[QUOTE="ston3henge"]"REEL FISHING"
I'm not kidding, I honestly DO like this game because it's a nice, laid-back alternative to knuckle-bruising action titles, the ambience and graphics are sort of mezmerizing... all I ask is that you try it before you bash it. You might find a hidden gem. If you fish, mannerisms of Bass, Trout, Carp, and others is really well done, and real-life fishing techniques actually apply. This is not one of those loud, shouty, in-your-face "Bass Challenge" arcade games with time limits and over-eager announcers... the focus is on relaxation and getting to know the fish behaviors and locations. The mo-cap water and various sound effects and locales make for a very Zen experience. Definitely play it with 'phones on.
LongZhiZi
I always see you trotting this one out, so I might as well ask some questions. Is there a real purpose to the game? Yeah, catching fish and all, but I mean is it some kind of tournament thing? I remember playing Bassin's Black Bass on the SNES when I was a kid and had a good time trying to catch the most weight (for 5 bass) in a tournament. I just keep seeing you saying it's so relaxing that it makes me think that there's no real point to the game other than merely catching fish.In order to progress through the game, you need to meet the criterion of each level, usually a quota of a given fish, or certain size or larger. If memory serves there are 22 levels spanning 7 or 8 different locations and you bounce back and forth meeting the various objectives. This first title in the series is my favorite for a lot of different reasons like the mo-cap water effects (later games went to all-graphicly drawn locations and I thought they lost a little charm, visually), even though the fish AI aren't as developed as later itterations.
Fish AI is pretty accurate, so when you're trying to catch a trout you need to let the fish hit the bait andrun before trying to set the hook, carp are skiddish and easily spooked... etc.
As you progress and unlock locations by fufilling quotas or netting trophy specimens, you also unlock baits and other tackle. I know this all sounds like it's not exactly pulse-pounding, but when you finally land that monster trout you feel accomplished in ways that are very different than other gaming victories. Perhaps this all sounds boring and pointless... but then again, so is most sport fishing at times. Any fisherman (person) will tell you that catching the fish is good, but it's about getting out in the boat or standing at the riverbank and enjoying the sound of the crickets... and this game does that part of fishing as well as the rest, really well.
There are set goals, there is a direction to the game. But it's not a SCREAMER. Y'know? I love the series (being a real-life fisherman who has gone after and successfully caught all sorts of fresh-water trophies & lunches), and I point it out because I honestly feel the first game (the PSOne title) is the best of the series.
It's NOT a game for everyone, but you never know. As friends of mine say about Tiger Woods Golf, that it's not REAL golf but that it keeps them mentally sharp during the off-season, so too, I feel the "REEL Fishing" series is to us fishing folk.
Sure, it's a weird niche game. You might think it's stupid. But then again...
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