based on the game Fishing Planet also available on Xbox One as a free to play version- but littered with micro-transactions. The fisherman- Fishing Planet is the complete version, with not a micro-transaction insight.

A chance to experience all the fun of fishing, and the relaxation of a fishing trip without the real world costs, and as someone that understands the world of fishing in real life- you can easily spend a small fortune on fishing gear and that’s before you count the cost of travelling.

This Fishing game is a truly unique experience, featuring a highly realistic single player and online first-person multiplayer fishing simulator, developed by avid fishing enthusiasts, in order to bring you the player the full thrill of actual angling, with out leaving the living room.

You really do get the full experience, from choosing the right equipment for the right fish. So, grab your rod, purchase your reel, line and lure, assess the conditions and make sure you have enough bait.

This game will sharpen your angling skills, and allow you to take them pretty much anywhere, anytime, even into the real world. Should you enjoy the game, there really could be a real-life fisherman in you somewhere!

The combination of unique graphics and realistic physics will bring the realistic word of fishing directly to your Xbox, and if you have ever played a fishing game before, be that computer or console, you won’t be disappointed.

The Fisherman- Fishing Planet offer’s the ultimate gaming experience in its field, with 143 species of fish to catch, each with true-to-life behaviour. A host of fishing locations, 19 in total, each with different environments, requiring different techniques, of which four are available to be successful. These locations are stocked with hundreds of fish, and in even hold the odd trophy fish from each species available in the lake. The settings span right the way through the United States and into the heart of Europe, the game will certainly take you places.

The Game boasts over 1,000 different fishing tackle products, each available to purchase using in game currency throughout the world of The Fisherman- Fishing Planet, all with unique properties. The game also features dynamic weather, with a day and night cycle and different calendar seasons which all effect how the fish behave and there feeding habits.

The games graphic’s are truly stunning, using the latest high-end tools for the ultimate photo-realism: photogrammetry, all the waterways used in the game are based on real world locations, you can actually fish these lakes and areas in real life. It really is like eye candy for the eyes, and helps to give off the laid back relaxing tranquil feel of fishing. Fishing is a stress reliever, and this game transforms those benefits to fishing in your own home.

Behind the whole experience on offer is a truly complex AI system, certainly when it comes to how the fish handle. The game capture’s the sport and the species of fish on offer in the game and brings them to life. The behaviour of the fish correlates with seasonal and climatic change, time of day, speed of water current, bottom contour and type (colour and structure), water and air temperature, and wind. The game literally thinks of everything and processes it to give the player the ultimate realistic fishing trip.

The biting and striking reactions used in the game are simplistic enough to pick up, offering reward for experienced angler’s using all the different methods available in the game.

The physics at work in this game are astonishing, using superb hydro and aerodynamics to recreate realistic tackle damage. Yes, things can break just in real life, so if you don’t have the right set up and an absolute monster of a fish takes the bait, you just might be better off cutting the line, then risk your rod breaking.

In The Fisherman- Fishing Planet you also have to think tackle management too, with rod, line and reel graphic bars on screen detailing just how much stress the particular elements are under. This may mean giving a little more slack, or reeling in a bit more gently, or even turning the tables and being more aggressive with your strike actions and rod movements.

Multiplayer wise this game has so many options, from online tournaments and competition’s require different set-ups- float, spinning and bottom all feature, as does boat fishing (yes you can acquire a boat, or you can just rent one) and many more. The game also tracks your personal scores, system of achievements, challenges and includes world leaderboards and top player lists for that added sense of competition.

If you require a private lake to yourself this is easily done, as is adding friends to a private lake, or you could just join a room filled with like-minded fisherman.

Should this all sound far too complicated I can assure it’s not, and in The Fisherman- Fishing Planet, unlike it’s free-to-play model there is a comprehensive on the rail tutorial system, which not only teaches you the basics, it also takes you through a step by step basis of building rod pre-sets, and this really does work a treat and is so helpful, it also teaches about levelling up, earning in-game cash and offers a fantastic introduction to the many challenges In the game which can easily be tracked.

The screens are so detailed, and nothing has been left unpolished. The games tackle screens, and storage screens are a wonderful sight and so informative, as is the in-game shop, which is huge and full of options.

The controls are a real joy, so easy to pick up and get the hang of. Anyone can pick up the controller, cast and catch a fish, which is really important for the game. The difficulty in the game, is the unlocking of different fishing locations, which are unlocked through a progressive levelling up system, with different size and species of fish holding Experience points which are key to achieving this.

The Fisherman: Fishing Planet is a true masterpiece. Making use of excellent physics and game development tools to produce a fantastic representation of the sport of Fishing. Offering that tranquil get away right in your living room. With sublime easy to use controls, and an abundance of detail for the true fisherman in you. Quite simply breath-taking.