Pro Cast Sports Fishing

I love to fish. I like to spend time outdoors, and enjoying nature. However, weather sometimes prohibits activities such as fishing, and I am forced to retreat indoors to find solace with the next best thing. Is Pro Cast Fishing that thing? Perhaps it is.

Capcom has given the XBox platform a new sports offering in Pro Cast Sports Fishing Game. Not to get off to a bad start, but I have to address the "Sports Fishing" moniker right now. I tend to think of Sport fishing as a wide variety of species. In this game, however, it's Bass and relatives of bass (like Bluegill). So, throwing out the blanket of it being a Sports Fishing title is a bit misleading. OK, that's enough on that topic.

To my knowledge, this is the first fishing title for this platform. That doesn't lend much to compare it to. Given the climate of first person shooters and more popular sports, taking the plunge into fishing is seemingly something developers feel they have to do-- rather than approach it with vigor. I think that shows in this game. It has all of the requirements for fishing, but is missing the warmth and charm that the sport offers. Still, it's a decent game and I was HOOKED early.

You are given three modes of play: Arcade, Simulation and Free Fishing. Arcade has you fishing against "others" on a timer. Size matters, folks. You have to stay in the rankings or Game Over! My first time out, I landed only one fish, yet it was enough to keep me in the Top 10. That's reality.  I spent my whole cyber-day fishing the area and landed only one (note that there IS a difference in hooking and landing!). The next round, I did not catch one, and was eliminated. On to the next trial!

Simulation is the Bass fishing equivalent of playing in Tournament mode on a football (or similar) game. You play and progress as you win. First, you must qualify and pay the fees. To do that, you have to fish! Your skill at catching the big ones gain you points, which can be used to buy more lures, rods, tips, etc. It's all about the gear! You need some serious tackle to make it far in this sport. To compete in the Tourney, you need the fee, which is also part of the point gains. At any time you have the points, you can enter the tourney, but it is wise to fish a lot prior to that leap, as you can build up your tackle and better your chances. 

Free Fishing is just casting, reeling and landing fish. No pressure or point system. Just practice. I didn't spend much time here, but it's a nice way to get some experience in landing big ones with the pressure of missing out on points from breaking your line. Very aggravating. 

In any of the modes, you are given a very small sampling of lures and etc to choose from. The idea is to get more as you progress, but dang it-- no one with their own boat has that small of a tackle box! They don't give you much at all, and that's a big negative. No deep color selection, nor enough selection of the various types (deep water, medium, jigs, etc).  It really matters when it comes to matching colors to conditions. Also, having depth of choices for various water types is crucial. I think this is what separates the fisher-persons from those that just play fishing games without a clue. There IS a science to it, folks. Fishing is hard, and isn't about drinking and wasting a day watching water bubbles. Given that it IS so serious, it's annoying that they give you, and a "pro", such a small sampling of lures to start with.

The game assigns you your territory. I did not care much for that. In past games on other platforms, you are given entire lakes to wander, or in some cases, multiple locales all over the US. Here, they drop you in a spot and let you go at it. Still, I managed to do OK with what I had. I landed my share of small bluegill for a few dozen points, all the way up to large mouth bass that handed me almost 300 points in one haul. Very nice. I bought more lures and caught more fish-- the way the game is intended to work. 

You can select from three players, and name them. Two men and a woman. I chose the burly German guy as he most resembled the grizzled sportsman. The other guy looked like a computer nerd (ok, so am I), while the girl looked like she'd rather be "clubbing" for the day. In the game, you can approach fellow anglers and get tips, none of which were very useful to me. One helpful fellow told me I should get good lures. DUH! 

Hooking the fish is done by pressing the Left trigger to set the hook, then the Right trigger to reel it in. The left joystick is your rod control, which in conjunction with reeling, is the secret to landing fish. For those that don't understand or appreciate that finesse, you will not be successful in this game, or the real life counterpart. You have to watch your tension meter, while keeping the line taught. Let it get loose, and he'll slip away. Too tight, and the lines break. Teasing the fish is all part of the fun and challenge. When a hungry fish sees your presentation (lure), you must "jig" the lure and make him NEED the item taunting him. Again, all part of the science of catching fish. This is where the Free Fishing mode helps you. Watch the fish as they (re)act to various presentation and rod tipping. You can make that lure dance and wiggle until he grabs it with anger. Then, YOU'RE hooked. That is the fun. 

The graphics were sharp and clear. Maybe too clear. But-- if any game maker made water look the way it REALLY does in most lakes, I would hate playing that game. So, we're treated to a clear aquarium-like environment to view. The fish looked pretty good, but the species looked too similar. The Small Mouth look like Stripers. When a real bass breaks water, they thrash and flip their tail fins in a frenzy. In this game, when they break, they look more like flying fish and move horizontally. It was odd to watch. There are some glitches with obstructions. Most games I have played have similar glitches, so this was expected. Lines will eerily go THROUGH stumps and weeds with ease. There are some very nice touches like floating debris. Amongst the fish and flora are floating leaves and life-like trash. That was new for me. 

The sounds were average. The music was bad. Period. Terrible elevator-ish music. Water splashing and boat creaking were among the sounds they sampled. Not too much to hear in this one. It's all about the visuals and action. 

This was a fun game to play, but seemingly only a minimal effort. With little or no competition, you don't have to try too hard. I think it shows here. It feels like something that was produced "just because", rather than something that was labored and created out of passion for the sport. Given the lack of popularity and understanding of fishing (who can blame people when you see the boring old guys in their boats on TV??), making a fishing game has got to be a thankless task. I think this is good, and I do recommend it. I felt satisfaction and it kept me coming back as I gained more points and was able to get better "stuff". Just like the real thing, there were times of non-action and frustration. Constant casting with no result. That is REAL. For many, that is why they avoid the sport (and video game versions) altogether. It is not something for people that need flash and break-neck action. It's a thinking game, and for those that appreciate the subtleties of a low-key, challenging sport. 

Graphics: 8 
The water is (too?) clean, and the fish are pretty. The lures sparkle under the water and the minnows swimming around look very nice. I liked the floating debris, though the AI glitches were annoying. I wish someone would make a fishing game where the line/lure actually snag on the weed instead of mysteriously passing through the obstacles unrealistically.  

Sound: 6.5
There isn't much to hear, here. Fishing is a quiet sport, so that's OK. But, if they insist on providing music, make it something that doesn't sound like it came from a blue movie from the 70s. There is commentary as you perform various tasks ("Fish ON!!"), which is actually sometimes helpful. When you are reeling one in, it will tell you if your line is too tight-- in case your eyes are too busy to watch the meter. 

Concept: 7.5 
Fishing games have been done on every platform, and they're all about the same. This one has a few unique touches, but actual play is typical and tired. It's not a bad thing, but nothing too special compared to other offerings on different platforms.

Overall: 7.9
Fishing is fun-- if you have the patience. Tournament fishing is downright hard, and not for the casual angler. Thus, assuming this is cast and carry is foolish. You will NOT land one every time. Maybe not for long periods of time. But, when it does happen, the thrill is immense and makes you want to try again. This is the way of the game, and its real life counterpart. As boring as it can be, it can make you feel thrilled and invigorated at the same time. Thus is the beauty-- and bad-- of fishing. This game offers a lot of that realistic thrill. Not bad for a early effort for an outstanding platform. I can't wait to see what will come when someone actually puts some (more) serious effort in it.