8.5

Review: Nice Day for Fishing

 From a joke, grew into a full adventure 

Sometimes a game doesn't start in a conference room with whiteboards and spreadsheets, but in a sketch. Nice Day for Fishing is the perfect example. Nine years ago the New Zealand comedy group started Viva La Dirt League on YouTube with their soap Epic NPC Man. One of the most beloved figures from that series is Baelin, the unflutterable fisherman with only one mission: Fish, whatever happens. Thanks to a collaboration with developer FusionPlay and publisher Team17 Baelin is now the star of his own game: Nice Day for Fishing. 

From fisherman to unlikely hero

The story is set in Azeri, a colorful pixel-art RPG landscape. When mysterious events make the real heroes disappear, it's up to Baelin to save the day. Armed with nothing more than his rod, a few enchanted worms and a healthy dose of optimism, you move into the world to get fish, monsters and sometimes just weird things out. 

Gameplay fishing between relaxation and adventure 

 At first glance Nice Day for Fishing looks like a relaxed fishing sim, but soon it turns out that there is more at stake than a fish for dinner. You can: 

• Fish on strange (funny) but also magical species
• Rebuild your village by collecting raw materials
• Enemies fight with your rod!!
• Accept humorous quests

 The pace is consciously slower than the average action-RPG, giving the humour and dialogues all the space to shine. 

Humor as Head Editor

 Fans of Viva La Dirt League will immediately recognize the dry, sometimes absurd and self-conscious humour. Baelin remains undisturbedly friendly, even in the midst of apocalyptic chaos. NPCâ€TMs often give absurd clues, enemies have bizarre animations, and the world is full of winks to RPG clichés. It feels like you're in the middle of an interactive sketch.

Personal Review

The concept of the game is really great fun, but frankly I didn't think it was super challenging (perhaps this wasn't the goal either). For players looking especially for complex gameplay or spicy battles, it may feel a bit too simple. But for those who have been a fan of Epic NPC ManThis is a party! There is a lot in it that comes directly from the YouTube series, from characters to humor and even small inside jokes.