The Fisherman – Fishing Planet is not a new title technically however it is a new title on the consoles. Released by Bigben and Fishing Planet LLC, The Fisherman – Fishing Planet is essentially a complete edition release of their free-to-play Steam title of the same name. The premium edition comes with tons of DLC and expansions released for the free-to-play title and it really a complete package of the game. This is our review of The Fisherman – Fishing Planet made on Xbox One.
Upon starting up the game, your first impressions about the game might not be very good. The initial scenery where the tutorial takes place is not very impressive and how all buttons specially the pause button is locked as well does not really set up a strong premise. You can also create your own character at the start of the game however the options are limited here. In addition, The Fisherman – Fishing Planet also requires a constant internet connection. This is a major problem here.
I understand that games like World of Warcraft or Destiny 2 wanting constant internet connection makes sense because these are online-only game and these are MMORPGs. They are built specifically for playing with friends and their worlds are much more suited for allowing different people to play on the same server and thus require online connections at all times however The Fisherman – Fishing Planet is a fishing game. A game that requires patience to play.
Here you would fire up the game, throw your cast in the water and simply wait for some time until a fish bites and then you pull. Why would you require a constant internet connection for a fishing game? This also makes the standby feature of consoles null and void because if you want to go out for a short time and want to resume your fishing adventure right where you left it, the always-online requirement does not allow that. It signs you out and wants you to start the game again from the menu.
The always-online requirement is a major problem for me in games where this annoying feature could simply be avoided. I understand the developers want to make the game a social game and during my fishing trips, I saw different other people fishing from around the world fishing at the same spot as well however it should be an option. Not a requirement. Forcing always online features simply makes the game useless for players who suffer from poor internet connections or who simply want to go on a quick fishing adventure while they are away from the internet.
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s get back to the game’s features. As I was saying earlier, the game surely starts off slow but it is a good thing. To introduce players to the game, there are tutorials that also serve as missions and they will teach you how you can fish in the game. You must complete the initial missions as quickly as possible because they will teach you some basic and advanced fishing techniques, how you can create different setups for specific fish and also about fish behavior and some really handy tips on how you can catch more fish effectively come from the starting tutorial missions.
Coming to catching the fish, The Fisherman – Fishing Planet features the most diverse and unique fish roster I’ve ever seen in any other fishing game. There are tons of different fish that you can bait and catch in the game. This is not all, the fish are all unique and you will need to use special techniques and baits and lures to catch them. For example, to catch the Bass, you will need to use Spinning and then use the Stop and Go technique to catch it since it is a predator. Similarly, some fish types prefer stationary lures with live bait while some will be attracted to different colors.
With all these options, you can create your own custom setups in the game and then you can simply switch to the correct setup when you want to hunt for a specific fish type. While fishing, you will also need to keep in mind about a Fish’s behavior. Some are found near the edges, some in deep water, some near water lilies and some in moving waters and so on. All these factors are extremely well-thought by the developers and you can see that in the game as you switch between your gear, weather scenarios, time of the day and technique to catch a certain type of fish.
The in-game shop is extremely detailed and features a plethora of items for you to choose from. You can unlock and purchase better tackles, rods, spinners, baits, wires, and tons of other fishing accessories according to your own needs. The game even gives you the option of saving a default configuration for each of the three basic types of fishing tackles which are the sinking, floating and spinning tackles. The options are unlimited here. However, the UI of the shop could have been a little better as it still feels like a real PC website that looks good but navigating around could be a little confusing with all the different buttons involved.
Although there is no proper narrative in the game, these missions serve as a great way to make progress in the game as they will continue to help you advance in the game one way or the other. These missions range from exploring each location thoroughly by catching all fish types in locations or simply creating a new setup for specific fish types. This is the next best thing to a proper narrative because they will always give you a direction on how you can advance in the games. However, if you want to play your own way, you can simply play through the initial tutorial missions and then go on your own custom fishing adventures.
The Fisherman – Fishing Planet features locations from around the world where you can fish. However, advanced locations are initially locked and you must level up by fishing in the smaller level and unlocked locations to earn XP and money to level up. As you continue to level up, you will also unlock more and more locations along with better and improved fishing gear in the game. You will also need Fishing Licenses for each location you visit however once you acquire a license, you do not have to purchase them again.
The locations are of pretty decent size and you can explore them. If you are lucky, you will sometimes find resources such as worms or other items in compost piles and such. This gives a nice incentive to players who explore a little off the beaten path. You have the freedom of fishing anywhere in the lakes however sometimes you will need to be specific with your locations if you are looking for a specific fish. The in-game fish index gives you all the information about each and every fish that you must be aware of such as the best time to look for them and best bait to lure them in. You cannot really remember all the information so it is best to check with the index often to know more about the fish.
You can also go in deep waters using a different number of vehicles as well because some of the fish in the game will only spawn in deep waters and you cannot swim to such areas. You can purchase light boats for your adventures and then head into open waters to find the perfect spot to look for these deepwater fish. As you catch fish, progress in the missions and unlock more stuff, you can build your own ultimate collection of fishing gear. The fishing itself is pretty simple in the game.
The on-screen display will tell you everything such as the weather, time, status of the lure and more. You can also use your trusty tablet to mark spots on your location and use it as a map to move around. The Fisherman – Fishing Planet is really any fan of fishing’s ultimate dream come true. Although this is the full, premium version of the game, it still comes with some visual microtransactions. You can head to the shop and purchase some visual skins for your character, gear, and boats however it is completely optional but the game is not free of microtransactions.
The fishing controls are different for every tackle type that you use in the game however they are extremely easy to understand. Even after a little practice, you can quickly get used to some of the advanced fishing techniques that you have to use to catch specific fish in the game. This keeps the challenge high and will require adaptability on your behalf to complete missions and to catch every fish that a location has to offer.
The Fisherman – Fishing Planet offers hours of content to any fan of the sport. There are multiple locations around to world to fish in, the game also features an extensive shop where you can purchase fishing gear and the gameplay mechanics are pretty decent as well. My only problem with the game is the always-online requirement because this means that every time I put my console into standby so I can resume my fishing adventure later, I will need to restart the game instead of simply continuing the game in my boat in the middle of a lake.
Final Verdict
The Fisherman – Fishing Planet offers hours and hours of fishing fun. If you love fishing but are too afraid to go out and do it in the real-world, The Fisherman – Fishing Planet is your best option. The condition to remain online is extremely annoying and means that every time you have to go out, you will need to come back and restart the game which requires long gaming sessions and patience. Get rid of this mechanic and you have yourself a solid fishing experience. The fishing gear collection, the diversity of fish and the locations are pretty good and will keep you busy for a really long time.
Final Verdict: 8.5/10
